51ème vente des Hospices de Nuits Saint Georges

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Less known but more prestigious than her ” big sister ” of the Hospices de Beaune, the Hospices de Nuits are also a ” hospital – wine grower ” and possess as such a vineyard, around Nuits-St-Georges. This traditional weekend corresponds to the spirit of burgundian people who like to share their enjoyment to taste the new vintage wine in a friendly atmosphere. The key point of these two days was of course the 51th Sale of Wines during which was put on sale the harvest 2011 of 12,4 hectares vineyards of the domain (The product of the sale is exclusively used for the investments of the Hospital). Albert Bichot bought 9 rooms(parts,plays) on 4 cuvées:

• NUITS-ST-GEORGES LES LAVIERES LES BAS DE COMBE Cuvée Guillaume Labye
• NUITS-ST-GEORGES 1er Cru LES VIGNERONDES Cuvée Bernarde Delesclache  
• NUITS-ST-GEORGES 1er Cru LES DIDIERS Cuvée Cabet
  • NUITS-ST-GEORGES 1er Cru LES DIDIERS Cuvée Jacques Duret

Meet us at the Wine Spectator’s upcoming 2012 Grand Tour …

More than two hundred of the world’s finest wineries will pour one of their best wines at each stop.
Select one of WINE SPECTATOR’s Grand Tour cities near you and enjoy a wine tasting you will remember for a long time to come.

Our team will be ther to make you discover our best wines on booth number:

Results of the Concours Général Agricole de Paris 2012

Water and vine : Realize a drainage, sometimes a necessity

If the vine have the reputation to be  a plant which likes heat and dryness, the excesses could have negatives effects on its development and the fruit quality. Its water supply, for a year is, of course, dependent of the climatology and pluviometry of the vintage, but the impact of the soils and wine practices will also have a strong influence.  The situations of hillsides  or of plain,  a more draining texture of ground (sandy-clayey presence of graves) or in, dominant argilo-limestone (which will regulate the wtaer retention in a first time ), a deeper roots system  (Roots of surface split by the plowings, characteristics of the stock…), practice of the plowings which limits the competition of herbs and the evaporation (frech proverb: « 1 hoeing serves for 2 waterings »), a better management of the efficiencies and of the load in fruits… some examples which the incidence on the hydric supply of the plant will not be unimportant.   The consequences of a dry weather are often beneficials (natural limitation of the cryptogamiques diseases, light « hydric stress » favoring the quality during the maturation), but excesses can have a blocking effect even fatal in particular on young vines. The irrigation forbidden in Burgundy, only the wtaering of the young plants, is tolerated (their roots system not totally completely developed is most sensibles to the lack of water).  On the contrary, an excess of water will favor diseaes (mildew, decay…), will decrease the treatments efficacity , and could also generate a shape of  roots asphyxiation , without talking  about difficulties to work (plough….). Most of our soils, because of their draining quality, protect us of this phenomenon. However, very located zones where water is in excess (that we call collectively « mouilles ») and which are often the consequence of a  resurgence, of the nearness of a groundwater, or of a coat of ground  compact and waterproof, can raise problems. A drainage of this zone can then be a  solution.

This practise drainage is not a new technique. At the time of the Roman or  « at the time of the monks », buried conducts in terra-cotta or the realisation of a « raie basse » (full of stone cut serving of drain) allowed to resolve the problems of excesses of water located within the plot of land. sometimes, some of these forgotten works, can be updated at random of a lifting of the vineyard.

Biography of Alain Serveau (Red wine maker of the year 2008) by an english journalist

Enter, in 1995, Alain Serveau, as technical director. He was employed by the young’next generation’ of Bichots to raise the level of quality throughout the company. He has now been there nine years. The results from one of the Bichot estates, the Domaine du Clos Frantin in Nuits-Saint-Georges, show how successful Serveau and his team have been.

Burgundy runs in Serveau’s blood. His parents are growers in Morey-St-Denis, with 10 hectares (ha). He also toiled on the family estate for five years, but left to study at Bordeaux University (already an indication of his broad-mindedness). Serveau then worked for Edouard Delaunay, where he created the Les Jamelles wines from the Vin de Pays d’Oc. The Bichot job was very different. Serveau says: “Bichot was caught between the big houses and the little growers. They really had to improve to survive.” As far as the merchant side of business went, that meant insisting on quality. And a higher proportion of wine than ever before is now made by Bichot. Instead of buying wine, they are buying grapes for all their single vineyard wines, and for 80% of their village wines.

“You need low yields to make wines of quality”, he asserts. “It’s a change of thinking that has come with a new generation in charge”. His viticulture is basically organic, “to rediscover the character of Burgundian soils”. If it were necessary, Serveau would intervene with chemicals, but he tries to avoid them. Biodynamics interests him, but he his “not thinking in that direction” yet. Each estate has its own vineyard and winemaking teams. Serveau prefers it: “They adapt their winemaking to the different places, and add their personalities and experience. But I’m in the cuverie every day.”

A walk for Burgundy “climats”

On Friday, April 8th, in the evening, symbolic walking in the vineyard enters the church of Chambolle-Musigny and Clos de Vougeot. More than 2500 people – wine growers and friends, inhabitants of the region and passionate persons of our Côte- came to this event. Summer weather, friendly atmosphere, candles, torches, theatre scene, projections, speech and walls decorated images ” lauch- Chinese lantern ” were of the celebration. A simple but strong moment which symbolizes the attachment of  many of us,  to this application of the ” climates of the vineyard of Burgundy ” for a classification in the world heritage of  UNESCO. Some images of this walk http: // s.joomeo.fr / 4da12da4d678c Find in video the magic of this extraordinary evening in the middle of the vineyards.

Spring is here !

Spring in vineyards: The wintry period, which has been marked by a prolonged cold period, has allowed a good dormancy of the stocks. That’s how the buds have acquired a strong development potential.The warmth of April has helped an early and strong growth of the young twigs. A late frost would ravage these new shoots. This risk decreases as spring goes by. As a consequence and although it is a bit too early to assert it, the future vintage will probably be rather premature.If we had worked the soils or attached the canes too late this year, some shoots would have easily broken while being handled. April and especially May, are favourable for plantations, either of plots which are to be completely renewed because of the harsh frosts on the lower parts of the slopes in 2009, or of isolated stocks.However, even if the vineyard can stand a lack of water, the current plantations might not to be able to survive the drought. These climatic conditions are nevertheless excellent to lower the risks related to diseases at a stage where we need to begin to be watchful.

Spring in cellar: The last wines of the 2009 vintage are being bottled.The cellars slightly get warmer, helping the malolactic fermentations in the barrels of the 2010 wines.Less known than the alcoholic fermentation (during which yeasts transform sugar into alcohol), the “malo” lowers the acidity of wines thanks to the bacteria which it contains naturally, so making it more round and appreciable.This malolactic fermentation – which is less known than the alcoholic fermentation (during which yeast transforms the sugar into alcohol) – helps to lower the acidity of the wines thanks to the bacteria it naturally contains. As a consequence, the wines are rounder and more enjoyable. At this stage, the carbon dioxide which is generated increases the pressure, making the corks of the barrels “jump”. The wine is “living”.

Exceptional events: an evening and weekend “Musics and and wines of the Hospices de Beaune”

Exceptional events: an evening and weekend ” Musics and and wines of the Hospices de Beaune “

To prolong the discovery of wines of the Hospices de Beaune and the Burgundy, discover the next events which will reveal you the traditions and the inheritance and in particular the fascinating history of the Hospices de Beaune through the tasting of prestigious wines.

Event n°1: weekend ” music and wines of the Hospices de Beaune ” on September 24th and 25th, 2011 to Beaune

In the heart of the capital of burgundy wines, a unique and unforgettable stay is proposed:

- A meal tasting of 4 great Hospices wines, bought and aged by Albert Bichot.

- A visit of the vathouse of the Hospices de Beaune with a meeting together with Roland Masse, his superintendant.

- A visit of Albert Bichot cellar’s together with a cellar master.

-  A visit of the Hôtel-Dieu, the jewel of the inheritance, together with a privative guide, followed by a presentation by Laurent Gotti, author of the reference book on Hospices.

Event n°2 : an evening ” music and wines of the Hospice de Beaune “, in Paris on September 29th, 2011

Hospices-Beaune.com in narrow collaboration with music-et-vin.fr, proposes a unique evening in Paris with a meal tasting of 4 great wines of Hospices, bought and mature by Albert Bichot, commented by Georges Lepré, wine waiter, and accompanied with musical interludes. Moreover, Roland Masse, superintendant of the Domain of the Hospices de Beaune as well as Albéric Bichot and Laurent Gotti, author of the book ” Hospices de Beaune, the legend of a hospital-vinter “.

Download and discover the complete program of this weekend and of this evening on http: // www. hospices-beaune.com / oenotourisme.

Clipping to Nuits-Saint-Georges

The clipping (or trimming) allows the elimination of the twigs extremity in growth. In a general way, the aim of this operation is to improve the period of sunshine and the aeration of the bunch and the foliage while facilitating the later treatments of the vineyard.

The clipping is an operation realized manually with a pair of shears or with a polling tractor after the lifting of vine shoot in trellis vineyards. The frequency of this intervention will be variable according to the vigour of vineyards, varietal, climatic conditions and those of the environment. There is also the speed of main or secondary shoots (berry set).