Rare And Attractive Investments: Invest In Richebourg And Romanée St. Vivant From Hudelot-Noellat

Domaine Hudelot-Noellat: Iconic Value-For-Money Investments

Domaine Hudelot-Noellat produces exclusive top wines from all over Burgundy and appears to be value-for-money investments compared to the nearest neighbors. The domaines total production of less than 40,000 bottles a year is made from the finest plots and up to 100 years old vines - and on the best Grand Cru vineyards - and the plots are located next to Domaine Leroys and Domaine de la Romanée-Contis.

This investment tip is about the domaine’s finest wines from the iconic Grand Cru cineyards, Richebourg and Romanée St. Vivant, which is only produced in a few thousand bottles a year and is even more rare in large formats. But before that, you come with a trip to Burgundy and to get wiser on Domaine Hudelot-Noellat.

Also read the summary and see prices and available wines at the bottom of the article.

Noellat - The Cornerstone Of Domaine Leroy

Domaine Hudelot-Noellat was founded in 1962 by Alain Hudelot and later expanded in 1964 after marriage to Odile Noellat, who brought vineyards into the marriage.

The plots that Odile acquired in the mid-1970s belonged to former Odile's grandfather, Charles Noellat. What is particularly interesting is that Charles Noellat's old vineyards are also the cornerstone of Madame Lalou's Bize-Leroy's Domaine Leroy - the domaine behind some of the world's most coveted, rare and expensive wines. During a long family dispute after Charles Noellat's death in 1939, a large part of the family's land was sold to Bize-Leroy, before the rest went to Odile and later became part of Domaine Hudelot-Noellat. These plots on especiallyvineyards Romanée St. Vivant and Richebourg have the absolute best location and are next door to both Domaine Leroy and Domaine de la Romanée-Conti.

The Work At Hudelot-Noellat Today

In 2008, Alain Hudelot chose to hand over the reins to his grandson Charles van Canneyt, who had finished his wine studies at the University of Dijon. For a transitional period, Vincent Meunier has helped in both the vineyards and the cellar. The vineyards are run according to sustainable principles, and in certain vintages purely organic. In the cellar, approximately 20 % stalks during fermentation, which takes place on cement tanks. Generally, the wines are aged for 18 months before bottling on casks from the best cobblers in Burgundy. Rarely more than 50 % new casks are used, even for the largest wines. The most significant new purchase for the cellar is a stalk that can send unbroken grapes directly to the fermentation vessel. In other words, tradition and heritage are guarded here to ensure a towering high levels and formidable quality.

The Iconic Burgundy Vineyards

Domaine Hudelot-Noellat currently owns 10 hectares of vineyards, spread over four villages and 15 different appellations. At the top we find the three iconic Grand Cru vineyards Richebourg, Romanée St. Vivant and Clos de Vougeot. Then there are six of the finest Premier Cru vineyards in Vosne-Romanée, Chambolle-Musigny, Nuits-Saint-Georges and Vougeot.

One of the keys to the beautiful balanced wines at Hudelot-Noellat is the age of their vines. The oldest vines were planted in 1920 which ensures the high uniform quality that wine lovers recognize Hudelot-Noellat for.

In total, Hudelot-Noellat currently produces less than 40,000 bottles a year across all wines, as a result of very low harvest yields, which again are the result of its own strict quality requirements. The old vines and a relentless pruning in the winter months help to keep yields down significantly.

Extremely Limited Production: Facts About Richebourg And Romanée St. Vivant

Extremely Limited Production: Facts About Richebourg And Romanée St. Vivant

Richebourg Grand Cru

Richebourg measures 8.03 hectares in total, of which Hudelot-Noellat owns just 0.28 hectares of vines planted in 1950. This means that Hudelot-Noellat only produces around 1,400 bottles of Richebourg per vintage.

Romanée St. Vivant Grand Cru

Romanée St. Vivant measures a total of 9.44 hectares, of which Hudelot-Noellat owns 0.48 hectares of vines planted 100 years ago in 1920. Hudelot-Noellat thus produces only around 2,400 bottles from this vineyard per vintage.

In total, Hudelot-Noellat produces only around 4,000 bottles of wine from Romanée St. Vivant and Richebourg a year, which is a vanishingly small amount when it comes to iconic top vineyards, where the world's most distinguished producers in a group contribute to raising prestige, recognition and demand.

In other words, an investment in Hudelot-Noellat allows for investment in two of Burgundy's finest Grand Cru vineyards, and with wine from some of the vineyards' best plots at a fraction of the price compared to the alternatives - even if the wines come from adjacent plots. This is thus a value-for-money gateway to two extremely strong Burgundy cases.

Investment in large formats

In this investment tip, in addition to the opportunity to invest in regular size bottles, you also have the opportunity to invest in large formats.

When, as earlier in this article, for example, it is described that around 1,400 bottles from Hudelot-Noella are produced, this is an expression of how many ordinary 0.75 liter bottles it corresponds to. When large formats such as magnum, double magnum and so on are brought into play, the total number of bottles must of course be corrected.

The large formats have an increased investment potential as these have an improved storage potential, as less of the contents of the bottle have contact with the air. At the same time, they are also produced in much smaller numbers if any at all.

Roughly speaking, this means that an investment in regular sizes appeals to the largest audience, and thus has increased marketability, while the large formats are extra rare and come with an increased storage potential. Here you have a rare opportunity to buy both large and extra-large formats.

Wine Critics' assessment of Hudelot-Noellat Richebourg and Romanée St. Vivant

Read more about the wine critics here.

RareWine Invest’s Opinion

Investing in Hudelot-Noellat is a classic Burgundy investment; a great and recognized producer, with wines from some of the best vineyards. Romanée St. Vivant and Richebourg meet several of the most important requirements for an attractive wine investment.

Both Grand Cru fields are among the most prestigious and sought-after in Burgundy, where not only one producer stands alone with the responsibility of raising recognition and brand, but a string of the greatest and best producers in the world stand together - including Domaine de la Romanée-Conti and Domaine Leroy. In addition, Hudelot-Noellat delivers something reminiscent of the best of both worlds: Hudelot-Noellat produces highly acclaimed wine from some of the vineyards' best plots, which are close to Domaine de la Romanée-Contis and Domaine Leroys, respectively, but cost only one fraction of the price. It allows wine lovers to get their hands on top wines from some of Romanée St. Vivant and Richebourg's best plots, without having to pay thousands of Euros - and this is precisely what is extremely attractive to a large international audience.

The only catch for this audience is that Hudelot-Noellat only produces around 4,000 bottles in these two vineyards combined, which is vanishingly little. At the same time, mature versions of the best wines from precisely these two vineyards are today extremely difficult to find, while large formats basically do not exist on the open market.

Being able to offer these wines to the wine lovers of the future will be an extremely exciting opportunity for the wine investor.