FEATURES ARCHIVE

THE OLDEST AND MOST FAMOUS CHARITY WINE AUCTION

The Hospices de Beaune is the result of more than six centuries of history. Founded with the aims of healing the sick and comforting the destitute, the hospital has never ceased to develop, thanks, in large part, to numerous benefactors who have enabled the Domaine to grow, thanks to their gifts of vineyards. The funds collected at the Hospices de Beaune wine auctions are entirely destined for the institution’s charities.

An annual event not to be missed, the Hospices de Beaune Wine Auction is an opportunity to come together as a family or between friends, to discover the rich variety of the 44 wine Cuvées offered by the Hospices. Superb quality, young Burgundy wines - vins primeurs – can be acquired, at prices to suit all budgets, and it is possible to customise the bottles with your name, or that of your business or organisation, being printed on the labels.

We would like to invite you to take part in this legendary charity auction and perpetuate the tradition of generous benefactors by bidding in the saleroom in Beaune, or from a distance by telephone or Internet, or by leaving a written bid with Christie’s, before the auction.

THE OPINION OF A BUYER, MR PHILIPPE SÉRÉ

For which occasion did you buy the Hospices de Beaune wine?
As the president of the HEC Club, which was created in 1995, we began to acquire barrels from the Hospices in 2006, with the intention of creating a tradition. Since 2008, we have expanded to include members of the Science-Po Wine Club, and various collectors. Last year we were able to bring together 56 people, to acquire 3 barrels of a Beaune Premier Cru.

Is the charity aspect important to you?
Within the group of people who join forces to buy barrels from the Hospices de Beaune, the charitable aspect motivates some, but probably not all.

How would you describe the wine you drink?
For me, it is top quality Burgundy.

Did you learn anything from your contact with the négociant-éleveur who tended your wine?
It’s one of the main motivations in the project (for those who play an active role): to go behind the scenes and understand how the tending is done, with all the different choices to be made, while following the wine’s progress throughout this period. Ultimately we understand that it’s not just a case of forgetting a barrel at the back of a cellar for a year.

Did you benefit from your visit to Beaune and its region?
For the project initiators it was not a discovery, rather it was because they knew and loved Beaune and Burgundy wines, that the project was begun. On the other hand, each sale is an opportunity to bring in a dozen or so new people and to introduce some of them to the region – and they tend to return quite enchanted.

What is your best memory about the sale?
The best memory is undoubtedly our euphoria after we left the saleroom, having acquired our first 2 barrels in 2006.

Did you choose to customize your labels?
For various reasons, we collectively chose not to personalize our bottles. Nevertheless, certain members who took significant quantities chose to personalize their own.

Are you pleased with your purchase? Did you have a good time?
We are all very satisfied with our purchases, even though we will not know for sure for some time, since wine needs one or two years tending. For those making the trip, we always have a good time at the wine tastings and the sale, but also throughout the whole weekend, given the many festivities in the town of Beaune.

A UNIQUE OPPORTUNITY TO DISCOVER, WITH FRIENDS OR FAMILY, WINES WHICH GENUINELY REFLECT THEIR ORIGINS

Gather your family and friends together in order to buy and share one or several barrels of wine (called ‘pièces’ in Burgundy) choosing from amongst 44 available Cuvées. The Hospices de Beaune wines are sold as ‘vins primeurs’ from the current year’s harvest, which have been barreled, but have yet to be tended.

They are presented at the sale in barrels and there is something to satisfy all budgets, from great whites (Meursault, Corton-Charlemagne) to a wide variety of reds (Beaune, Volnay, Pommard, Mazis-Chambertin). To help you choose Christie’s organizes many wine tastings before the sale, in cities all over the world.

Buying a barrel corresponds approximately to 288 bottles, so 24 cases of 12 bottles, or 6 magnums. After the sale, Christie’s will advise you on how to entrust your wine to a local négociant in Burgundy, who will tend your wine until it is ready to be bottled.

This is generally done between 12 and 24 months after the sale. You can then customise each of your bottles, by personalizing the labels. A name, a business or organization, or a message based on a particular event (birth, marriage, etc.), will be printed on the label, along with the Hospices de Beaune crest.

To take part in a wine tasting, or to learn more about the sale, please do not hesitate to contact our specialists on Tel: +33 (0) 1 40 76 83 88 or email, beaune@christies.com.

RELATED SALE
Sale 5888
150th Hospices de Beaune Wine Auction
21 November 2010