Hospices de Beaune

The story of the Hospices de Beaune begins in the aftermath of the Hundred Years' War, when much of Burgundy lay devastated by conflict, plague, and famine. In 1443, Nicolas Rolin, Chancellor to Duke Philippe the Good of Burgundy, and his wife Guigone de Salins received permission from Pope Eugene IV to build a hospital and refuge for the poor in the town of Beaune. The Hôtel-Dieu, consecrated on 31 December 1452, welcomed its first patient on 1 January of that year. Designed in the Flamboyant Gothic style and drawing on Flemish architectural traditions, the building became an instant landmark, its polychrome glazed tile roof in geometric patterns now one of the most recognisable images in all of Burgundy. For over five centuries the institution cared continuously for the elderly, sick, orphaned, and destitute. The Hôtel-Dieu functioned as a working hospital until the early 1970s, when a modern facility was built on the outskirts of town. Today the original building houses a museum attracting over 400,000 visitors a year, and its most celebrated treasure is the 15-panel Last Judgment polyptych commissioned by Rolin from the Flemish master Rogier van der Weyden.

• Founded 1443 by Nicolas Rolin and Guigone de Salins; first patient received 1 January 1452.
• Built in Flamboyant Gothic style, likely overseen by Flemish architect Jacques Wiscrère.
• The iconic polychrome glazed tile roof has become a symbol of the Burgundy region.
• Now a museum housing the Rogier van der Weyden Last Judgment polyptych, drawing over 400,000 visitors annually.

The vineyard estate of the Hospices de Beaune was built up entirely through philanthropic donations. The first vineyard gift came in 1457, when Jean Guillotte le Verrier donated a small parcel to the Hôtel-Dieu, setting a tradition that continued for centuries. Grateful patients and benefactors bequeathed their most prized plots in a uniquely Burgundian act of charity. Today the domaine covers approximately 60 hectares across some 120 parcels, including 50 hectares of Pinot Noir and 10 hectares of Chardonnay. An extraordinary 85% of the holdings are classified as Premier Cru or Grand Cru. The heart of the estate lies in the Côte de Beaune, where the Beaune appellation alone accounts for around 20 hectares. Holdings extend into Pommard, Volnay, Meursault, Corton, and beyond. In the Côte de Nuits, the estate holds prestigious parcels in Mazis-Chambertin, Echézeaux, and Clos de la Roche. A small Chablis Premier Cru parcel was added in 2015, and vines in Pouilly-Fuissé have been part of the portfolio since 1994. Each year the estate produces 50 cuvées, and in a tradition dating back to the earliest donations, every cuvée is named after the family or benefactor who donated the original parcels from which it is blended.

• First vineyard donation made in 1457 by Jean Guillotte le Verrier; estate built plot by plot through centuries of charitable gifts.
• 60 hectares, approximately 120 parcels; 85% classified Premier Cru or Grand Cru.
• Primary varieties: Pinot Noir (approximately 50 ha) and Chardonnay (approximately 10 ha).
• Appellations span Côte de Beaune, Côte de Nuits, Chablis, and Pouilly-Fuissé; 50 cuvées named after historic donors.

Each third Sunday of November, Beaune hosts what is both the oldest and the most celebrated charity wine auction in the world. Wines are offered en primeur: the barrels being sold contain the current year's harvest, typically only weeks old and not yet through malolactic fermentation. Buyers bid on individual barrels (called pièces, each holding 228 litres) and are legally required to entrust the ageing and bottling of their purchase to an authorised négociant-éleveur. This means that each bottled Hospices wine carries on its label not only the appellation and cuvée name, but also the name of the merchant house that aged and bottled it. Because prices are inflated by the event's charitable and ceremonial prestige, they are not a direct guide to commercial market values, but they do serve as an early indicator of sentiment towards the new vintage. The auction was opened to private buyers and transformed by Christie's in 2005, and has been conducted by Sotheby's since 2021. In 2022, the 162nd edition set an all-time record by raising over €32 million for 802 barrels, while the 165th edition in November 2025 achieved the third-highest total in history at €18,754,670.

• Wines sold en primeur, just weeks after harvest; buyers appoint a licensed négociant-éleveur to age and bottle.
• Auction opened to private buyers by Christie's in 2005; Sotheby's has conducted the sale since 2021.
• Average hammer price per barrel in 2025 was €33,930, marking the fifth consecutive year the average exceeded €30,000.
• Auction results serve as an early market barometer for Burgundy vintage quality and pricing sentiment.

The auction is the centrepiece of an annual three-day Burgundy festival known as Les Trois Glorieuses. The festivities open on the Saturday evening with a grand black-tie dinner hosted by the Confrérie des Chevaliers du Tastevin at the Château du Clos de Vougeot. The auction takes place on the Sunday afternoon in the historic Halle de Beaune, surrounded by street performances, folk parades, a gastronomic village, and a half-marathon through the vineyards. The weekend closes on Monday with the Paulée de Meursault, a celebrated communal lunch established in 1932 where guests bring their own bottles to share. The most theatrical moment of the auction itself is the Pièce des Présidents, also known as the Pièce de Charité. This special barrel, usually a Grand Cru and not listed in the main catalogue, is the first lot of the evening and is traditionally sold by candlelight, with celebrity auctioneers lending the proceedings extra spectacle. Proceeds from this lot support external charities. In 2025, the Pièce des Présidents was a Pommard Premier Cru Les Rugiens that sold for €400,000, setting an auction record for a Premier Cru Presidents' Barrel.

• Les Trois Glorieuses: Saturday dinner at Clos de Vougeot, Sunday auction in Beaune, Monday Paulée de Meursault.
• The Paulée de Meursault was established in 1932 and typically brings together over 750 guests.
• The Pièce des Présidents is sold by candlelight as the first lot; a special unlisted Grand Cru barrel whose proceeds go to external charities.
• In 2025, the Pièce des Présidents (Pommard Premier Cru Les Rugiens) sold for €400,000, a record for a Premier Cru Presidents' Barrel.

Since 2015, the estate has been managed by Ludivine Griveau, who serves as both vineyard manager and cellar master. Her appointment made history: she became the first woman to hold the title of Chief Winemaker at the Hospices de Beaune in 473 years. In 2019 she was awarded the Chevalier de l'Ordre National du Mérite, one of France's highest honours. Under her stewardship, the entire domaine underwent conversion to organic viticulture, with the process beginning in 2015 and full organic certification achieved for the 2024 vintage. Winemaking is carried out at a dedicated facility built in 1994 on the outskirts of Beaune, rather than in the historic Hôtel-Dieu cellars. After harvest and vinification, wines are placed into new oak barrels just before the November auction. Once purchased, each barrel is handed to the buyer's chosen négociant-éleveur for ageing, typically 12 to 18 months, before bottling. Around two-thirds of cuvées are blends of several parcels; the remainder come from single-plot sites spanning Grand Cru, Premier Cru, and Village appellations.

• Ludivine Griveau appointed Chief Winemaker in 2015, the first woman to hold the role in 473 years.
• Organic conversion began in 2015; full organic certification achieved for the 2024 vintage.
• Wines are vinified at a dedicated modern winery built in 1994, aged in new oak by the purchasing négociant for 12 to 18 months.
• Roughly two-thirds of the 50 cuvées are multi-parcel blends; the rest originate from single-vineyard sites.

Hospices de Beaune wines represent the full spectrum of fine Burgundy, and pairing them requires the same approach as any great Côte d'Or wine. The reds, exclusively from Pinot Noir, range from the silky and perfumed style of Volnay cuvées to the broader-shouldered, more structured character of Pommard and the earthy depth of Mazis-Chambertin or Echézeaux Grand Cru. The Beaune Premier Cru cuvées, such as Nicolas Rolin and Guigone de Salins, display red and dark fruit with earthy, spicy complexity that suits roasted poultry, mushroom-based dishes, and Burgundian classics like boeuf bourguignon. Pommard cuvées, known for firmer tannins and savoury power, handle richer meats, game, and aged hard cheeses. The whites, from Chardonnay, span the mineral tension of Chablis Premier Cru through the rich, ample texture of Meursault Premier Cru Genevrières and the grandeur of Bâtard-Montrachet Grand Cru. Meursault cuvées are exceptional companions to lobster, roast chicken with cream sauce, scallops, and rich fish preparations; while the Bâtard-Montrachet demands the finest ingredients, from turbot to Burgundian pike quenelles. Across all styles, the connection to Burgundian gastronomy is inseparable: these wines were born in a region where food and wine have been inseparable for six centuries.

• Volnay cuvées: delicate, perfumed Pinot Noir; pair with duck breast, quail, mushroom risotto, or light charcuterie.
• Beaune and Pommard Premier Cru reds: earthy, structured; suited to boeuf bourguignon, roast lamb, rabbit with mustard, and Époisses cheese.
• Grand Cru reds (Mazis-Chambertin, Echézeaux): complex and cellar-worthy; best alongside game, hare, venison, or aged Comté.
• Meursault Premier Cru whites: full-textured Chardonnay; ideal with lobster bisque, roast chicken with cream, scallops, and freshwater fish.
• Bâtard-Montrachet Grand Cru: opulent white of great concentration; pairs with turbot, pike quenelles, foie gras terrine, and rich gratins.