Hospices de Beaune,
2026 vintage

Interview #1 - 2026 vintage growing cycle and harvest report

Speaking a few days into the 2026 harvest, Ludivine Griveau describes herself as highly focused and hands-on this year, choosing to work directly alongside her team rather than simply giving orders. Her keyword for 2026 is "attentions," in the plural, reflecting the level of care the vintage requires. The harvest arrived earlier than expected, which she describes as new and somewhat unfamiliar territory.

She recaps the growing cycle: a mild, rainy winter was followed by a cold spell in late April and early May that slowed growth but avoided frost. From late May through harvest, conditions turned very hot and dry, with several heatwaves and almost no rain — around 50 days of above-normal temperatures, a French record. A beneficial rain fell at the end of July, but unevenly across plots, contributing to the heterogeneity observed in the grapes, alongside an unusual flowering period.

Flowering itself took place under very hot conditions, which Griveau notes is not actually favorable despite common assumptions to the contrary. The heat caused some flowers to abort, reducing potential yield and producing "loose" bunches with widely spaced berries as well as tiny millerand grapes. In response, she had aimed for higher-than-usual yields going into the season, a decision that proved wise given how the year unfolded.

Ludivine Griveau observed no blockage or pause in vine growth despite the extreme heat: berries kept growing, shoots kept developing, and véraison occurred quickly. As a result, sugar levels are high and correspondingly high alcohol levels are expected, which she says will require adapting choices in her vinication, to preserve freshness.

On winemaking, she is being cautious with extraction on the reds — using shorter cold macerations and favoring pumping over rather than punching down the cap — since sugar and aromatics are already present but phenolic maturity is lagging. For the whites, firmer pressing was needed to extract juice, which is coming out intensely yellow.

Ludiine Griveau also mentions that this year's Presidential Barrel (the Pièce de Charité) will support two charities and the fight against rare diseases, and confirms that construction of the new hospital behind the winery — also funded via the Hospices de Beaune auction — is progressing well.