New record price for charity barrel : The ‘pièce des presidents’
161st Hospices de Beaune Wine Auction Total € 12.6 million/ $14.2 million
Sold for €800,000 /$900,000, after 15 minutes of bidding battle animated
by Jeanne Balibar & Pio Marmaï
Proceeds to Benefit the Fédération Nationale Solidarité Femmes & the Institut Curie
Grand Total Raised for Charity: €13.5 Million / $15.3 Million
The auction room of Halle de Beaune was gazing with 700 attendees, the new sales record of 161st edition of Hospices de Beaune wine auction brought a total of 12.6 million/ $15.3 million (a bid total of 11.7 million/$13.5 million), far striking the pre sales estimate of €5.2-7.8 million ($5.9-8.8 million). The 362 lots were 100% sold, with every lot selling for a price above its high estimate with the addition of Pièce des Presidents, which set a record of €800,000 /$900,000, the grand total raised for charity was €13.5 million / $15.3 million. The six hours auction was conducted by three auctioneers.
This year the wine was selected for the charity barrel, which is also known as the Pièce des Présidents (president barrel) is from a very distinguished vineyard named Corton Renardes.
Sold to the benefit to the Federation National Solidarity Women, which helps in their fight against violence and the institute Cuire, to aid medical research against breast cancer. The unique single-barrel cuveé established a new record price for the Hospices de Beaune Charity barrel, transcending the previous record set in 2020. It was acquired in the room by ONEO group, a multi–award winning fine wine house, specializing in luxury rare wines, based in London.
The two organizations were represented respectively by French actress and a film director, Jeanne Balibar, and French actor Pio Marmaï, patrons of this year’s sale, who both drum up the even more excitement for the highly anticipated lot. The bidding opened to the memory of Aretha Franklin’s ‘respect’ and over the course of memorable bidding battle, the chaotic audience engaged with excitement as the level of figure rose higher. The entire auction price of €800,000 will be donated to the two designated organization.
The €12.6 million raised from this year’s sale and future sales will allow for the completion of the €70 million reconstruction of the Philippe Le Bon Hospital in Beaune, and the acquisition of a new mammography machine. Funds will also support the Hôtel Dieu museum project, delayed by the pandemic. 2021 auction with 362 lots, succeed an average lot price of €34,980, compared to 2020. The average increase in the auction price per white cuvée was 115% and for the reds by 56%
Francois Poher, Director and Chairman of the Board of Hospices Civils de Beaune, said: “We are proud to have contributed to raising awareness about women’s rights and their entitlement to healthcare and equality. The result of the sales exceeded our expectations. We have a great responsibility to build a new safe and exemplary hospital.”
“It has been an absolute honour and pleasure for us to work with the Hospices de Beaune, an institute that has been marking wine and providing care for their community for hundreds of years. We are delighted the funds are going to such great causes and look forward to hosting the next auction on the third Sunday in November next year.” (Mario Tavella, President, Sotheby’s France, Chairman, Sotheby’s Europe)
Hospices Civils de Beaune
The history of the Hospices Civils de Beaune began in 1443 with the desire of Nicolas Rolin and Guigone de Salins to build a hospital: the Hôtel-Dieu. The founders have done work of charity and act of patronage, thus establishing a tradition which has enabled the Hospices de Beaune to go through history in exceptional conditions.
The unique part of this hospital institution lies in the importance and the nature of its heritage consisting on the one hand of a historical monument, the 15th century Hôtel-Dieu, which no longer welcomes patients or elderly residents. since the early 1980s; on the other hand, a prestigious wine estate of 60 hectares of the best appellations of Bourgogne. All these vines come from bequests and donations, and their production is auctioned each year on the 3rd Sunday of November, as part of the most famous charity sale in the world. Through its heritage, this hospital institution plays a leading role in the two major activities of Beaune and its region: tourism and wine.
About Vert de Vin Magazine:
10 years ago, on November 14, 2011, Vertdevin was born. At the beginning it started as a personal adventure, a simple blog, with the desire to go and meet the wine estates and the wine growers of the world. Today I am proud to have made this project grow and to be surrounded by a great team, young, dynamic and above all passionate. Vertdevin has gradually became a periodical publication containing articles and illustrations, a bilingual website (French & English) as well as a catalogue of wine tastings notes for wine lovers and professionals (Wine selection by Vertdevin). Many other projects are yet to add in months and upcoming years. Achievement, accomplishment is our goal. Currently hundreds of interviews as well as several thousand tasting comments are available on the website (www.vertdevin.com), mainly wines & spirits from France, Italy, United states, Austria, Portugal. We would like to thank all those who trust us and who support us on a daily basis, our readers, wine growers, our media partners, exhibitors, advertisers and communication agencies etc. And for those who have not yet acquainted with Vertdevin we invite you to discover our Presskit –> https://bit.ly/3HqQ9gL