Hospice de Nuits Auction: 2022 Recommended

The 2023 auction at the Hospice de Nuits in Nuits-Saint-Georges is March 12, and on March 10 I had the opportunity to taste the 2022 wines that will be auctioned this weekend.

It was a quick tasting of all the appellations, and it gave a first look at the Nuits-Saint-Georges wines as interpreted by Jean-Marc Moron, the Hospice de Nuits’ winemaker.

The rich, charming 2022s

The 2022 wines come after the problematic – and scarce – 2021s. The ’22s from the Hospice de Nuits are rich, harmonious, and well-balanced. A few wines were a bit over-extracted for my taste, but most were beautifully judged. It is a nice line-up.

It’s too early to judge the 2022s definitively against the ’19s and other top vintages, but there is definitely fine potential. In some cuvees, the yield seems a bit on the high side, and this has stripped a bit of nerve and energy from the mid-palate. Yields of 40 hectolitres per hectare or more can sometimes be a bit too much to make a vin d’émotion from pinot noir.

My favourite ’22s at the Hospice de Nuits

As said, it’s a bit early to judge these wines, but I nevertheless have some clear favourites.

The Nuits-Saint-Georges Les Murgers 2022 has gorgeous floral energy and vivacity, and is in my view better than the bigger cuvees (Les Saint-Georges and Les Didiers). The Murgers is effortless and light-footed with exquisite balance, and doubtless a vin d’émotion. – (93-94p) –

Not quite as complex, and with less floral depth, is the Nuits-Saint-Georges Les Rues de Chaux 2022. Nonetheless, it is a tremendous wine from a largely unknown 1er cru just outside Nuits, below Chateau Gris. – (89-91p) –

Lastly, Les Didiers Cuvée Jacques Durets: As in 2021, this beats the other two Didiers hands down. It is lightly extracted, elegant, and has a lovely orange tinge with none of the powerful austerity often found in these wines. Strangely, the top cuvee – Les Didiers Cuvée Fagon – is much denser and darker. – (92-93p) –