Impressions – Hospices de Beaune 2015 reds and whites

I had the opportunity to taste all the 2015 Hospices de Beaune wines at the press tasting on November 13th.

The 2015s from the Hospices de Beaune are at a very early stage – thus quite difficult to taste and evaluate – in my view at least.

I never publish formal tasting notes or ratings on individual wines at this stage of the development, so will only give some overall comments about the wines – and pick a few favorites from the extensive lineup.

The 2015 vintage is very hyped already, and tasting the 2015s from Hospices de Beaune confirmed that it’s a rich and intense vintage with plenty of color and weight.

I still think it’s too early to call it “the vintage of the century” at this early stage, but the potential is most certainly very fine indeed for those who timed the harvest perfectly. In general I found the 2015 reds to be better than the whites judged at this very early stage. But time will show when the malo is completed …

The Hospices de Beaune produce 48 wines so naturally there is some variation in expression and quality, and it has clearly been a big challenge to harvest all the wines – especially the whites – at the optimal time – given the vast number of cuvees.

I tasted 23 of the 48 cuvees .. and my favorite for the reds was the Corton Clos du Roi Grand Cru – Cuvée Baronne du Baÿ as it in my view offered the most vibrant expression of the vintage.

Among the whites I also prefered a Corton – the Corton Vergennes Grand Cru – Cuvée Paul Chanson – but I was quite disappointed with the whites where many seemed to lack acidity.

Photo: Press tasting 2015 – Salle Saint Nicolas

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