Hudelot Noellat

History of Domaine Hudelot-Noëllat

The history of Domaine Hudelot-Noëllat begins in the early 1960s, when Alain Hudelot established his domaine from two plots given to him by his father in Chambolle-Musigny. The pivotal turning point came in 1978, when Alain married Odile Noëllat, granddaughter of the celebrated Charles Noëllat, one of the greatest Burgundian landowners of the first half of the 20th century. This union, at the origin of the hyphenated name Hudelot-Noëllat, brought the domaine 5 hectares of Premiers and Grands Crus in Vosne-Romanée, including exceptional plots in Romanée-Saint-Vivant and Richebourg.

In 1966, Alain Hudelot received the prestigious Tasse d'Or from the hands of Alexis Lichine for his Clos Vougeot 1964, a consecration that definitively established the domaine among the world's references. After devoting 45 years to shaping the destiny of the estate, Alain passed the reins in 2008 to his grandson Charles van Canneyt, a rising and particularly talented figure of the new Burgundian generation, who continues the family philosophy of pure terroir expression with rigour and humility.

Terroirs and Vines of Domaine Hudelot-Noëllat

The vineyard of Domaine Hudelot-Noëllat extends over 10 hectares at the heart of the Côte de Nuits, considered one of the greatest terroirs for Pinot Noir in the world. The plots, sometimes minuscule yet always strategically positioned, spread across four emblematic villages: Vougeot (the domaine's home), Chambolle-Musigny, Vosne-Romanée and Nuits-Saint-Georges. The domaine is among the rare producers to simultaneously own plots in Romanée-Saint-Vivant and Richebourg, two Grands Crus of Vosne-Romanée neighbouring the Romanée-Conti and Domaine Leroy.

The soils, blending Jurassic limestone, clay-marl and silt depending on the villages and the climats, give each cuvée a unique signature: chiselled minerality and finesse in Chambolle-Musigny, velvety depth in Vosne-Romanée, earthy structure in Nuits-Saint-Georges, aromatic complexity in Vougeot. Pinot Noir is cultivated with extreme care, using integrated pest management tending towards organic farming, with an almost market-garden-like attention paid to each vine. Some of the Romanée-Saint-Vivant vines are over a century old, a guarantee of exceptional concentration. For the whites, Aligoté completes the domaine's range.

Vinifications of Domaine Hudelot-Noëllat

In the cellar, Charles van Canneyt's approach combines ancestral traditions with modern techniques, in a resolutely low-interventionist philosophy. The harvests are entirely manual, and the grapes are subject to rigorous sorting. A small proportion of whole bunches is retained depending on the cuvée and the vintage, with the remainder being delicately destemmed. Alcoholic fermentation takes place exclusively with the indigenous yeasts naturally present on the berries, guaranteeing an authentic and distinctive expression of the terroir.

The maceration period extends over two to three weeks, with a gentle approach and measured pigeages. The wines then descend by gravity into the cellar, where ageing takes place in oak barrels for 18 months, with a moderate proportion of new wood so as never to mask the signature of the climats. No fining, no filtration: the bottling process fully respects the integrity of the wine. The result is a signature of finesse and great class, marked by a restrained quality in youth and an aromatic exuberance that fully reveals itself with time in the cellar.

The cuvées of Domaine Hudelot-Noëllat

The Bourgogne Pinot Noir is the entry-level wine of the domaine, a gourmand and accessible signature crafted from several regional plots with different aspects. A nose of black cherry, blackcurrant and bergamot enhanced by earthy notes, a caressing palate with flavours of cherry stone and violet candy: a seductive Pinot Noir that is already highly representative of the house style.

The Bourgogne Aligoté is the domaine's only regular white wine. Vinified with the same rigour as the reds, it offers a pure and mineral expression of the grape variety, ideal as an aperitif or with seafood.

The Chambolle-Musigny village wine is one of the finest signatures of the domaine at communal level. A Pinot Noir of great airy finesse, marked by fresh red fruits, rose and a lace-like mineral backbone, a faithful reflection of the characteristic elegance of Chambolle.

The Vosne-Romanée village wine expresses all the nobility of the mythical village of the Côte de Nuits. Bewitching notes of gentle spices, dark fruits and floral fragrances, a silky, deep and long palate — the absolute signature of Vosne.

The Nuits-Saint-Georges Les Bas de Combe, a village lieu-dit located to the north of the appellation, near Vosne, offers a deep and structured Pinot Noir, marked by cherry, spices and an earthy character typical of Nuits.

The Vougeot Premier Cru Les Petits Vougeots is one of the emblematic cuvées of the domaine, situated on the edge of the Clos de Vougeot. A beautiful ruby colour, a fine and delicate nose of small red fruits, a silky, distinguished and complex palate, endowed with a spiced freshness and melted tannins. A precise and elegant signature of the climat.

The Chambolle-Musigny Premier Cru Les Charmes embodies all the aromatic lacework of Chambolle at Premier Cru level. Floral, silky, marked by raspberry, violet and a chiselled minerality, it is a wine of rare elegance and great finesse.

The Nuits-Saint-Georges Premier Cru Les Murgers, situated on the border with Vosne-Romanée, offers a fleshy and deep Pinot Noir, marked by fresh red fruits, spices and a structured tannic body, opening onto a long and persistent finish.

The Vosne-Romanée Premier Cru Les Beaumonts reveals the full aromatic power of Vosne. A complex nose of dark fruits, spices and floral notes, a dense, silky palate with a fine mineral backbone and an elegant finish.

The Vosne-Romanée Premier Cru Les Suchots, one of the most prestigious climats of Vosne (neighbouring Romanée-Saint-Vivant), produces a Pinot Noir of remarkable nobility, marked by ripe cherry, peony, gentle spices and a velvety texture of great depth.

The Vosne-Romanée Premier Cru Les Malconsorts, adjoining La Tâche, is one of the greatest Premiers Crus of Burgundy. A distinguished, deep cuvée with a powerful mineral backbone and complex aromas of dark fruits, spices and truffle, built for a very long ageing.

The Clos de Vougeot Grand Cru is one of the crowning jewels of the domaine, marked by a bouquet of black cherry, blackcurrant, dark chocolate and rose petal, extended by notes of dried meat and gentle spices. A concentrated palate with a fine structure, magnificent acidity and a frank, precise and mineral finish, sometimes compared to a Chambolle for its finesse.

The Romanée-Saint-Vivant Grand Cru comes from a minuscule plot of only 0.48 hectares facing east, comprising century-old vines. An exceptional cuvée with a clear ruby colour and garnet highlights, an intense nose of gentle spices, rose, violet, fresh plum, cocoa, toasted coffee and leather, a dense, round and structured palate with polished tannins and an infinitely long, creamy finish. An absolute pinnacle.

The Richebourg Grand Cru crowns the range with incomparable majesty. A direct neighbour of the Romanée-Conti, it unfolds a powerful palate and a bouquet of dazzling aromatic complexity blending dark fruits, gentle spices, undergrowth and floral notes, on a silky tannic backbone and a near-infinite length. One of the greatest expressions of Pinot Noir in the world, the ultimate signature of Domaine Hudelot-Noëllat.