Luminaries from France’s Celebrated Film and Music Industries Lend their Support to this Year’s Hospices de Beaune Wine Sale

Luminaries from France’s Celebrated Film and Music Industries

– Alice Taglioni, Cédric Klapish & Martin Solveig –

Lend their Support to this Year’s Hospices de Beaune Wine Sale

– The World’s Oldest and Most Renowned Charity Wine Auction –

Sale of Unique ‘Presidents’ Barrel’,

Housing a Prestigious Pommard Premier Cru, to Benefit the

EHCO Association and the Robert Debré Children’s Brain Institute

The 165th Edition of the Sale, Taking Place in Beaune on 16 November, to Introduce a 52nd Cuvée Following an Outstanding Donation Located in the Clos de Vougeot Grand Cru Appellation, Offered by Domaine Faiveley

PARIS & BEAUNE, 22 OCTOBER 2025 – Today, at Sotheby’s flagship premises in Paris, the names of the charities set to benefit from the sale of the ‘Presidents’ Barrel’ at the next legendary Hospices de Beaune wine auction are revealed for the first time. They are the EHCO association and the Robert Debré Children’s Brain Institute, both of which will be represented at the sale on November 16 by luminaries from France’s celebrated film and music industries: actress Alice Taglioni, director Cédric Klapish and DJ Martin Solveig.

The ‘Presidents’ Barrel’ will be one of the star lots in the 165th iteration of the Hospices de Beaune Wine Sale – an auction made up of barrels housing the 2025 vintage produced by the estate from parcels of lands generously donated to the Hospices over five centuries. Each year, proceeds from this legendary sale are used to fund the work of the Hospices Civil de Beaune’s hospital programmes, with a ‘Presidents’ Barrel’ generously donated by the hospital to a cause chosen for its relevance to the particular theme of the year. This year, the Hospices Civils de Beaune has pledged its commitment to disability and smart tech, with a focus on supporting children in the Côte-d’Or region and beyond.

The 165th edition of the Hospices de Beaune wine sale is also set to mark an important moment in the auction’s history, as it will introduce a 52nd cuvée – a Clos de Vougeot Grand Cru, Cuvée François Faiveley – following an outstanding donation located in the Clos de Vougeot Grand Cru appellation, offered by Domaine Faiveley. A reaffirmation of the family’s deep attachment to the Hospices de Beaune institution and to Burgundy, the donation also commemorates the 200th anniversary of the estate.

The Hospices Civils de Beaune has recently embarked on a major investment programme to modernise its facilities. Construction has already begun on a new 15,000 m² hospital building to replace the first modern era building of the Hospices, which dates back to 1971 and is no longer appropriate for the future of the institution. Patients and healthcare professionals will benefit from top-grade facilities that will improve both care delivery and working conditions.

The hospital institution has also acquired a versatile robotic surgical system to enhance surgical procedures, giving patients access to cutting-edge technology which until now was mostly reserved for large hospital centres. In additional, plans to rebuild the hospital in Seurre are underway.

Guillaume Koch, Director and Chairman of the Board of the Hospices Civils de Beaune, said:

“All proceeds from wine sales are donated to the hospital. Without this essential support, many investments would simply not be possible. As such, the vineyard is an exceptional asset and a valuable resource for our public institution.”

Marie-Anne Ginoux, Managing Director, Sotheby’s France, said: “It has been a true honour over the past five years to support the Hospices de Beaune, a partnership to which we feel deeply committed. As we continue to promote these outstanding wines worldwide, we have expanded into new markets — from Abu Dhabi, Bangkok, and Copenhagen to Jakarta, Madrid, and São Paulo — with the goal of attracting new collectors and enthusiasts to Beaune. We have already seen an increase in registrants, with wine lovers from as far afield as Brazil, Mexico, and Taiwan planning their journeys. This year, we celebrate not only the ongoing dedication to fully certified organic wines but also the introduction of a remarkable new cuvée that embodies the enduring generosity of the local community. Together, we look forward to building on the successes of the past five years and championing the vital mission of the Hospices.”

This year, a total of 52 cuvées – divided into 34 red wines, 18 white wines and two cuvées of eaux-de-vie – will be offered across 552 lots, featuring: 428 barrels of red wines and 111 barrels (110 plus two half barrels) of white wines. With the addition of the unique Presidents’ Barrel and 11 barrels of the eaux-de-vie, the sale comprises 551 barrels in total.

The 2025 vintage is marked by its early ripening and sun-soaked character, deep colour, and rich, enveloping textures – yet it remains classically Burgundian in its freshness, pure fruit expression, and beautifully balanced acidity. Numerous heatwaves compressed the growing season, while uneven ripening challenged the vineyard management skills Ludivine and her 20+ strong team. The result is concentrated, aromatic wines with lower yields but impressive quality and excellent aging potential.

Ludivine Griveau, Manager of the Hospices de Beaune wine estate, said: “I still don’t understand why we’re so intent on comparing vintages. It’s like comparing siblings from the same family – each with their own traits, their own personality, their own strengths and weaknesses. So why do we insist on rating vintages out of five? Given the changing climate we now face, do shortcuts like these still make sense? It’s a valid question. But perhaps the better question is: Why not? Why not let 2025 stand on its own – without the shadow or glow of its siblings? Why not allow it to express its unique identity? You’re about to discover exactly what this year’s vintage is made of: 100% born of 2025.”

More on the Hospices de Beaune Auction:

Representing the pinnacle of the calendar in Burgundy, the annual Hospices de Beaune wine sale established in 1859 has become not only the world’s most famous wine auction but also a vastly important cultural phenomenon in the region. The sale is the centrepiece of a three-day weekend in November known as Les Trois Glorieuses, when wine lovers descend on the town of Beaune for the opportunity to acquire barrels of wine produced from vineyards covering 141 plots across the Hospices’ 60-hectare holdings (over 85% of it classified Premier Cru or Grand Cru). No fewer than 86 ‘climats’ are represented to produce the 52 cuvées on offer. This year is particularly special as the Climats du vignoble de Bourgogne are celebrating the 10th anniversary of their inclusion on the UNESCO World Heritage list.

Every year since 1945, during the auction, a special barrel called the Presidents’ Barrel – also called the Pièce de Charité, or Pièce des Présidents – is sold separately for the benefit of one or more charities of the Hospices de Beaune’s choosing.

The Presidents’ Barrel: This Year’s Charities of Choice

This year, the proceeds from the sale of the charity barrel will benefit the EHCO association – a non-profit organisation dedicated to helping handicapped children in the Côte-d’Or region, represented at the auction by Cédric Klapish; and the Robert Debré Children’s Brain Institute – a pioneering research and care facility located in Paris, dedicated to understanding and supporting children’s cognitive development, particularly those with neurodevelopmental disorders, who are vulnerable or who were born prematurely, represented at the sale by Alica Taglioni and Martin Solveig.

For the first time, a Pommard Premier Cru Les Rugiens has been selected as the 2025 Charity Barrel. This ‘climat’ (vineyard site), one of the most prestigious amongst the Pommard Premier Crus, is usually included in the blend of the Hospices de Beaune’s Dames de la Charité cuvée. Donated by La Manufacture Tonnelière La Grange, the special barrel housing the wine was made using the finest oak trees selected from the Bertranges forest, by Master Cooper Dany Devilette.

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The full sale offering will be listed on sothebys.com (here), where the auction will also be livestreamed at 2.30pm CET on 16 November.

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About the Hospices Civils de Beaune

The history of the Hospices Civils de Beaune began in 1443, when Nicolas Rolin and Guigone de Salins decided to build a hospital: the Hôtel-Dieu. The founders’ act of charity and patronage established a tradition that has seen the Hospices de Beaune endure throughout history in exceptional conditions. Today, the Hospices Civils de Beaune comprises the Beaune hospital centre, and the Arnay-le-Duc, Seurre and Nuits-St-Georges hospitals. The Hospices Civils de Beaune is the support establishment for the Groupement Hospitalier de Territoire du Sud Côte-d’Or.

The originality of this hospital institution lies in the size and nature of its assets, which include, on the one hand, a historic monument, the 15th-century Hôtel-Dieu, which has not welcomed elderly patients or residents since the early 1980s; and, on the other hand, a prestigious 60-hectare Beaune wine-growing estate of the finest Burgundy appellations. All these vineyards come from bequests and donations, and their production is auctioned every year on the 3rd Sunday in November, as part of the world’s most famous charity auction. Thanks to its heritage, this hospital plays a key role in the two major activities of Beaune and the surrounding region: tourism and wine.

The auction is the most famous and oldest charity wine auction in the world (1859). Proceeds from the sale are earmarked for the upkeep of the hospital’s heritage and the modernization of its equipment and buildings. True to its founding values, each year the Hospices Civils de Beaune supports one or more charities by donating the profits from the sale of a unique barrel of wine, known as the “Pièce de Charité”.

About Sotheby’s

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Sotheby’s currently holds the world records for any whisky collection ever sold at auction, any private collection of wine ever sold at auction, the most valuable bottle of wine ever sold at auction and the most valuable bottle of spirits ever sold at auction, in addition to the highest total ever achieved for a charity wine auction.