2005 Hospices de Nuits Nuits-St.-Georges Les Didiers Cuvee Jacques Duret elevage Faiveley, 12-bottle Lot, Wood Case

Hospices de Nuit is a charitable foundation established in 1692 in Nuits-Saint-Georges. Like its much larger cousin the Hospices de Beaune foundation and wine auction, Hospices de Nuit holds an annual charitable wine auction. King Louis XIV, the Sun King, had several small charitable hospitals consolidated to make the Hospices de Nuit. The Hospices de Nuit auction is held each year two weeks before Easter and the wines come from 22 acres owned by the foundation. The vineyards are mostly Nuits-Saint-Georges Premier Cru and village parcels. For several centuries grapes grown on the 22 acres were sold off in bulk. But starting in 1961 Hospices de Nuits held its own auction. Though the Hospices de Nuit event is much lower profile that the Hospices de Beaune auction, Clive Coates has written that Hospices de Nuits-Saint-Georges “is a fine estate.” Unlike at Hospices de Beaune, this charitable domain has its own team of viticulteurs.

Côte de Nuits is the northern part of the Côte d’Or and it includes the most famous vineyards and wine communes in the world. There are more Grand Cru appellations in the Côte de Nuits than anywhere else in Burgundy. Of the fourteen communes, or villages in the Côte de Nuits, six produce Grand Cru wines. They are Gevrey-Chambertin, Morey-St.-Denis, Chambolle-Musigny, Vougeot, Flagey-Échezeaux and Vosne-Romanee. Some of the vineyards within the Côte de Nuits are tiny, which adds to their prestige. The fabled Grand Cru vineyard La Romanee is barely two square acres. Altogether there are twenty-four Grand Cru vineyards. The region takes its name from the village of Nuits-Saint-Georges. Côtes de Nuits produces mostly reds from Pinot Noir, and the wines have been in demand for centuries. During the 18th century King Louis XIV’s physician recommended that for his health the king only drink wines from Nuits-Saint-Georges. Like most of Burgundy, the soils of the Côte de Nuit can vary greatly from one vineyard to another, though most are a base soil of limestone mixed with clay, gravel and sand.

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.