This year the Domaine des Hospices de Beaune was offering 407 barrels of red wine and 111 of white wine. The sale featured 31 cuvées of red wine and 13 of white. Combined with La Pièce des Présidents and alcohols, the whole sale totalled EUR 5,909,276, record result for the Hospices de Beaune wine sale (last record was in 2000).

Since 2005, Christie’s has regularly organised tastings of the wines of the Hospices Beaune all over the world.  Since the 150^th sale, the Hospices and Christie’s especially organised wine events towards China and we already noticed that Asia became the second most important region, after Europe, for its number of registered bidders, and the value of wines acquired, over-taking the USA. This trend was again confirmed in 2012 with 12 % by value.

“Many records were broken at the 152nd Hospices de Beaune auction. Star Cuvées amongst the red wines included (with average price per barrel and percentage increase compared to 2011): Clos de la Roche Cuvée Georges Kritter EUR 55,667 (without premium + 94.2 %) and Mazis-Chambertin Cuvée Madeleine Collignon at EUR 38,318 (without premium + 57.7 %). Thanks to a recent generous donation, a new Grand Cru from the Côte de Nuits was offered for the first time. This was Echézeaux Cuvée Jean-Luc Bissey, and all six barrels sold for a magnificent EUR 50,000 (hammer price) per barrel, raising EUR 300,000 for the Hospices. The superb quality of the 2012 vintage wines, combined with the reduced quantity and the progression of demand for great Burgundy in many countries, not just Asia, contributed to this astonishing, record result”, declared Anthony Hanson, Master of Wine, Senior Consultant of Christie’s for the sale.

The president’s piece has been sold EUR 270,000.

Each year, since 1945, the Hospices de Beaune has given their support to one or several charities by donating the profit of one barrel of wine known as: la Pièce des Présidents. This year, the president’s barrel of the Grand Cru Corton, Cuvée Charlotte Dumay was a “tonneau”of 350 litres.

Carla Bruni-Sarkozy alongside with Guy Roux gave respectively support to the Fondation Carla Bruni-Sarkozy and the Fondation Idée. The President’s barrel fetched EUR 270,000 and was purchased by Maison Bichot on behalf of the Ukrainian Igor Iankovskyi.

* total including the premium, the President Piece and the spirits

November 2012