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News of the vineyard

Restoration of Cîteaux Abbey thanks to the Bourgogne wines

29/03/2022

The Château du Clos de Vougeot and the Fondation du Patrimoine have decided to rally together for a unique event dedicated to the restoration and conservation of the Définitoire of Cîteaux Abbey in Bourgogne. Jewel in the crown of France’s historical heritage, the Abbey, founded in 1098, was the first religious community to be set up by the Cistercian Order.

1. An international wine-auction

“The campaign to restore the Définitoire of Cîteaux Abbey, the room where once a year the abbots of every Cistercian abbey in Europe came together under the authority of the abbot of Cîteaux, highlights for us today the extraordinary influence of the Cistercian Order: an influence which, in the Middle-Ages, covered virtually all Europe under “a white cloak of religious houses”, anticipating, in its way, the European project and ideal of today. But its influence was also temporal, inventing and developing in Burgundy a terroir-based viticulture without precedent or equal, with its precisely delineated Climats producing truly great wines. The Clos de Vougeot is the outstanding emblem and example of this viticulture. We continue to grow and produce wine in the same way today, remaining as loyal as ever to the principles from which it grew. It is a form of viticulture whose unique status was recognised by UNESCO on July 21st 2015 when the Climats were added to the prestigious list of World Heritage Sites. More than simply a conservation project, the restoration of the Définitoire of Cîteaux Abbey serves to showcase and preserve the Exceptional Universal Value of Burgundy itself.” Aubert De Villaine, Honorary President of the Climats du Vignoble de Bourgogne

Thanks to the generosity of the appellation’s growers, a Clos de Vougeot Grand Cru 2020 “Cuvée de l’Abbaye de Citeaux” assembled from wines from twenty-four domains* will be sold at an online auction organized by Sotheby’s. This cuvée, at present being aged within the walls of the vineyard itself, will be bottled in September 2022. In all there are 570 litres (two traditional pièces and a smaller feuillette) to be divided up into 113 lots, together with an additional lot, the nabu, which will be sold during the dinner. Completing the auction, will be a number of exceptional lots of rare burgundies in grand format bottles** direct from the producers’ domains***.

“Seat of the Climats de Bourgogne World Heritage Site, the Château du Clos de Bourgogne was owned and occupied by the monks for more than seven hundred years. It was only natural then to put our savoir-faire at the service of Cîteaux Abbey by conceiving, organizing and hosting this charity auction which will take place in the Great Cistercian Cellar.” Arnaud Orsel, Intendant Général

All the wines included in the auction were donated by the winegrowers with the profits to go to the restoration of the Abbey.

The online auction will begin on April 8th 2022.

Go to: http://www.sothebys.com/vougeotpourciteaux
Bidding will close during the charity dinner on April 23rd between 8.00 pm and 11.00 pm.

2. A charity dinner

On Saturday April 23rd 2022, in the prestigious surroundings of the Château du Clos de Vougeot, a charity dinner will take place in the presence of the Abbot of Cîteaux Dom Pierre-André Burton, Aubert de Villaine, honorary president of the Climats du vignoble de Bourgogne, Guillaume Poitrinal, president of the Fondation du Patrimoine and winegrowers supporting the restoration project. The dinner will be preceded by a tour of Cîteaux Abbey and a wine-tasting featuring the Cuvée de Clos de Vougeot.

The five-course dinner will be prepared the resident chef at the Château du Clos de Vougeot Alexandra Bouvret and her brigade of assistants. Tickets for this charity dinner are available online only and cost 228€ per person (inclusive of tax).

During the dinner, bidding will take place for a very special bottle of Clos de Vougeot Grand Cru 2020 “Cuvée de l’Abbaye de Cîteaux”. The bottle in question is a Nebuchadnezzar, which holds fifteen litres and is the equivalent in capacity to twenty ordinary sized wine bottles. Only participants in the dinner will be able to bid for the lot.

Information and reservations :

www.closdevougeot.fr/fr/visites/21/diner-de-charite-samedi-23-avril-2022

For more information: Karen PATOUILLET – karen@vingt-quatre.fr – 06 29 90 94 93