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165th Hospices de Beaune Wine Auction: back to the press day

10/09/2025

The 165th Hospices de Beaune Wine Auction, orchestrated by Sotheby’s, the world’s leader in wine and spirits sales, will take place on 16 November under the Halles in the heart of the city of Beaune.

In the run-up to the event, the Hospices de Beaune invited the press on Thursday 4 September 2025 for an immersive day at the heart of their exceptional vineyard, in particular their Beaune Premier Cru Climats, which were inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List in 2015. The occasion also provided the Hospices Civils de Beaune with the opportunity to present their recent projects and investments, made possible thanks to the results of the auctions.

Mr Alain Suguenot, Mayor of Beaune and Chairman of the Supervisory Board of the Hospices Civils de Beaune, opened the day by underlining the importance of the Wine Auction for the region, the hospital, and its mission of solidarity. This year’s edition also offers the Hospices de Beaune the opportunity to highlight a cause, with a special focus on disability and smart technologies.

Guillaume Koch, Director and Chairman of the Management Board of the Hospices Civils de Beaune: 

"The Hospices de Beaune estate extends across 60 hectares divided into nearly 120 parcels, from Chablis in the north to Pouilly in the far south of Burgundy. This exceptional vineyard heritage is a worthy representative of the Climats of Burgundy, listed as UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage, which this year celebrates its 10th anniversary.
Each year the estate’s production enables the release of several cuvées, including a new one this year: Clos de Vougeot Grand Cru, Cuvée François Faiveley.
This gift of four ouvrées of vines from Maison Faiveley bears witness to a story always in motion at the Hospices de Beaune, whose heritage has been built up over the centuries thanks to generous donations.
The proceeds of this sale will fund numerous investments, including:
• The new 15,000 m² hospital building, whose foundation stone was laid this summer in the presence of Madame Catherine Vautrin, French Minister of Labour, Health, Solidarity and Families, which will replace the building constructed in 1971. This project represents a budget of €86 million, of which €12 million comes from the State.
• A multifunctional surgical robot, representing an investment of €2 million and several hundred thousand euros annually for its operation. Delivered and installed a few weeks ago, the robot will be used on its first patient in September. This cutting-edge equipment is invaluable and enables us to maintain our territorial and medical attractiveness.
Finally, we continue the reconstruction project of the local hospital in Seurre.”

This 165th Hospices de Beaune Wine Auction will be illustrated by a work by artist Mode2, Artistic Director of this year’s “Imaginaire Kréatif” at the Hôtel-Dieu.

Marie-Anne Ginoux, Managing Director Sotheby’s France:

“It is always an honour and a source of pride for Sotheby’s to organise the Hospices de Beaune Wine Auction. This responsibility commits us to being fully dedicated to making this historic charity sale a success, by devoting our expertise to the Hospices de Beaune throughout the year.
For the past five years, we have been successfully working to increase the renown and influence of the Hospices de Beaune wines both in France and internationally; not only with our clients but also with wine lovers across the world, by organising events and tastings to meet future buyers. This year, six new cities have been added to the programme – Abu Dhabi, Bangkok, Copenhagen, Jakarta, Madrid and São Paulo – all orchestrated by Sotheby’s Wine Department, which has never been more global, with more than 30 specialists and, most recently, the arrival of a Japanese specialist based in Tokyo.
As we approach the 2025 edition, which sees the introduction of a 52nd cuvée, we are already witnessing a higher number of registrations than in previous years, with international collectors – from Brazil, Mexico and Taiwan, destinations we specifically targeted last year – planning to make the journey in November to attend the sale.”

Ludivine Griveau, Vineyard Manager of the Hospices de Beaune estate:

10 Years of Burgundy’s Climats on the UNESCO World Heritage List
"To mark the 10th anniversary of the inscription of Burgundy’s vineyard Climats as UNESCO World Heritage, we chose to dedicate our press day to this unique territorial anchorage.
Historically based in the heart of Beaune, our estate benefits from a vineyard predominantly located in the Côte de Beaune. The Beaune appellation is predominant with around 21 hectares. Of Beaune’s 42 climats, 15 belong to the Hospices estate, a testament to the richness and diversity of this exceptional terroir.
To illustrate this mosaic, we chose to highlight three emblematic Beaune Premier Cru climats: Les Cents Vignes, Les Bressandes and Les Grèves. Each, in its own way, embodies the plurality of soils, exposures and aromatic expressions that define the singularity of Beaune wines.”

Vintage 2025: Between Contrasts and Promises
“The 2025 vintage was shaped under the sign of climatic diversity:
• Spring: marked by typical sunshine and rainfall, it led to early budburst, heralding a modest harvest.
• Flowering: disrupted by wind, rain and cool temperatures, which generated millerandage, producing small, concentrated berries.
• Summer: bright and healthy, it allowed for a reduction in treatments – only 11 compared with 17 in 2024.
• Véraison: from 20 to 27 July (compared with 8 August in 2024), confirming the early character of this vintage.
A controlled climate, a mosaic of terroirs and precision work: all factors that shape a 2025 with a strong identity.”

Harvest 2025 : a Singular and Promising Crop
“This year the harvest began with Chardonnay, picked from 22 August, followed by Pinot Noir from 25 August. The harvest lasted 16 to 17 days in total, compared with an average of 12 in previous years.

This campaign stands out for its unprecedented rhythm, marked by a six-day pause, directly linked to disparities in ripeness and rainfall across parcels. As always, the harvest dates were determined by a combination of decisive criteria: the health of the grapes, weather conditions and ripeness levels, with the constant aim of producing great wines.

At present, 5 hectares remain to be harvested, across Monthelie, Pernand-Vergelesses, Saint-Romain and Clos de la Roche. This gradual approach, guided by parcel-by-parcel precision, has proved the right choice in the face of the climatic heterogeneity of this vintage, where rainfall had highly variable diluting effects depending on the area.

The year 2025 is therefore shaping up to be promising, while resembling no other.

• Chardonnay: a real favourite, with magnificent lees and fermentations currently unfolding perfectly.
• Pinot Noir: more contrasted ripeness, but with high potential in colour and tannins to be refined, auguring fleshy, supple and voluptuous wines.

Racking is scheduled in around three weeks, and the number of barrels should return to a more normal level, after an atypical 2024.”

Press contact:
estelle.bidault@ch-beaune.fr / 06 73 91 77 79
communication@ch-beaune.fr / 03 80 24 45 30