Beaune isn’t big. As you wander round its cobbled streets, you can’t help but glimpse the Hôtel-Dieu’s tiled roof and spires. This grand building sits at the heart of the town, the historic home of the Hospices de Beaune.
The history of the Hospices de Beaune
The Hôtel-Dieu’s origins stretch back to the 15th century, when Burgundy was overrun with poverty, famine and sickness. The Duchy of Burgundy was then under the rule of Philip the Good (father of Philip the Bold, who famously banished Gamay from the region). It was in the midst of the Hundred Years’ War and the plague had recently swept through the region. Guigone de Salins – the third wife of Nicolas Rolin, Chancellor to the Duchy – encouraged her husband to open a hospital, a place where the poor could go to seek remedies for physical and spiritual ailments. Rolin sought permission from Pope Eugene IV, granted in 1441, and he founded the Hôtel-Dieu (literally “the hostel of God”) in 1443.
Rolin was a patron of the arts and he engaged Flemish architect Jacques Wiscrère to design his new hospital, as well as filling the building with fine art. Wiscrère created the iconic building that stands today, with half-timber galleries, its cobbled courtyards, spired dormer windows and distinctive roof, with a colourful pattern of glazed tiles. The floor tiles bear the initials N and G (Nicolas and Guigone), but also “seule”, a tribute from Rolin to his wife (meaning “only she/her”).
The building was complete and consecrated just under a decade later, in 1452. The hospital and its “Soeurs Hospitalières”, the order of nuns who acted as its nurses, cared for the town’s neediest, the sick, old, infirm, destitute and orphaned. Although it had and has close ties to the Catholic Church, the original charter ensured the Hospices was managed separately – something that has been key to its survival.
The main courtyard, known as “La Cour d’Honneur” (“the courtyard of honour”), is framed by four buildings. The main and largest of these is dominated by La Salle des Pôvres (“the hall of the poor”). Fifty metres long, it was lined with curtained beds for the sick (each one traditionally shared between two), decorated with religious paintings and frescoes, and led directly to the chapel, so that the sick could attend services from their beds.
The chapel was originally home to Rogier van der Weyden’s polyptych of The Last Judgement, the most famous piece of art in the Hôtel-Dieu – now housed in a dedicated room to ensure its preservation. The Hospices included rooms dedicated to the consultation and treatment of the sick, an apothecary and dispensary, kitchens, as well as a barn that was later used as a vat room (the Salle Saint-Louis). This is just one way in which the building has evolved over the years, with the Salle des Pôvres restored in the late 19th century in the Gothic style.
Soon, the wealthy started donating land, art and – most importantly – vineyards to the Hospices, endowments offered in appreciation – or hope – of cures for family members. The first vines were given to the charity in 1457, by Jean Guillotte le Verrier, with six ouvrées of Beaune, in the lieu-dit Beaumont-le-Franc.
After Rolin died in 1462, Guigone de Salins dedicated the rest of her life to the Hospices, joining its order of nuns, passing away in 1470. She was buried in the chapel of the Hôtel-Dieu.
Gradually, the Hospices accrued more and more land – and has over 60 hectares of vines today, alongside other land. While wine once formed part of its remedies, the hospital’s vineyards have been integral to the hospital’s survival, with the wines they produced funding its services and maintenance.
Following the French Revolution (1789), the Hôtel-Dieu was damaged significantly and briefly renamed L’Hôpital d'Humanité. It faced serious financial challenges and nearly collapsed. But in 1795, the wines of the most recent vintage were auctioned off for the first time. Auctions alternated with private sales until public auctions took over entirely in 1859, with proceeds funding its charitable work.
By the late 19th century, the hospital was once again facing potential ruin. It was saved in 1899 when a descendant of an Italian that was one of its first doctors bequeathed the family’s art collection to the Hospices.
A new hospital was built in 1971 (L’Hôpital Philippe le Bon), just outside Beaune, with services gradually transferred to the modern facility over the next decade or so. The last patient left the Hôtel-Dieu in 1983 and by 1988 the building was open exclusively as a museum, drawing to a close a 500-year-long chapter serving the town’s needy.
The Hospices today
Today the Hôtel-Dieu is one part of what is known as the Hospices Civils de Beaune – including the Hôtel-Dieu and its museum, the Centre Hospitalier Nicolas Rolin (which was completed in 2018, and replaced the Centre Hospitalier Philippe le Bon), as well as a nursing home, training centre and the Domaine des Hospices. Funds from the wine auction fund maintenance and modernisation of all of these – but the Hospices’s reach goes beyond this. Each year, it distributes roughly €400,000 to various charitable or cultural associations. Work is also underway on a new, state-of-the-art hospital for the region as of 2025.
The Hospices de Beaune wine auction
On the third Sunday of each November, the Hospices de Beaune auctions off that year’s harvest for charity. This auction, known as the Vente des Vins, forms a key part of a three-day festival, Les Trois Glorieuses, which starts on the Saturday with a dinner organised by the Chapître de la Confrérie des Chevaliers du Tastevin at the Ch. du Clos Vougeot, followed by the auction on the Sunday afternoon, and the Paulée de Meursault on the Monday. The region comes alive for the festival, which marks the end of the year’s harvest and celebrates its gastronomic heritage.
The auction was run by Christie’s from 2005 to 2020 and has – since 2021 – been managed by Sotheby’s. Held in the covered market (Les Halles), just opposite the Hôtel-Dieu, the auction attracts buyers from around the world and raises huge sums of money for the Hospices’s charitable work. The 162nd Hospices de Beaune Wine Auction in 2022 broke all records, raising €32 million – which is also a world record for a charity wine auction.
The Pièce des Présidents was first introduced in 1978. A special barrel (or very occasionally two) is chosen and auctioned by candlelight. Sponsored by celebrities and also known as the Pièce de Charité, the proceeds from its sale go to one or more public-health-focused charities, chosen by the Hospices. The 2022 Pièce des Présidents sold for a record €810,000.
The Vente des Vins des Hospices de Beaune is unusual as the wines have only just been produced – being sold mere months after the harvest. When someone purchases a barrel at the auction, they need to engage a producer as their négociant-éleveur. This producer will be tasked with “raising” the wine, ie overseeing its élevage or ageing – deciding on the vessels used (type and size), the time it is matured for, as well as managing racking, sulphur levels and any final treatment of the wine (including any fining or filtering), before it is bottled. It is often at this point that wines will be offered to consumers, with many buyers merchants or others in the trade. The final bottles will bear not only the Hospices de Beaune name alongside the name of the cuvée (see below for more on these), but that of the producer who has “finished” the wine.
The wine estate: Domaine des Hospices de Beaune
While the wines of the Domaine des Hospices de Beaune were once made in the Hôtel-Dieu, a dedicated winery was built on the outskirts of Beaune in 1995. The property consists of just over 60 hectares of vines, spread across 120 different plots. Around 85% of the vineyards are classified as Premier or Grand Cru, spread between Pouilly-Fuissé and Chablis. Some of its most prized parcels are in the Grands Crus of Bâtard-Montrachet, Corton-Charlemagne, Mazis-Chambertin, Echezeaux and Clos de la Roche. Most of the vineyards are planted to Pinot Noir, however the Hospices has around 10 hectares of Chardonnay.
Because of the unusual way in which the vineyards were accrued, many of the wines are blended Premiers Crus, carrying individual cuvée names which are tied to the history of the Hospices – whether key figures involved in its creation or those who bequeathed the land, for example. In total there are 52 different cuvées produced each vintage, as well as a Marc and Fine de Bourgogne.
Ludivine Griveau has been heading up the winery since 2015, working with a team of 23 full-time workers at the estate. She oversaw the conversion of the vineyards to organics (certified as of the 2024 vintage). After the auction in November, the wines sold are transferred to the négociant-éleveur who has been trusted with the maturation and bottling of the wines.
The other Hospices: the Hospices de Nuits
Not as well known as the Hospices de Beaune, the Hospices de Nuits actually pre-dates its neighbour to the south, by almost two centuries. Founded in the 13th century, it is now part of the Hospices Civils de Beaune (since 2016). The Domaine des Hospices de Nuits farms around 12 hectares of vines, making 19 cuvées. Originally a leprosy hospital, the original building was destroyed in the late 16th century. The wines of the Hospices de Nuits are auctioned off on the second Sunday of March, in the cuverie of Ch. de Clos Vougeot.
Your guide to the Hospices de Beaune cuvées
Grand Cru
Bâtard-Montrachet Grand Cru Cuvée Dames de Flandres: The nuns who nursed the patients of the Hospices had come from Flanders, and this wine is named in honour of this history. The parcel was acquired by the Hospices in 1989, sitting on the Chassagne side, producing a very long, concentrated and structured Grand Cru Chardonnay.
Clos de la Roche Grand Cru Cuvée Cyrot-Chaudron: The Hospices acquired this parcel in 1991, thanks to a donation from Mr and Mrs Cyrot-Chaudron. One of two Clos de la Roche bottlings the estate produces, this east-facing parcel is on the mid-slope in the Froichots climat, ripening early and producing a particularly impressive wine that is often one of the most in-demand.
Clos de la Roche Grand Cru Cuvée Georges Kritter: In 1991, a donation from George Kritter’s widow allowed the Hospices to purchase these vines, their second parcel in the Grand Cru.
Corton Charlemagne Grand Cru Cuvée François de Salins: Guigone de Salins co-founded the Hospices with her husband, and the priest François de Salins was one of her descendants. He gave vines in Savigny-lès-Beaune and Aloxe-Corton to the Hospices in 1745. This wine comes from a parcel of vines in the heart of Le Charlemagne, south/southwest-facing with clay-rich soils that give a powerful and age-worthy white.
Corton Charlemagne Grand Cru Cuvée Roi Soleil: This wine is named after Louis XIV who was known as the “Sun King” or “Roi Soleil”, and visited the Hôtel-Dieu in 1658. The vineyard itself was donated to the Hospices by Charlotte Dumay in 1584; the plot of Renardes faces east, at the top of the hill of Corton, with stony soils that produce a fine, elegant style of Chardonnay.
Corton Clos du Roi Grand Cru Cuvée Baronne du Baÿ: Baroness du Baÿ – daughter of Dr Jean-Louis Peste (see two other cuvées below bearing his name) – left her estate to the Hospices and this wine therefore bears her name. One of the very finest Corton climats, on a steep, east-facing slope producing a rich and powerful wine with velvet tannins.
Corton Grand Cru Les Bressandes Cuvée Charlotte Dumay: Having no children, Charlotte Dumay – who was married to the Guard of the Royal Mint in Dijon – left 100 ouvrées of land (both vineyard and fallow land) in Aloxe-Corton, “for the cure and salvation of her soul”. The wine named after her comes from Bressandes, one of Corton’s finest climats. East-facing and with stony soils, it produces a silky, balanced Pinot Noir that ages very well.
Corton Grand Cru Chaumes Cuvée Docteur Peste: For over 30 years in the mid-19th century, Jean-Louis Peste was a doctor at the Hospices and his daughter (the Baroness de Bäy) left the family estate to the institution in his memory. The wine that bears his name comes from the Chaumes climat, a south-facing parcel towards Pernand-Vergelesses, planted with both Chardonnay and Pinot Noir. The red is firm and tannic, needing time.
Corton Grand Cru Blanc Cuvée Docteur Peste: Sibling to the red above, this parcel of Fiètres was planted to Chardonnay in 2012, making a mineral and concentrated wine that ages very well.
Corton Renardes Grand Cru Cuvée Berthier Sweeney: This wine only gained its name from the 2024 vintage, a tribute to John-Thomas Sweeney and his late wife Marie-Thérèse Berthier. Sweeney wrote extensively about the history of the Hospices and made a donation to the institution in January 2024. From one of the finest sections of the Corton Grand Cru, this site produces a particularly powerful style of Pinot Noir, yet without sacrificing its subtlety.
Corton Vergennes Grand Cru Cuvée Paul Chanson: An ambassador of both Burgundy and French wine in general around the world, Paul Chanson left these old vines to the Hospices in 1974 – and said that the vines were more Pinot Blanc than Chardonnay. Halfway up the hill of Corton, the parcel is a continuation of Corton Bressandes, facing east, and produces a very fine, precise Grand Cru.
Echezeaux Grand Cru Cuvée Jean-Luc Bissey: A relatively recent addition to the Domaine des Hospices, this plot of Echezeaux du Dessus was donated by fourth-generation vigneron Jean-Luc Bissey in 2011. The plot is in the heart of the vineyard with clay over calcareous soils, producing a structured and elegant wine.
Mazis-Chambertin Grand Cru Cuvée Madeleine Collignon: Jean Collignon donated this plot in 1976 in memory of her mother, after whom the cuvée is named. The plot is in Mazis Hauts, a continuation of Clos de Bèze, producing a dense, silky expression of Grand Cru red Burgundy.
Beaune Premier Cru
Beaune Premier Cru Les Montrevenots Cuvée Cyrot-Chaudron: Donated by the Cyrot-Chaudrons, this vineyard borders Pommard, overlooking the Clos des Mouches and producing an elegant, saline Pinot Noir that is the most approachable of the Hospices’s various Beaune Premiers Crus.
Beaune Blanc Premier Cru Les Montrevenots Cuvée Suzanne & Raymond: Sibling to the above cuvée, this portion of the vineyard was planted with Chardonnay in 2010 and produces a white of particular tension that ages beautifully.
Beaune Blanc Premier Cru Clos des Mouches Cuvée Hugues et Louis Bétault: Hugues and Louis Bétault’s generous donations helped save the Hospices in the 17th century. The wine that takes the brothers’ names comes from a parcel of this prime Premier Cru at 250 metres’ altitude with stony soils that produce very fine, concentrated and age-worthy Chardonnay.
Beaune Premier Cru Cuvée Brunet: Several Brunet family members – which has been in the region since the 17th century – were Mayors of Beaune, giving their name to this Premier Cru. The fruit comes from Bressandes, Teurons and Cent Vignes, producing a wine that is structured but with a very fine finish.
Beaune Premier Cru Cuvée Clos des Avaux: One of the few wines named after a specific parcel, “Avaux” comes from “vaux” or “val”, indicating a depression in the slope. The heavy clay soils here produce powerful and tannic wines that have very good ageing potential.
Beaune Premier Cru Cuvée Dames Hospitalières: This is traditionally the first wine to be offered at the Vente des Vins, carrying the name of the nuns who nursed the sick when the Hospices was founded, and gave significant endowments. Originally from Saint-Omer, further north, the nuns had been trained at the Hospices des Valenciennes on the border with Belgium. The wine itself combines fruit from Bressandes, Teurons and Mignottes, creating a supple but firm Beaune Premier Cru.
Beaune Premier Cru Cuvée Guigone des Salins: This wine is named after Nicolas Rolin's wife who inspired and later managed the Hospices, dedicating her life to the needy. A large portion of the wine comes from Les Bressandes (lending power and finesse), complemented by Champimonts and Seurrey (fleshing out the mid-palate), creating a wine that ages beautifully.
Beaune Premier Cru Cuvée Hugues et Louis Bétault: Hugues Bétault saved the Hôtel-Dieu from ruin in the 17th century, building a ventilated infirmary and giving land that became gardens for the Hospices, while his brother Louis made several donations after his death. The wine that takes their name is built around a parcel of Grèves, complemented by Aigrots and Mignotte, creating a wine that is often approachable early.
Beaune Premier Cru Cuvée Maurice Drouhin: Named after Maurice Drouhin (of Joseph Drouhin) who was involved in the Hospices for many years and donated some very fine vineyards to the institution. The wine blends fruit from Avaux, Grèves, Champimonts and Boucherottes.
Beaune Premier Cru Cuvée Nicolas Rolin: Named after the man who founded the Hospices de Beaune and was Chancellor to the Duchy of Burgundy, this cuvée combines vines from Cent Vignes and Teurons, with smaller parcels in Grèves, Genêts and Bressandes, some of which was donated by madame Maurice Pallegoix to the Hospices in 1963 in memory of her husband. The result is powerful and age-worthy.
Beaune Premier Cru Cuvée Rousseau Deslandes: Antoine Rousseau and Barbe Deslandes founded the Hôpital de la Saint-Trinité, later known as the Hospices de la Charité, in 1645. This hospital later became part of the Hospices de Beaune during the French Revolution, and the building is today a nursing home. Cent Vignes represents the majority of the wine, like the Cuvée Nicolas Rolin, however complementary plots of Montrevenot and Clos de la Mignotte make for a more supple and earlier-drinking style.
Beaune Grèves Premier Cru Cuvée Pierre Floquet: Pierre Floquet donated these vines to the Hospices in 1997. The parcel is at the top of the Grèves Premier Cru, on a very steep slope, with stony marl, producing an elegant, mineral and powerful wine.
Pommard Village & Premier Cru
Pommard Premier Cru Cuvée Dames de la Charité: In homage to the nuns who cared for the patients of the Hospices, this Premier Cru blends fruit from Les Epenots, Les Rugiens and La Refène.
Pommard Epenots Premier Cru Cuvée Dom Goblet: Dom Goblet was the last cellarmaster of the Citeaux Abbey, which was integral to the development of viticulture in Burgundy. From the bottom of the slope, Les Petits Epenots, the vines sit on limestone bedrock, creating a firm but refined Premier Cru, one of the finest in Pommard.
Pommard Cuvée Billardet: This wine is a tribute to Antoine Billardet and his son Charles, both of whom were doctors who dedicated years of their lives to caring for the patients of the Hospices. The fruit comes from Les Arvelets and Les Noizons.
Pommard Cuvée Suzanne Chaudron: Named after Mr and Mrs Cyrot-Chaudron who donated several vineyards to the Hospices in 1979, this wine combines parcels of Les Noizons and Petits Noizons with smaller portions of Chanière, Croix Planet En Poisot and Rue au Port. It’s the earliest drinking of the three village Pommard cuvées.
Pommard Cuvée Raymond Cyrot: As with the Cuvée Suzanne Chaudron, this takes its name from benefactors Mr and Mrs Cyrot-Chaudron. The fruit largely comes from four sites: Riottes, Charmots, Bertins and Rugiens Bas – creating a particularly age-worthy style.
Volnay Premier Cru
Volnay Premier Cru Cuvée Blondeau: François Blondeau not only funded the restoration of the church in Volnay, but the construction of a school, as well as donating bells to the Hospices de la Charité, and lastly his vineyards in Pommard and Volnay. The cuvée that honours him combines fruit from Taillepieds, Champans, Roncerets and Mitans, making for a fine but generous Premier Cru Volnay.
Volnay Premier Cru Cuvée Général Muteau: Paul-Jules Muteau – a former student of the Cadre Noir de Saumur and a cavalry officer who was later promoted to General earned the Grand-Croix de la Légion d’Honneur prior to his death in 1927. Among his generous donations was the Laborde-au-Château estate. This refined Premier Cru combines parcesl of Taillepieds, Carelle, Caillerets, Clos and Frémiets.
Volnay Premier Cru Santenots Cuvée Gauvain: This wine is named after Bernard Gauvin, who left all his belongings to the Hospices when he passed away in 1804. A 50-50 blend of Plures and Santenots du Milieu, with stonier soils, this is more approachable than Cuvée Jéhan de Massol, but still incredibly age-worthy.
Volnay Premier Cru Santenots Cuvée Jéhan de Massol: Italian Augustino Mazzoli was one of the first doctors of the Hôtel-Dieu, treating patients until his death in 1505. In 1669, when the Hospices was on the brink of ruin, one of his descendants, Jéhan de Massol, left his art collection to the institution, providing financial salvation. The wine named after him comes from three sections of Santenots: Plures, Santenots du Milieu and Santenots du Dessous, together producing a rich and powerful Volnay Premier Cru.
Meursault Village & Premier Cru
Meursault Cuvée Goureau: Named after Mademoiselle Goureau who left several vineyards to the Hospices, including those in Meursault, this wine largely comes from Les Peutes Vignes, with smaller parcels of the Premiers Crus Santenots du Milieu and Criots, as well as the village Grands Charrons.
Meursault Cuvée Loppin: The Loppin family have long been involved in the Hospices and been generous benefactors. This wine combines fruit from Premier Cru Les Cras and the village site, Les Criots – the latter offering a fullness to complement the more restrained style of Les Cras.
Meursault Premier Cru Charmes Cuvée Albert Grivault: This parcel of Charmes Dessus was donated to the Hospices by Mr and Mrs Grivault in 1904. The wine it produces is full-bodied and structured.
Meursault Premier Cru Charmes Cuvée Bahèzre de Lanlay: Louis de Bahèzre de Lanlay left his fortune to the Hospices when he died in 1884. The wine that takes his name comes from the Charmes Premier Cru, equally split between the Dessus and Dessous sections of the vineyard and producing a rich yet elegant Meursault Premier Cru.
Meursault Premier Cru Genevrières Cuvée Baudot: Félix Baudot was a 19th century art collector and, after his death, proceeds from the sale of his collection were given to the Hospices. This wine comes from both the Dessus and Dessous sections of Genevrières, offering both freshness and depth.
Meursault Premier Cru Genevrières Cuvée Philippe le Bon: Named after the Duke of Burgundy who reigned when Nicolas Rolin built the Hôtel-Dieu, this wine mostly comes from Genevrières Dessous. It is often silken and refined, yet with plenty of power that allows it to age very well.
Meursault Premier Cru Porusots Cuvée Jéhan Humblot: A lawyer, Jéhan Humblot donated his Montagny estate to the Hospices in 1600. The parcel for this cuvée is east-facing, halfway up the slope and is generally a delicate style of Meursault, yet one that ages beautifully.
Savigny-lès-Beaune Premier Cru
Savigny-lès-Beaune Premier Cru Cuvée Arthur Girard: Arthur Girard donated much of his estate to the Hospices in 1936, including many vineyards in Savigny-lès-Beaune. The wine that takes his name blends grapes from Peuillets and Bas Marconnet, which are a continuation of the same slope, separated only by a footpath. On the Beaune side of the village, the two parcels produce a full-bodied wine that often needs time.
Savigny-lès-Beaune Premier Cru Les Vergelesses Cuvée Forneret: This cuvée is named after the Forneret family – of Xavier Forneret, famous 19th century poet and writer. The south/southeast-facing plots are to the north of Savigny, both higher and lower on the slope making for a fresh but concentrated expression of the Premier Cru.
Savigny-lès-Beaune Premier Cru Cuvée Fouquerand: Named after 19th-century benefactors Denis-Antoine and Claudine Fouquerand, this Premier Cru is a blend of fruit from Talmettes, Graivains and Serpentières. The latter two sites provide power while the former lends the wine minerality.
Chablis, Saint-Romain, Pouilly-Fuissé & Puligny-Montrachet
Chablis Premier Cru Côte de Léchet Cuvée Brocard: Jean-Marc Brocard (of the eponymous Chablis domaine) donated this parcel to the Hospices in 2015. On the left bank of the River Serein, it’s steep-sloped, southeast-facing and produces an expressive wine that combines vibrant fruit and minerality.
Pouilly-Fuissé Cuvée Françoise Poisard: Made with vines left to the Hospices by Françoise Poisard, comes from Chevrières (offering acidity and minerality), Plessys (power and fullness) and Robées (depth of fruit), creating an impressive Pouilly-Fuissé.
Saint-Romain Cuvée Joseph Menault: Joseph Menault left vines to the Hospices in 1992 and this wine honours his bequest. Combining parcels of Le Village Haut (at the top of the slope on limestone-dominant soils) and Sous la Vele (lower down, with deeper soils), it is typically a mineral and expressive Chardonnay.
Puligny-Montrachet Cuvée Bernard Clerc: This plot was given to the Hospices by Bernard Clerc in 2017. The vines are in the north of the village, close to Meursault and the resulting wine is generous, combining power and elegance.
Santenay, Monthélie, Auxey-Duresses & Pernand-Vergelesses
Monthélie Les Duresses Cuvée Lebelin: The Lebelin family’s history is entwined with that of the Hospices and Beaune, with several Mayors of the town as well as the first chaplain of the Hospices de la Charité. In 1704, Jean-Jacques and Marguerite Lebelin left 10,000 livres to the institution – a significant sum. In the valley between Monthélie and Meursault, part of this parcel is classified as Premier Cru and part as village, despite sharing the same deep calcaereous marl and clay soils. The resulting wine offers a good balance of fruit and rich tannins.
Auxey-Duresses Premier Cru Les Duresses – Cuvée Boillot: Taking its name from Antoinette Boillot who left her family estate in Auxey-Duresses, Meursault and Volnay to the Hospice in 1898, this south/southeast-facing Pinot Noir site combines younger and older vines to create a firm and powerful wine.
Pernand-Vergelesses Premier Cru Les Vergelesses Cuvée Rameau Lamarosse: From coopers to merchants, the Lamarosse family has long been deeply entrenched in the Burgundy wine business. The last remaining member of the family left her house and a large swathe of vines in Pernand-Vergelesses to the Hospices de Beaune. Clay and stony soils define this Premier Cru, producing a wine that is often approachable early.
Santenay Cuvée Christine Friedberg: For more than 20 years, Burgundy fanatic and American importer William D. Friedberg bought wine at the Hospices de Beaune auction. In 2010, he donated a plot of village Santenay and the wine made from it is named in memory of his late wife, who also loved Burgundy. The parcel – surrounded by Premiers Crus – stands up to its neighbours, the clay-rich soils producing a wine of impressive depth and freshness.
Explore a range of the Hospices bottlings or Read more about Burgundy
