The 64th Hospices de Nuits-St-Georges Burgundy auction saw a significant surge in bids, with the average price-per-barrel increasing by 41.5% compared to last year’s event, reaching €22,422.50. This figure is close to the all-time record of €22,807 set in 2022. The auction, hosted by iDealwine for the first time, took place on March 9 at the traditional venue, the cellars of Château du Clos de Vougeot.
Focusing on Burgundy’s young 2024 vintage, the auction raised a total of €796,000 from 35.5 barrels, known as ‘pièces.’ Due to the limited quantity of the 2024 harvest, only a small number of barrels were available for this year’s event. The Domaine des Hospices de Nuits-St-Georges, which spans 12.4 hectares, reported its lowest yield since 1961.
In contrast, last year’s auction, which centered on the larger 2023 vintage, saw 150 pièces sold, generating over €2 million in total sales. Cyrille Jomand, CEO of iDealwine and the auctioneer, expressed satisfaction with the outcome, acknowledging the challenges of a smaller harvest: “We are happy and proud of the result following what was a very low quantity vintage.”
A key highlight of the auction was the charity barrel, which contributed to the total of 36.5 barrels sold. This barrel, a white wine from Nuits-St-Georges Premier Cru Les Terres Blanches, raised €53,900. Funds raised from the charity will benefit the Coucou Nous Voilou children’s charity, represented at the auction by French actress Chantal Ladesou and figure skater Philippe Candeloro.
Additionally, a two-bottle case of Nuits-St-Georges Premier Cru from the 1955 and 1959 vintages, donated by Maison Edouard Delaunay, was auctioned off for €2,000 to further support the charity.
Given the limited quantity of the 2024 vintage, the Domaine took the rare step of offering bottles and magnums from the 2005 and 2017 vintages. These wines achieved a total of €60,950 in sales.
Guillaume Koch, director of the Hospices Civils de Beaune, which also oversees the Hospices de Nuits auction, shared his enthusiasm for the results: “We are delighted with the auction result! We had hoped for a small rise in the pièce prices, and we had a wonderful surprise with the records. The sale of bottles and magnums from past vintages allowed a few great wine enthusiasts to indulge.”
The success of the auction reflects the ongoing demand for Burgundy wines, even amid a year of reduced production.
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