On November 19th, the auction of the Hospices de Beaune Estate took place. This edition marked the second-largest sale in history after 2022, raising a total of 23.3 million euros. In addition to this amount, there was the Charity Barrel, a Mazis-Chambertin Grand Cru, auctioned for 350,000 euros.
Derived from an exceptional bicentennial oak, the barrel of the Pièce de Charité 2023 will find its counterpart in the spire of Notre Dame. A historic and unique opportunity to bring together the entire wood industry with Bernard d’Harcourt from the Vibraye forest, cooper Olivier Barraud, and Antoine de Thoury from the Cadus Cooperage. They were delighted to join forces with Ludivine Griveau, the manager of the Hospices de Beaune Estate, to support research for “Aging Well”, the chosen cause for this year.
The Charity Barrel: uniting the wood Industry
After the emotion of the Notre-Dame fire on the night of April 15-16, 2019, the d’Harcourt family took action by donating ten prestigious trees for the restoration of the nave and spire of Notre-Dame Cathedral. Among these 220-year-old trees from the Vibraye forest, felled during the waning moon in March 2021, one measured 19 meters, while the builders of Notre-Dame only needed 15.5 meters. Bernard then decided to donate it to the Hospices de Beaune for the Charity Wine.
The splitting of this bicentennial oak was entrusted to Barraud Merranderie a small artisan in Charente celebrating its 40th year in the cooperage trade this year. Mr. Barraud, the manager, represents the fourth generation of this family business specializing in wood transformation.
The crafting of the barrel took place in the heart of Burgundy at the Cadus Cooperage. With one foot in the forests and one foot in the vineyards, the cooperage is at the crossroads of an entire industry. Beyond championing traditional French craftsmanship, Cadus Cooperage had the opportunity to work with these unique staves, a living material that, much like the grapevine, is tamed with precision and expertise.
The “Pièce des Présidents”
For this 163rd auction, the Mazis-Chambertin Grand Cru appellation was selected by Ludivine Griveau for the “Pièce des Présidents”. It was sold to benefit the Foundation for Medical Research (FRM) and the Initiative for Research on Longevity in Good Health (IRLB) association.
The 2023 Vintage from the Hospices de Beaune
Ludivine Griveau is proud of the 753 barrels spread across the 52 cuvées on the 60 hectares of the Hospices de Beaune Estate vineyard. The 2023 vintage, generous and even very generous, is described as “heterogeneous and surprising” in Ludivine’s words. With her teams, they made the drastic choice to keep only the caviar! A quality-oriented decision for this 163rd sale that soared to reach 23.3 million euros.
GF Vibraye, Tonnellerie Cadus et Merranderie Barraud
November 2023
