Each year since 1859, the Hospices de Beaune has taken place on the third weekend in November. It’s the world’s most famous charity wine auction that happens in the heart of Burgundy’s Côte d’Or: the town of Beaune. Christie’s auction house had organised the annual event since 2005 and it is undeniably the key occasion in any Burgundy lover’s calendar. However, it bounced back last year with a physical auction (2020 was virtual due to Coronavirus) and with a new auction house at the helm too: Sotheby’s.
The History of the Hospices de Beaune
The Hôtel Dieu (God’s House) was built in 1443 by the Chancellor of the Duchy of Burgundy Nicolas Rolin and was originally a charitable hospital. It was founded to house sick Burgundians and help them recover there. The auction was first created in order to raise funds to support the Hospices’ benevolent works. Today, it is no longer a hospital, nor are any wines made there as a new winery was constructed in 1994. However, the funds raised from the auction continue to support those who work in the vineyards. Even those who may not be familiar with the auction might just recognise the eye-catching roof tiles of the Hôtel Dieu that shimmer in the Côte d’Or sunlight.
The 2022 Wine Auction
This year’s 162nd edition of this prestigious wine auction will take place on Sunday the 20th of November. Sotheby’s has announced that it is set to be one of the largest auctions in its history, with a total of 802 barrels from the 2022 vintage that hail from all of the 51 cuvées.
The auction will be made up of 620 barrels of red wines and 182 barrels of white wines from 60-hectares of holdings belonging to the Hospices which are in their second year of organic conversion. Two new cuvées that are included are the Corton Grand Cru, Cuvée Les Renardes and Beaune Premier Cru, Clos des Mouches, Cuvée Hugues et Louis Bétault.
Each year the auction features a special charity barrel – the Pièce des Présidents – (the Presidents’ barrel). This year, the selected charity barrel is a Corton Grand Cru, in honour of Louis Fabrice Latour, former head of Burgundy négociant Maison Louis Latour, who passed away in September.
The proceeds from this charity lot will help support the Princesse Margot Association that helps children with cancer and the World Vision Organisation that comes to the aid of vulnerable children.
The 2021 auction, which was run by Sotheby’s for the first time, raised €12.6 million in total, with a record €800,000 solely for the Presidents’ barrel.
Read more about this year’s Burgundy vintage here.