Domaine Patrick Hudelot

The first vines were planted in 1950 and today the vineyard covers 29 hectares in the Hautes Côtes de Nuits, 2 hectares in the prestigious Nuits-Saint-Georges area. In 2000, Patrick switched over to natural production methods and achieved official organic status in 2003. He believes that wine is a link between the earth and our spirit, a sort of "psychic fuel". He is a strong believer in the properties of polyphenols found in wine that are excellent for the skin and help protect cells from free radicals. Three main grape varieties are grown: 22 hectares of Pinot Noir, 2 of Aligoté and 6 of Chardonnay and Patrick goes to great care to allow the terroir to express itself in the grapes. Indeed, he has a reputation for innovative growing methods, using phytotherapy, isotherapy and homeopathy - with no copper or added sulphur.
	To care for the vines, Patrick uses only natural products; composted vegetable extracts, nettle juice, crushed volcanic rock etc. The grapes are always picked by hand and the wines made in a traditional way - destalked then (for the reds) a cold maceration (fermentation of the pulp) for 14 days before being matured in oak barrels for a year.
The vines in the Hautes Côtes are trained higher than usual and are wide spaced. The climate is well suited to vine growing, which compensates for the altitude, with the vines spread across the south and southeast facing slopes of the area.