The 161e The Hospices de Beaune auction, which serves as the first indicator of the prices of the great Burgundy wines, recorded record prices on Sunday, November 21, for a vintage marked by a historically low harvest.
“Absolutely amazing”, summarized François Poher, the director of the Civil Hospices, announcing a partial result of 11.67 million euros (excluding costs) at the end of the charity auctions, the oldest and most famous in the world. In the end, the total will therefore exceed last year’s sale, with almost half the number of lots.
Record for the “Charity Coin”
The highlight of the auction, the “charity coin” or “president’s coin”, a barrel of Corton Renardes Grand Cru, went to 800,000 euros (excluding fees) against 660,000 last year and far from the previous record. , 480,000 euros in 2015, great vintage. The benefit goes to Solidarité Femmes, an associative network dedicated to victims of domestic violence, and to the Institut Curie, for research against breast cancer.
With a harvest almost halved due to the weather, only 349 “pieces” of red and white early vegetables (228-liter barrels) were offered to buyers, against 630 last year. The estate, which brings together the greatest Burgundy wines (Pommard, Volnay, Meursault, Chassagne-Montrachet, Corton, Pouilly-Fuissé, Mazis-Chambertin, etc.) over 60 hectares, has seen its yields drop. “At 14 hl / ha, compared to the usual 30-35”, as the stage manager Ludivine Griveau explained.
An indicator for Burgundy wines
The American house Sotheby’s has resumed this year the auctions held since 2005 by its British competitor Christie’s with the aim of developing its wine market in France. In 2020, the 630 pieces auctioned had brought in 13.4 million euros (free of charge), an average of around 20,200 euros per barrel. Fifteen years ago, the average price was 4,803 euros. The profits are intended for the maintenance of the heritage and the modernization of the hospital equipment of the institution founded in the 15th century.e century in the heart of Burgundy.
Beyond their charitable aspect, the Beaune auctions are considered by experts as a price indicator for Burgundy wines. “We have never sold so many good wines and produced so little”, had declared before the sale Frédéric Drouhin, the president of the Interprofessional Bureau of Burgundy Wines (BIVB). The expected volume for the 2021 vintage will be 900,000 to 950,000 hectoliters against 1.56 million in 2020.