“This 2019 harvest has given us all the balance we seek in a Burgundy, naturally”

Etiquette Hospices de Nuits - Fond_blanc - FILIBER

The Hospices de Nuits have reviewed the 2019 vintage in Nuits-Saint-Georges and the “exceptional” quality of this “dream” vintage. Jean Marc Moron, Technical Manager at the Hospices de Nuits-Saint-Georges Estate, has commented on the five major points of the 2019 vintage, and on the tasting of 18 different “villages” and “premiers crus” whose vinification he has overseen. The 59th Hospices de Nuits-Saint-Georges auctions will take place on Sunday, 8 March 2020 at the prestigious Château du Clos de Vougeot.

2019, the dream vintage

« The 2019 vintage at Hospices de Nuits is really a dream vintage. When we saw the grapes going by on the sorting table, we recognized at once that they were fully mature. The berries had not burst, they were intact. We already knew then, even before the berries fell into the vat, that we had a superb, very mature crop. »

Minimal intervention in 2019

« In 2019 the grapes were able to really express themselves in the vat with minimum intervention in terms of winemaking. By that I mean we did work the vat every day with light pump-over to moisten the top so that the cap didn’t dry out. We knew that the quality of the grapes was such that extraction would occur naturally; the yeasts would strip the skins of their colour, their aromas and their tannins. »

A smooth and elegant 2019 vintage, naturally rich in scents, colour and tannins

« For ‘ripe’ years like these, one must especially not force things, because to go too far would take away the smoothness and elegance that characterises this 2019 vintage. That would give it a hard, tannic edge, an over-extracted character that would create imbalance in the must. The 2019 harvest has given us naturally all the balance we could possibly hope for. It was enough to simply accompany the grapes and yeasts in their work to create a wine rich in tannins, rich in colour and rich in aromas, but always with that silky quality. »

Respecting the hierarchy of the Nuits-saint-georges crus

« The terroirs were respected in 2019. We have nine premier crus at the Hospices de Nuits. Tasting them, it is very clear already which premier crus will make the most supple and tender wines and which make more concentrated ones. In 2019 the terroirs speak for themselves from very early on; it’s pretty impressive. »

Watch the full interview: Hospices de Nuits, the 2019 Vintage

The Hospices de Nuits-Saint-Georges is a winemaking-hospital founded in 1270, two centuries before its illustrious neighbor, the Hospices de Beaune (founded in 1443). Less known but as prestigious as this one, the Hospices de Nuits works exactly the same way, combining a real medical activity and a prestigious wine estate. This very large vineyard spread over 12.4 hectares around the town of Nuits-Saint-Georges also sells all its harvest at auction on the 2nd Sunday of March following the harvest. The following appellations are on sale: Nuits-Saint-Georges (village), Nuits-Saint-Georges 1er Cru and Gevrey Chambertin (village).