The Hospices Civils de Beaune, in partnership with Sotheby’s, the global leader in wine and spirits auctions, will hold the 164th wine auction on Sunday, November 17, 2024.
On this occasion, the charity lot, known as the “Pièce des Présidents,” a Beaune 1er Cru les Bressandes, will be auctioned to support the One Health cause, “One Health,” which is backed by the Global Gift Foundation (GGF) and Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF). Both organizations will receive the proceeds from this lot and will be represented on November 17 by Dominic West and Zabou Breitman, as well as Eva Longoria and Jean Reno.
Marie-Anne Ginoux, Managing Director, Sotheby’s France
“We are pleased to have worked for four years with the extraordinary team at the Hospices de Beaune. This is an institution and a cause we are honored to support with all our resources, dedication, and energy. We have strived to introduce and expand the audience for these unique wines, showcasing them in prestigious cities such as Seoul, Dubai, Monaco, Taichung, and Fort Lauderdale. Interest in Burgundy remains stronger than ever, as demonstrated by the growing appreciation of Hospices de Beaune wines worldwide.”
Marie-Catherine Moraillon, Director of Financial Affairs and Vineyards, Hospices Civils de Beaune
In 1443, at the end of the Hundred Years’ War, during a time of poverty and famine, Nicolas Rolin, Chancellor to the Duke of Burgundy, Philippe the Good, and his wife Guigone de Salins, founded the Hôtel-Dieu de Beaune to assist the “poor and sick.” They are the founders and first benefactors of the Hospices. Since then, this hospital has benefited and continues to benefit from an extraordinary tradition of donations in cash, land, buildings, and, naturally, in Burgundy, vineyards.
Today, the Hospices Civils de Beaune is a human-sized institution with 1,000 beds, employing 1,500 people monthly. In 2023, nearly 15,000 hospitalizations were recorded in medicine, surgery, obstetrics, almost 700 births, 90,000 outpatient consultations, and more than 20,000 emergency room visits. In this context, the revenues from the wine auction provide the hospital with funds to modernize its buildings and technical facilities.
The auction also has a strong charitable dimension, supporting associations each year and allowing them to finance numerous projects. For this 164th edition, the One Health cause, “One Health,” is in the spotlight, reflecting the relationship between health and the environment, which is at the heart of our institution’s operation: the wine estate has obtained organic certification at the cellar exit, and the hospital is committed to a Social and Environmental Responsibility approach.
It is in the name of this search for “One Health” that two associations were selected to benefit from the charity lot auction proceeds: Médecins Sans Frontières and the Global Gift Foundation.
Aurélie Dumont, Director of Private Fundraising, Médecins Sans Frontières
Médecins Sans Frontières is an international medical humanitarian organization founded in 1971 by doctors and journalists. For over 50 years, it has provided medical assistance to populations whose health or lives are at risk, whether in cases of armed conflict, epidemics, pandemics, natural disasters, or lack of access to healthcare. MSF operates in more than 70 countries and employed 69,000 people in 2023.
Represented at the auction by actors Dominic West and Zabou Breitman, MSF has chosen to allocate the charity lot funds, based on the One Health theme (a systemic approach to animal, environmental, and human health), to its fight against neglected tropical diseases, debilitating and deadly diseases with complex epidemiology, primarily affecting poor populations in rural tropical areas.
Maria Bravo, President, Global Gift Foundation
The Global Gift Foundation is a non-profit humanitarian organization founded in 2013 by Spanish actress, businesswoman, and philanthropist María Bravo to create a positive impact on the lives of children, women, and families who are vulnerable and/or at risk of social exclusion.
Represented at the auction by actors Eva Longoria and Jean Reno, the Global Gift Foundation has chosen to allocate the funds to Casa Ángeles, a day center located in Marbella, created to improve the quality of life of children with special needs and their families.
Ludivine Griveau, Vineyard Manager, Hospices de Beaune
“Because this vintage is unlike any other, because it will remain (very) long in our memories as winemakers, and because it gave us the opportunity to realize how fragile our knowledge, if not certainties, are, it truly deserves the term ‘experimental.’ In my opinion, it has enriched us with an unprecedented EXPERIENCE on which we can rely in the future.”
An Experimental 2024 Vintage
The 60-hectare estate obtained organic certification after the 2024 harvest. Completing this was a great satisfaction for the whole team. We are proud to present our 51 cuvées, all of which showcase how difficult yet high-quality this vintage has been.
The white wines are clean and pure, with the kind of acidity that great Chardonnay is known for. The red wines are deeply colored, with bright, intense fruit and tannins that can be both full-bodied and round.
A total of 438 barrels and 3 half-barrels will be offered at the 164th Wine Auction of the Hospices de Beaune on November 17, 2024. These consist of 321 barrels of red wine and 117 barrels and 3 half-barrels of white wine.
The Charity Lot, known as the “Pièce des Présidents”: Beaune 1er Cru Les Bressandes
The selection of this wine as the charity lot stems from a deep admiration for its quality potential. From the very first stages of production, everything pointed to it being a great wine. This began in the vineyard, with the production of healthy organic grapes, almost without sorting, concentrated, well-ripened, and therefore particularly high quality for the vintage.
The Beaune 1er Cru appellation represents an important part of the Hospices de Beaune wine estate, with 2.95 hectares, and is traditionally part of four historical Beaune cuvées: Guigone de Salins, Nicolas Rolin, Dames Hospitalières, and Brunet.
This wine is aged in a barrel from Billon cooperage, based in Beaune, made from wood from the Burgundy forest of Bertranges—one of the jewels of the Nivernais region. It ranks among the most prestigious in France. Billon cooperage, a partner of the estate for six years, meets the excellence we aim for. It has firmly established its expertise alongside us, as several of our cuvées are now aged in its barrels.
The wine has a deep ruby color, an intense bouquet of fresh red fruits, and rounded tannins. The texture is silky, and the oak will blend gradually. The two associations, Global Gift Foundation and Médecins Sans Frontières, will thus benefit from what this vintage has given best (and organically), perfectly aligned with the cause of the 164th wine auction: One Health.
About the Hospices Civils de Beaune
The history of the Hospices Civils de Beaune began in 1443, when Nicolas Rolin and Guigone de Salins founded a hospital: the Hôtel-Dieu. The founders performed an act of charity and patronage, thus creating a tradition that has allowed the Hospices de Beaune to endure through history in exceptional conditions. Today, the Hospices Civils de Beaune includes the Beaune hospital, as well as hospitals in Arnay-le-Duc, Seurre, and Nuits-St-Georges. It is the lead institution of the Southern Côte-d’Or Territorial Hospital Group.
This hospital institution is unique in its heritage, which includes a 15th-century historical monument, the Hôtel-Dieu, which has not housed patients or elderly residents since the early 1980s. It also boasts a prestigious 60-hectare wine estate in Beaune, with some of the finest Burgundy appellations. All these vineyards come from bequests and donations, and their production is auctioned each year on the third Sunday of November, in the world’s most famous charity wine auction.
Through this heritage, this hospital plays a major role in the two key activities of Beaune and its region: tourism and wine. The auction, which can include over 500 lots, is the most famous and oldest charity wine sale in the world (dating back to 1859). The proceeds are dedicated to maintaining the heritage and modernizing hospital equipment and buildings. True to its founding values, the Hospices Civils de Beaune supports one or more charitable organizations each year by donating the proceeds from the sale of a lot of wine, known as the “Charity Lot.”
About Sotheby’s Wine
Founded in 1744, Sotheby’s is the global leader in art and luxury. Sotheby’s promotes expertise and the preservation of artworks and rare objects through auctions and immediate purchases, including private sales, an online store, and retail. Our global market is supported by a cutting-edge technological platform and a network of trusted specialists across 40 countries and 70 categories, including contemporary art, modern art, impressionism, old masters, Chinese art, jewelry, watches, wines and spirits, design, as well as collectible cars and real estate. Sotheby’s believes in the transformative power of art and culture and is committed to making our business more inclusive, sustainable, and collaborative.
Sotheby’s Wine’s global auctions reached an outstanding total of $158 million in 2022, marking a 20% increase compared to 2021. Sotheby’s Wine currently holds world records for the most expensive whisky collection ever auctioned, the largest private wine collection sold at public auction, and record prices for both a single bottle of wine and a bottle of spirits.
In addition to auctions, Sotheby’s Wine launched its retail business in 2010. With a store located at Sotheby’s New York headquarters and an online shop at www.sothebyswine.com, Sotheby’s Wine offers a carefully curated selection of wines from the most prestigious producers and important wine regions worldwide. This selection, crafted by our renowned specialists, reflects their long-standing relationships with winemakers around the globe. It includes bottles for immediate consumption as well as sought-after vintages prized by collectors and investors. A second store was opened in the Sotheby’s Hong Kong galleries in 2014.