BEAUNE, MONDAY 21 NOVEMBER 2022 – In a packed saleroom at the Halles de Beaune, with an audience of 700 attendees, yesterday’s sale of the 162nd edition of the Hospices de Beaune wine auction brought €31 million ($32 million), establishing a record total for any wine auction held by Sotheby’s, and the highest ever total for a charity wine auction – more than double the previous record high for a Hospices de Beaune wine sale.* In addition, the Pièce des Présidents (Presidents’ Barrel) sold for a record €810,000.
The seven-hour sale was conducted by four auctioneers in rotation, with collectors competing enthusiastically from 30 countries, in the room, on the telephones via Sotheby’s team of specialists, and online.
François Poher, Director and Chairman of the Board of Hospices Civils de Beaune, said: “The historic and spectacular results of this sale are a tribute to many people: our winemakers and entire team at the Domaine des Hospices de Beaune, our hospital workers who selflessly carry on with their mission, our founders and donors, and all the Burgundians who support their land, their traditions, but above all, their values of hospitality and fraternity. The new record achieved for the Pièce des Présidents to benefit children’s causes is the best expression of this.”
Jamie Ritchie, Worldwide Chairman, Sotheby’s Wine & Spirits, said: “This year’s record total is testament to the exceptional quality of the Hospices de Beaune wines produced by Ludivine Griveau and her team, as well as to record worldwide demand for Burgundy from the finest producers. The combination of a top-class Domaine and a wonderful vintage resulted in extremely competitive bidding throughout the sale. Representing the heart and soul of Burgundy, the auction attracted collectors from 30 countries, raising an extraordinary amount of money for charity, which will be used to help and support the community. The fact that today’s auction is also among the highest totals for any wine auction ever held is an additional tribute to the importance of this annual auction, which has been staged since 1859.”
Amayès Aouli, Head of Sotheby’s Wine, Europe, said: “This 162nd edition of the Hospices de Beaune Wine auction was an extremely rewarding collaboration between Sotheby’s and the team at the Hospices de Beaune, with the incredible support of all the négociants and individuals who participated. Our international wine specialists were joined in Beaune by colleagues from Sotheby’s France to host the world’s most renowned charity auction. Our Continental European wine sales continue to show rapid growth with two sales closing in the next two weeks, with Beaune as a key centre of our operations.”
Every year since 1945, the Hospices de Beaune has donated a unique “pièce” to support one or more charity organisations. Ludivine Griveau, Manager of the Hospices de Beaune wine estate, produced a one-off Corton Grand Cru for this year’s Pièce des Présidents from a blend of three of the Domaine des Hospices de Beaune’s most beautiful terroirs: Corton Renardes, Corton Bressandes and Corton Chaumes. In an exceptional show of solidarity, a number of individual wine négociants – Badet Clément, Albert Bichot, Groupe Boisset, Bouchard Père et Fils, Champy, Chanson, Joseph Drouhin, Faiveley, Louis Jadot, Olivier Leflaive, Patriarche and Veuve Ambal – jointly acquired the Corton Grand Cru.
French journalist and writer, Flavie Flament, and French actor Benoît Magimel, both took to the rostrum and the aisles in the saleroom to rally even more excitement for the highly anticipated lot. Over the course of a memorable 20-minute bidding battle, the audience erupted into applause several times as the figure rose ever higher. The charity barrel was sold to benefit two organisations – the Princesse Margot association, which supports children with cancer, and the World Vision organisation, whose mission is to help vulnerable children.
The charity pièce paid tribute to the late Louis-Fabrice Latour, the head of Burgundy négociant Maison Louis Latour, and a leading figure in Burgundy and loyal supporter of the annual auction, who sadly passed away in September. The wine will continue to mature in a special 228-litre barrel made by the Maison Latour cooperage, in collaboration with the Hospices de Beaune.
The funds raised from this year’s Hospices de Beaune sale will continue to support the upkeep of the Hospices de Civil de Beaune’s hospitals, in keeping with its founding values.
The sale included 802 barrels housing 51 cuvées of the 2022 vintage (divided into 620 barrels of red wines and 182 barrels of white wines) produced from vineyards across the Hospices’ 60-hectare holdings, now in its second year of organic conversion.** The average aggregate price per barrel for both the red and white cuvées saw an increase over 2021, and overall, the average aggregate price per lot including the Pièce des Présidents and the spirits was €39,155, an increase of 12%. The average hammer price of the red and white wines is up by 8.28% compared to last year (€35,974 in 2022, €33,223 in 2021).
Five barrels of Bâtard-Montrachet Grand Cru, Cuvée Dames des Flandres sold for €324,000 ($421,200) each, more than double the pre-sale high estimate.
The 162nd edition of the sale offered included two new cuvées: Corton Grand Cru cuvée Les Renardes (with 13 barrels sold for a combined total of €700,756) and Beaune Blanc 1er cru Clos des mouches cuvée Hugues et Louis Bétault (5 barrels sold for a combined total of €235,440).
This year’s event marked the Hospices de Beaune’s second time partnering with Sotheby’s to organise and host the auction, which represents the pinnacle of the calendar in Burgundy. Prior to the sale, 20 tastings and dinners were held in cities all over the world, from Taipei and Mexico, to Stockholm and Singapore.
Notes to Editors
*The hammer total for the 162nd Hospices de Beaune wine sale was €29,788,500 with the Pièce des Présidents; €28,978,500 excluding the Pièce des Présidents. The 158th Hospices de Beaune wine sale in 2018 brought a total of €13,969,570 (hammer total, excluding the result for the Pièce des Présidents)
**In total, 820 lots comprised 802 barrels of red and white wines, 1 Presidents’ Barrel, and 17 barrels of spirits
