Hospices de Beaune: Elevage by Michel Lafarge

The importance of elevage to the Hospices de Beaune wines is often overlooked, but in reality quite a bit can be done to change and improve the Hospices’ wines.

I have been looking at the effects of elevage – the oak used (often the Hospices barrel), racking, barrel time, etc. – and this has led to some rather surprising, and important, conclusions.

A Hospices wine

Michel Lafarge
Corton Grand Cru Clos du Roi, Cuvée Baronne du Baÿ 2021

• Aged in Taransaud barrels from the Hospices de Beaune
• Total sulphur: 85mg/L; free sulphur : 25mg/L
• Bottled: May 2, 2023

This cuvée was overseen by Michel Lafarge, had quite a long elevage, and was bottled in May.

Video tasting note

The wine was bottled for Shishi-Iwa House, which owns and runs some lovely and interesting hotels in Japan.

Information about the hotels can be found at www.shishiiwahouse.jp and Instagram @shishiiwahouse. 

About Shishi-Iwa House (from its web site)

“Shishi-Iwa House is an international hospitality brand deeply rooted in Japan. It is a collection of intimately crafted retreats, fusing a mastery of contemporary architecture, design, and art with culinary taste-making and a deep connection with nature. Shishi-Iwa House is a sponsor of sustainable architecture and its positive impacts on human emotions and the environment.

Shishi-Iwa House’s first retreat is in the national park of Karuizawa, where it is home to three architectural masterpieces: SSH No.01 and SSH No.02 by Shigeru Ban; and SSH No.03 by Ryue Nishizawa. SSH No.04, by Pritzker Prize laureate Kazuyo Sejima, is scheduled to open in 2025 in Hakone, Japan. International locations are currently being planned for openings thereafter.”

I will write more on this topic in a future series about the elevage of the Hospices wines.