Beaune 1er Cru - Cuvée Dames Hospitalières - Hospices de Beaune

The Hospices de Beaune wine auction traditionally begins with the auction of this fine Cuvée. It is named after the nuns who cared for the sick from the time the Hospices was founded in 1443, some of whom even made substantial bequests to the institution. Originally from Saint-Omer in northern France, the nuns were trained at the Hospice de Valenciennes, on the border between France and Belgium.

This cuvée is made from Bressandes, Teurons and Mignottes, climates as religiously chosen as the cuvée's name, in homage to the nuns of the same name who cared for the sick from the time the Hospices de Beaune was founded in 1443. While the Bressandes at the top of the slopes, with their light, marly soil, bring finesse, it is without doubt the Teurons, with their more rocky marl, that provide a dense, salty mid-palate. The Clos de la Mignotte, with its very old vines, supports all this with a full-bodied, tannic character. This is a wine that combines suppleness and robustness, a fine tribute to the Community of Sisters.