Les Nouvelles de BOISSET - SUMMER 2018 - N°41

3 Boisset La Famille des Grands Vins www.boisset.com - Summer 2018 NEWS Jean-Claude Boisset FIRST HARVEST AT LES URSULINES After more than four years of work, the new winery for the Maison Jean-Claude Boisset will finally be completed in time for the 2018 harvest, almost exactly 300 years after the convent of Les Ursulines was built here in 1717. The harvest of this historic vintage will be delivered under the dome of traditional Burgundian varnished tiles, before entering the hemispherical winery with its wooden vats. Here, the juice will be turned into wine before going into the cellar, where the wines made by Grégory Patriat accompanied by Laure Guilloteau have been aged since 2001. Besides the architectural challenge of constructing such a huge building over these ancient cellars, everything has been designed with one thing in mind: Bringing out the best in the wine. Environmental concerns were also paramount for the Boisset family. The building features so-called passive design, and consumes very little energy but instead uses natural flows. The construction also recycles elements of the existing building, opting for ventilation rather than air-conditioning, etc. Geobiological design is also an integral part of the family values. The overall design is by Frédéric Didier, architect for the Bâtiments de France et du Patrimoine, and has been conceived to produce wine in a setting integrated into the landscape and local heritage, providing a link between the town and the vineyards, at the crossroads of history. The site will be open to the public* after the harvests in October, revealing its round, vaulted cellar, the cœur de verre tasting space, its French- style gardens on its telluric axis, the vortex, and its historic axis, the armillary sphere opposite the covered walkway. Every year since 1961, the Maison Jean-Claude Boisset has produced around 2,000 hectoliters of various Burgundy appellations. The house winemaker has a free hand to make wines without artifice or compromise, resulting in hand-stitched cuvées made along several lines: Laboratory vineyards for the cultivation side, mainly sulfur- free wines, some grown organically, with whites produced on traditional red terroirs and vice- versa. The same philosophy always prevails; a search for perfection through an intense, pure style with smooth tannins. * By reservation only Les Ursulines in Nuits- Saint-Georges: The book The Jean-Claude Boisset wine house is publishing a book on the history of the Ursulines, a community of nuns who arrived in Nuits-Saint-Georges in 1634, building their convent here in 1717 on the site that is now home to Boisset’s new winery. The book is based on archives and research by the local chronicler and heritage guide Etienne Breton-Leroy and retraces 300 years of history of a site steeped in memory. The French Revolution swept away their work, but their spirit remains in this space that has been revitalized by the Boisset family, which is now going from one vocation to another. Jean-Charles Boisset puts pen to paper! “Passion for Wine, The French Ideal and the American Dream” says it all. Two personalities from the world of wine and two continents united through a shared passion. This illustrated book by Jean-Charles Boisset and Marnie Old (sommelier, trainer, and journalist) is perfect for anyone seeking a fun approach to discovering or rediscovering the world of wine in a simple and elegant way. In English only. ‘Vin Émotion’ by Mathilde de l’Écotais was a double winner at the Œnovidéo International Festival 2018, scooping the Imaginarium and Best Image awards This itinerant festival is where the world of wine meets that of cinema. This year, it was held in the Champagne town of Épernay and the event drew to a close on 1 st July with 38 films winning awards out of 128 entries from 19 countries in competition. The Grand Jury was headed by Noël Balen, writer of the French TV series “Le sang de la vigne”. The Grand Prix Oenovideo 2018 went to “ Fermentación Espontánea” (Spain) produced and directed by Clara Isamat. “ Vin Émotion ”, produced by the Boisset family and directed by the artist Mathilde de l’Ecotais, picked up two awards: The Grand Jury Best Photography Award, and the Imaginarium Award. It is an integral part of a larger work, “L’Essence du Vin”, that screens at La Maison Vougeot. The 2018 awards presentation will take place on 17 October at the Palais du Luxembourg in Paris. www.oenovideo.com/awards2018 www.mathildedelecotais.com Together, Laure Guilloteau and Grégory Patriat create Jean-Claude Boisset wines © Megan Steffen