Image ex Christies…
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in case you missed it
Michelin 3-star domaines ?
Announced today, there are 9 in the Côte d’Or:
Côte de Nuits
Domaine Cécile Tremblay
Domaine Dugat-Py
Domaine Roumier
Domaine de la Romanée-Conti
Domaine Leroy
Côte de Beaune
Domaine d’Auvenay
Domaine Coche-Dury
Domaine Jean-Marc & Thomas Bouley
Domaine Hubert Lamy
Feel free to discuss 🙂
EDIT: For those who didn’t find the link to the wider list:
https://guide.michelin.com/gb/en/article/wine/the-winners-of-the-first-michelin-grape-selection-in-the-heart-of-burgundy-france
I think the omissions are more glaring than a few strange inclusions…
Pinot noir and old French toilets…
Pinot noir and old French toilets – what’s not to love?
1. PDF – just for when the link is no more…
2. Link to study
A great story – 1899 RC !!
And with so many nameworthy tasters to appreciate the bottle too.
Of course, there are so many unanswered questions, my first of which is ‘How did the date survive so legibly intact, and precious little of the rest of the label(s)?’
My spider-senses are heightened after seeing so many wines at auction that just miss a (vintage) digit and are purported to be, for instance, a 1945 when they could just so easily be a 1944 – there’s quite a difference when it comes to DRC!
And wasn’t that an amazing fill? I’ve seen much worse on (still tasty!) wines from the 1950s. The wines from the 1860s in Bouchard Père’s cellars are in much better condition, but they are also topped up and recorked roughly every 30 years!!
But that’s enough of the cynic in me. So long as everyone was happy 🙂
New rules for old vines?
New rules for ‘old vines?’
There are no rules for labels – everybody says it, everybody knows it – though everyone still used the label. But, eventually changes are planned.
Not everyone was consulted from the start – which caused some ruffling of feathers at the INAO and in the Languedoc – but it seams that the limit for labeling your wine ‘VV’ will be set at 35 years. But it’s France, so will there be more consultations planned? And is it legally binding? Your guesses are as good as mine, but the current info is that 35 is the number
It’s not ideal, and whether it’s the right (best?) age also depends on the grape-variety. It will also pose questions for many labels of long standing – Musigny Vieilles-Vignes, anybody?
But finally, it may come to fruition !!
Vosne-Romanée – the 2024 boundary changes …
Right: Romanée-Conti 28 April 2025
A few weeks ago, I read an article that stated ‘it appears the Vosne-Romanée appellation zone has been expanded, incorporating an additional 30 parcels of vineyard into the appellation. In total, these blocks constitute three hectares (7.4 acres).‘
Seemingly, this was a story that had slipped through the net but it was hard to get to the bottom of what was involved. I had to enlist the help of ‘Burgundy Wines,’ to get to the information – and it took them some time too, despite that I was not the only one asking for clarification.
It seems that the actual situation is much more modest than the quote (above) might suggest. I’ve slightly modified the words of their researches, only to make the situation a little more concise:
Whilst the number of ‘modified’ plots is indeed notable — around thirty in total — the actual changes involve only very small areas, often no more than a few rows of vines.
This is part of a broader clean-up of the appellation boundaries which, for Vosne-Romanée, was completed at the end of 2024.
The changes were brought about using a ‘simplified mechanism’ that allows for minor adjustments without triggering a national ‘opposition process.’
Other appellations have already used, or are in the process of using, this same mechanism. These updates typically occur every 10, 15, or 20 years to reflect the evolving realities on the ground.
Four Premier Cru Climats are included in these adjustments:
1. In Vosne-Romanée:
Aux Brûlées is now 4.6311 ha from 4.5408 ha
Aux Raignots/Reignots is now 1.6422 ha from 1.6295 ha
Les Petits Monts is now 3.7283 ha from 3.6803 ha
2. In Flagey-Echezeaux:
Les Beaux Monts is now 7.5628 ha from 7.0589 ha – the largest change
The 4.4514 ha of Beaux Monts in Vosne-Romanée is unchanged
I’ve known for some time that some producers with vines in Beaux Monts have not been declaring part of their production as 1er cru – this should change in 2025. And to underline, there have been no changes made to the boundaries of the Grand Crus.
Hospices de Nuits St.Georges – their 63rd wine auction – the 2023s
March 2024 – Hospices de Nuits wine auction
March 2024 – Hospices de Nuits wine auction
March 2024 – Hospices de Nuits wine auction
Yesterday, Sunday 10th March, for the first time since the auction moved to the Clos de Vougeot, I went along to the wine auction of the Domaine of the Hospices de Nuits.
Sales prices were a little down – but that’s the global market. By the end of the sale, the organisers could make some nice quotes and all the wines were sold – it was a good total for the organisation and the local charities linked to the sale – so well done for them.
The first lots were three barrels of 1er Les Murgers – one of the smallest cuvées of the Hospices – €20,000, then €21,000, the €18,000 were the winning bids – the latter a possible bargain for Domaine Henri Gouges. The villages wine that followed started at €10k slowly dropping to 8.5k then further to 8k – but this buyer took 4 barrels! For the next barrels of villages there was some discussion as there were no takers at the starting price of 7k – eventually the bid was ‘won’ at 6k but they – it was Bichot – took 5 barrels. Another winning bid of 6k came – this time the buyer taking 4 barrels – Boisset in this case.
The following lots brought the return to 1er crus and the next lot of Porrets St.Georges made 16k. The buyers were present but, it seemed, reticent – and so it continued.
The final result registered a total of 2,281,500 Euros, this was the third highest in the history of the Hospices de Nuits St.Georges – though behind that total was quite the large number of barrels in this vintage which masked a little the effect of lower prices.
The Pièce de Charité, known as the “Cuvée des Bienfaiteurs”, did indeed achieve a new record bid of €68,330 for the benefit of the Clément-Drevon Foundation – a medical research organisation. Also setting a new record was (in only it’s second appearance!) the Cuvée Hugues Perdrizet Nuits St.Georges 1er Cru Les St.Georges Vieilles Vignes which attained a winning bid of €60,000.
I remain convinced that the way forward for maximum returns for the Domaine of the Hospices de Nuits wines will be best developed if brought together in same sale as that of the Domaine of the Hospices de Beaune – it would be a win-win, I’m sure. But today, this is what we have…
ICYMI: The quercetin culprit – red-wine headaches ‘explained’
So that’s what it’s called – I had always assumed that it was just the physical side-effect of opening that 5th bottle…
ICYMI – Les Maladières…
In this case, Beaune – but what better representation of a Leproserie than the magnificent building on the outskirts of Meursault. Next time that you eat at Le Soufflot or Goutte d’Or – take 10 minutes to walk around this splendid relic of a building.
- The Maladière de Beaune: “In the shadow of the Grand Hostel Dieu, many other hospitals existed in Beaune. One of the most important was the Maladière, an institution in charge of one of the most feared diseases of ancient times: leprosy.“
Featured Image courtesy the archives of Beaune