Video: 2026 harvest at Hospices de Beaune - interview with winemaker Ludivine Griveau

Ludivine Griveau: "2026 is an extra-ordinary, early vintage where attention to details is key"

Jean-David Camus - Good morning Ludivine, today's August 21st, already a few days after the start of the 2026 harvest at Domaine des Hospices de Beaune. What's your state of mind and what's your keyword to depict 2026?

Ludivine Griveau - Good morning Jean-David, I am really focused, with a lot of concentration; this year, the grapes are not what I'm used to. This year in particular, I want to stay and work with my team, to feel, touch, smell, not just give orders. I need to DO, to be hands-on. And my keyword would be "attentions," in the plural. We expected an early harvest, but not that early — it's a bit new and unknown.

Jean-David Camus - Can you please come back on the cycle of this year? It started with a mild, rainy winter, a good thing for what was to come later...

Ludivine Griveau - It was a warm year globally, above average for temperatures and sunshine. It was a bit cold at the end of April and early May, which avoided frost. This slowed the growth for a short while, but as soon as temperatures rose, vegetation resumed its fast growth pace. From the end of May till harvest, we had very hot temperatures, several heatwaves, and also very dry weather, with almost no rain. This combination of factors is unusual, and France broke records on that matter. We had almost 50 days of above-normal temperatures. Luckily, there was a bit of rain at the end of July — beneficial, but not everywhere, which led to different situations in each plot. The heterogeneity we observed in the grapes is partially linked to these variable conditions in each plot, but also to a special flowering period.

Jean-David Camus - Can you detail this flowering stage?

Ludivine Griveau - Flowering occurred in very hot weather. We usually fear the opposite! But hot temperatures are not ideal, nor are they necessarily better. We lost some berries, and therefore potential yield, because some flowers aborted their cycle; it also created some "loose" bunches, with few berries far apart from each other, as well as tiny grapes called millerands. My intention was to reach higher than usual yields, and that turned out to be a wise decision given what came next.

Jean-David Camus - A big question, somewhat controversial, is the potential blockage or halt in growth toward the end of the cycle, due to these high temperatures.

Ludivine Griveau - For me, it just did not happen — there were no signs of blockage. The plant's metabolism carried on. We observed the berries getting bigger, the vine shoots continuing to grow, veraison happening quickly... there was no sign of a pause or blockage despite the heat. So we have high sugar levels, and we expect high alcohol levels too. That's the way it is; we must adapt, and stay open to different and new approaches, whether in terms of yeasts or vinification methods, for instance.

Jean-David Camus - Can you explain your winemaking approach for both colors, even though it's just the beginning?

Ludivine Griveau - For the reds, we paid attention and were careful not to go too far in extracting the components of the skin. The sugars are there, the aromatics are there, but the phenolic maturity isn't quite there yet. I'll use shorter cold macerations before fermentation, without too much punching down of the cap; I'll prefer pumping over to preserve some freshness. For the whites, we had to press firmly to extract the juices. They're really intense and yellow in color.

Jean-David Camus - Thank you, we'll come back in a few weeks for a more detailed analysis. In the meantime, let's not forget what I call "the auction within the auction," the Pièce de Charité, also known as the Charity Barrel.

Ludivine Griveau - Yes, this year the sale of the Presidential Barrel will support two charities, including the fight against rare diseases.

Jean-David Camus - Last but not least, let's remember that the Hospices de Beaune wine auction also supports our local community, including the construction of a brand-new hospital just behind us, which is also going well.

Ludivine Griveau - You're absolutely right, the building works are progressing steadily — we witness it from our winery. It's impressive, and we're thrilled!