The 2024 Hospices de Beaune auction, held on November 17, closed with a turnover of €14.4m (excluding buyer’s premiums), marking a sharp decline from €23.3m in 2023 and less than half of the record €29.8 million achieved in 2022.
The drop in sales was largely driven by Burgundy’s significantly reduced harvest, a result of adverse weather conditions impacting the 2024 vintage. Only 438 full barrels (228 liters each) and three half-barrels were available for auction—a considerable decrease compared to previous years. These were divided across 51 cuvées, including village wines, Premier Crus, and Grands Crus from the 60 hectares of vineyards owned by the Hospices.
Interestingly, the average price per barrel rose slightly to €31,540 (+2.3%), up from €30,839 in 2023. This was driven by an 8% increase in the price of white wines, while red wine prices fell by 5%. The highlight of the auction was three barrels of Dames de Flandres Bâtard-Montrachet Grand Cru, which sold for €355,000 each, setting a new record for this cuvée.
Records in bidders and individual cuvées
The 2024 Hospices de Beaune charity auction set new records not only in sales but also in participation, with an unprecedented 354 bidders compared to 292 last year. According to Sotheby’s, which has managed the auction at the Halles de Beaune for the past four years, 40% of the bidders hailed from the USA, 30% from Asia, and the remainder predominantly from Europe.
A standout moment of the evening was the auction of the prestigious “President’s Barrel.” Proceeds from the sale benefited Médecins Sans Frontières and the Global Gift Foundation of America. The Beaune 1er Cru Les Bressandes, sold with the support of celebrities such as Dominic West, Jean Reno, and Eva Longoria, achieved €360,000—a record for a Premier Cru.
Guillaume Koch, Director and Chairman of the Board of the Hospices Civils de Beaune, expressed pride in the event’s results. He described it as "a reward for all the hard work we put in during the past year, which was a complex one due to the whims of nature and also our first year of ecological production. SP
