Hospices de Nuits-St.-Georges Raises Almost $2.5 Million for Charity with Burgundy by the Barrel

The annual charity auction of Côtes de Nuits wines aids in funding medical research and care in Burgundy.

Barrels of the exquisite Burgundy were on offer during the event. Inspired by the successful sale of the previous year, Burgundy’s Domaine des Hospices de Nuits-St.-Georges conducted its 63rd barrel auction on March 10th using a digital, live-streaming format. The charity event raised approximately $2.5 million or €2,281,500 for the medical facility. However, this total number of the overall auction was 36 percent less as compared to 2023, majorly because there were 10 fewer barrels for sale during this year. Nonetheless, this total is the third-best in the auction’s history.

Founded in 1270, the Hospices was originally set up to take care of individuals with leprosy. Currently, it functions as a modern medical facility primarily servicing the elderly. It also possesses an exquisite Burgundian wine estate of 31.4 acres near the town of Nuits-St.-Georges, composed of donated plots in the Nuits-St.-Georges villages, Nuits-St.-Georges premier cru, and Gevrey-Chambertin villages appellations.

Ever since Hospices de Nuits-St.-Georges adopted the classic bidding format, the auction event, despite being less famous than the annual Hospices de Beaune sale, has gained visibility and momentum. The participant demographics have also diversified with an increase in interest from bidders based out of Asia. The auction totals have shown an increase of 123 percent over the period of four years. The previous year, the auction touched a record figure of $3.9 million.

Cuvées are retailed per barrel, equivalent to 288 bottles. The typical buyer places their order through a négociant or another wine dealer, who purchases the entire barrel. However, during the online auction, a private individual or group can buy the full barrel themselves and then liaise with a dealer after winning the bid. Only a merchant in the Burgundy region of production can age and bottle the wines to claim the appellation.

The most recent sale at Château du Clos de Vougeot comprised 150 barrels from 19 cuvées different varieties, with 147 barrels of Pinot Noir and three of Chardonnay being sold. Jean-Marc Moron, the technical manager at Domaine des Hospices de Nuits-St.-Georges, noted that 2023 is an exceptional year in terms of identify, unlike its predecessors, stating that it will please both the impatient and those who are willing to wait for the wines to reach their peak in a decade or two.

The 2023 vintage encountered extraordinary climatic conditions, including unpredictable weather, which put a lot of pressure on the winemakers. However, the harvest period was warm and dry, resulting in a healthy yield.

Hugues Perdrizet was the first to donate vineyards to the Hospices in 1688, where he donated two plots. Last year, the administration made a special cuvée named after him, which was fittingly produced from the estate’s oldest vines. As per Moron, “We’re circling back to the history of the Hospices.” The cuvée, now in its second vintage, is a special selection from the famous Les St.-Georges premier cru climat, which was the original name for the St.-Georges village. One barrel of the cuvée was auctioned and was sold for $65,500, a significant increase from $44,000 the previous year.

“We own two parcels very close to one another, with one-third very old vines and two-thirds vines that are 40 years old,” said Moron. “And from the 60-year-old vines, we make a selection of vines au pied, a separate harvest of about 400 vines, to produce a third cuvée, the Cuvée St.-Georges Hugues Perdrizet, which is a unique barrel, to mark the excellence of our terroir in the appellation.”

Another recent invention, the Cuvée des Bienfaiteurs, was back for its third vintage, as the charity barrel. This year it sold for $74,655, its highest price yet. Every year, in keeping with the ethos of the Hospices, the proceeds from one barrel are given to a humanitarian or medical charity. This year the donation will go to Fondation Clément-Drevon, which provides financial support for young medical researchers’ training costs in Burgundy.

The wine is a unique blend of the estate’s nine premier cru terroirs, expressing the vintage as well as the subtle blend of old and very old vines, northern and southern crus, high and low hillsides. It’s sold differently than the other wines: by the bottle at a fixed price in advance by subscription. It will be aged for one year at the Hospices de Nuits-St.-Georges and then either handed over at next year’s auction or shipped.

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About the Author: Chris Lehoux

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