Marc des Hospices de Beaune 2007 Maison Jacoulot

The Marc des Hospices de Beaune Vintage 2007 from Maison Jacoulot is an extraordinary bottle, a spirit of distinction born from one of the most illustrious and historically charged institutions in the Burgundy vineyards, aged for more than fourteen years in the cellars of Maison Jacoulot with the patience and rigour that define this reference distillery's reputation. A bottle that delivers profound emotion in the glass. A vintage marc that represents far more than a spirit, it carries the Burgundian heritage and tradition in all their nobility.

The raw material and its provenance

This Marc de Bourgogne comes from the celebrated Hospices de Beaune estate and has been aged for more than 14 years in the cellars of Maison Jacoulot. The Hospices de Beaune, founded in 1443 by Chancellor Nicolas Rolin, stand among France's oldest and most respected charitable institutions. Their vineyard holding, gradually built through legacies and donations from Burgundy vignerons over six centuries, now encompasses more than 60 hectares of the finest crus from the Côte de Beaune and Côte de Nuits. Each year, during the celebrated auction on the third Sunday of November, the marcs resulting from pressing skins after fermentation are offered to a select handful of distilleries. Maison Jacoulot, a historic distillery located at Mandelot in Côte d'Or, is among the few to have established a partnership of trust with the Hospices, allowing them to distil these exceptional marcs and age them patiently in their cellars for many years. This 2007 vintage, distilled from marcs of the great Burgundy red and white appellations harvested in 2007, was aged for more than fourteen years in oak before bottling.

Tasting profile

A gold yellow colour with amber glints. A nose that begins almost restrained before opening onto floral touches and a lovely sensation of chestnuts with vanilla. The ageing is well integrated, offering a savoury palate with richness and magnificent expression. The colour deepens to old gold with orange glints. A warm and intense nose, superb oak character that fills the lungs from the first inhalation. The long fourteen years of ageing in oak has accomplished its work with remarkable precision and delicacy, the raw and powerful aromas of fresh marc have gradually given way to a complexity and sweetness of great nobility, with notes of roasted cereals, dried grapes and torrefaction interweaving with floral and vanilla aromas to compose a bouquet of rare depth and persistence. On the palate, the substance is rich, savoury and well-balanced between the natural power of marc and the sweetness acquired through ageing. The finish is long, warm and persistent, of an aromatic complexity that commands silence and contemplation.

The house

Maison Jacoulot is one of the great houses of Burgundy spirits, established for several generations in the region. Specialised in Marcs and Fines de Bourgogne, it is recognised as an absolute reference for the long ageing of Burgundy spirits, with a range extending from young marcs to vintage expressions aged for more than thirty years. Its partnership with the Hospices de Beaune is among the most prestigious and confidential collaborations in the world of French spirits, allowing it to propose each year a vintage cuvée of rare and incomparable quality.

Tasting and pairing

The Marc des Hospices de Beaune 2007 is best enjoyed at room temperature as a digestif, in a tulip glass to concentrate the aromas. It pairs beautifully with dark chocolate desserts, coffee gourmandise or a selection of aged cheeses. Dark chocolate at 75 per cent intensity, a caramelised apple tarte Tatin, a praline fondant or a few dried dates and figs all enhance the richness and complexity of this exceptional marc. And for those who embrace authentic Burgundian tradition, served in a warm coffee cup over a little unmelted sugar, as the vignerons of the Côte d'Or still do during the long winter evenings.