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Records and surprises The Hospices de Beaune charity wine auction was held at its traditional time on the third Sunday in November. Some 700 people packed the salesroom in the Halle de Beaune, with others bidding remotely from 32 countries (nearly 40% up on the 24 countries in 2023) and a record number of registrants. This was the fourth auction organized by Sotheby’s, which, prior to the sale, had showcased the wines in more than 20 cities worldwide. At the 164th Hospices de Beaune sale
on November 17, 2024, it was able to offer all 51 of its cuvées (33 red and 18 white)—a remarkable achievement given the losses throughout the season, and one of which Griveau was rightly proud, though she credited her team and their vineyard work. But while all the cuvées were present, quantities of some were very small. The total of 449 lots (including seven barrels of spirits) was down markedly on the 753 in 2023 and the 820 in 2022, though still higher than the 362 in frost-struck 2021. The 321 barrels of red wine and 117 barrels (plus three half-barrels) of white wine raised €14,404,200 / $15,183,722. Including the Presidents’ Barrel, donated
by the Hospices every year since 1978 to other charitable causes, a total of €15.5 million / $16.3 million was raised, including buyers’ premiums.
The results were led by three barrels
of Bâtard-Montrachet Grand Cru, Cuvée Dames de Flandres, which sold for €355,000 each, a new record for this wine. The average hammer price per barrel (for red and white wines) was €31,540, a small increase on last year (€30,839), but well down on the records set in 2022 (€36,133) and, before that, in 2021 (€34,980). Most Burgundy négociants and observers were relieved that prices did not rise more steeply, hoping it would again send a signal to the wider market—but it is too early to say how that might be received. The 2024 Presidents’ Barrel was a unique Beaune Premier Cru Les Bressandes, which is normally used for four other cuvées (Nicolas Rolin, Guigone de Salins, Dames Hospitalières, and Brunet). Griveau gave the following explanation: “Within our estate, Beaune Premier Cru truly stands out this year, both in terms of the quantity produced and the quality. We felt it was important
Above (left): Guillaume Koch, director of the Hospices Civils de Beaune, and Ludivine Griveau, manager of the Domaine des Hospices de Beaune; (right) The 2024 Presidents’ Barrel, a unique Beaune Premier Cru Les Bressandes, which raised a grand total of €460,000 for other charities.
22 | THE WORLD OF FINE WINE | ISSUE 87 | 2025
that our choice reflected this. It also represents a significant proportion of our vineyard, making our choice even more fitting. Grands crus have been in the spotlight in recent years—it’s time to focus on an appellation closer to our history!” A grand cru had indeed been chosen for all but one of the previous 12 Presidents’ Barrels, although four Beaune premiers crus had been selected between 2005 and 2010. The 2024 Presidents’ Barrel was acquired by Alaor Pereira Lino—owner of Anima Vinum in Brazil, who has been participating in the sale for 25 years and who has created a museum dedicated to the Hospices de Beaune—for €360,000, already €10,000 more than the price realized by a barrel of Mazis-Chambertin Grand Cru the previous year. In a surprise twist, a member of the audience raised her hand once the hammer had fallen, pledging a further €100,000 to the causes championed by the sale of the barrel. Joining the auctioneers on the rostrum, Francine Picard, of Domaines Famille Picard (based in Chassagne- Montrachet), explained that, though she had been attending the auction for years, “For the first time ever, this year I attended the press conference on the morning of the sale, and I felt so moved when I saw the video for the Global Gift Foundation and the children affected by circumstances outside of their control.” Her contribution took the total raised for charities other than the Hospices de Beaune to €460,000—an increase of more than 30% on the previous year. The two humanitarian associations benefiting from the sale of the Presidents’ Barrel are the Global Gift Foundation—established in 2013 by Spanish actress, businesswoman, and philanthropist María Bravo with the aim of creating a positive impact on the lives of children, women, and families, and represented at the sale by actors Eva Longoria and Jean Reno; and Médecins Sans Frontières—founded in 1971 by doctors and journalists to provide medical assistance to people whose health or lives are threatened in France or abroad, and supported by actors Dominic West and Zabou Breitman. The other funds raised by the sale will be used by the Hospices de Beaune to finance its major ongoing structural projects, including the construction of a new hospital (due to open in 2028).
Photography courtesy of Sotheby’s
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