2012 Hospices de Beaune Volnay Santenots Cuvee Gauvain elevage Louis Jadot

Every November the annual Hospices de Beaune Wine Auction takes place in the heart of Burgundy. The auction is one of the wine world’s most prestigious and historic events. For 157 years the auction – which is a charitable event benefitting a hospital built in the 15th century -- has served as a bellwether for growers, negociants and collectors to gauge the quality of new vintage. The fine Burgundies offered to the participants in the Hospices de Beaune auction are made in very limited quantities, and they represent the best of traditional Burgundian winemaking.

Volnay is a small appellation with just 904 vineyard acres and a town of fewer than 500 residents. Nevertheless, to Burgundy enthusiasts, it's a jewel. Clive Coates calls Volnay “one of the most delightful wines and one of the most rewarding communes in the Côte d’Or.” Robert M. Parker Jr. described Volnay as “the queen of the Côte de Beaune.” Volnay has always been appealing. In the 13th and 14th centuries the powerful Dukes of Burgundy acquired land there and built chateaux. The medieval town sits on the hillside above the vineyards and the appellation is restricted to red wines made of Pinot Noir. Though there are no Grands Crus, there are 35 Premiers Crus. Some reviewers say the lighter soil of Volnay, compared with Pommard to the north, makes Volnay wines more delicate and elegant than wines from neighboring appellations. Robert M. Parker Jr. wrote that Volnay has a “high-quality level of winemaking…The top Volnays possess an immense, seductive fruitiness and lushness…”

This red wine is relatively light and can pair with a wide variety of foods. The grape prefers cooler climates and the wine is most often associated with Burgundy, Champagne and the U.S. west coast. Regional differences make it nearly as fickle as it is flexible.

Cuvée Gauvain comes from plots in Les Santenots du Milieu and Les Plures. The total area of the vineyards is 3.5 acres and they are located on hillsides on Volnay’s southern border. The cuvée is named for Bernard Gauvain, a wealthy land owner who left everything to the Hospice de la Charité when he died in 1804. His widow later bequeathed their magnificent home to the municipality and it is now the seat of the Union of Burgundy Negociants. Wines from the Volnay-Santenots hillsides are among the first in the area to ripen, and they are prized as the source for rich, complex and elegant wines. Christie's Auction Catalog: Aromas are vibrant and fresh, with the palate showing beautiful, full fruitiness. There are gentle, finely-balanced tannins, with a harmonious aftertaste of real elegance.