Results of the 165th Hospices de Beaune Wine Auction: 3rd-Highest Total

Cédric Klapish, Alice Taglioni, Martin Solveig and Vincent Lacoste with Sotheby’s auctioneer, Aurélie Vandevoorde, during the sale of the Presidents’ Barrel © Micha Patault / Sotheby's

Sunday 16 November 2025, at the historic Hospices de Beaune charity wine auction in Burgundy, record levels of global participation drove the final total to €18,754,670 / ,496,368 (an aggregate of €20,223,043 / ,509,670) – the third highest in the auction’s history.*

The centrepiece of the auction was a unique barrel of Pommard Premier Cru Les Rugiens, selected as this year’s Pièce des Présidents (Presidents’ Barrel) and generously donated by the Hospices Civils de Beaune to raise funds for two charities of its choosing.

Cédric Klapisch, Vincent Lacoste, Alice Taglioni and Martin Solveig – luminaries from France’s film and music industries and ambassadors for the EHCO association and the Robert-Debré Children’s Brain Institute** – joined Sotheby’s auctioneer Aurélie Vandevoorde to spur bidding among the 700 attendees in the Halle de Beaune, delighting the crowd with humour and heartfelt encouragement.

When the final hammer came down some twenty minutes later, the price had reached €400,000 - an auction record for a 228 litre Premier Cru Pièce des Présidents.***

Even before the 552-lot sale began, appreciation for the wines of the Hospices de Beaune – produced under the expert direction of estate manager Ludivine Griveau and her team – was evident, with a record number of registered participants by Sotheby’s at the Hospices de Beaune.

The strong demand was reflected in an average hammer price per barrel of red and white wines of €33,930, representing a 4.6% increase on 2024 and marking the fifth consecutive year in which the average price per barrel has exceeded €30,000.

Also leading the results were two barrels of Bâtard-Montrachet Grand Cru, Cuvée Dames de Flandres, which sold for €400,000 each, establishing - for the second consecutive year - a record price for a barrel of this exceptional white Grand Cru cuvée.

Following the presentation of the estate’s first fully certified organic wines at last year’s sale, this year’s auction was equally momentous, marked by the introduction of a 52nd cuvée – Clos de Vougeot Grand Cru, Cuvée François Faiveley – made possible through an exceptional donation from Domaine Faiveley, located within the Clos de Vougeot Grand Cru appellation. The two barrels sold for €165,000 and €170,000.

In total :

428 barrels of 34 red wines
111 barrels (including two half-barrels) of 18 white wines
11 barrels of eaux-de-vie
and the Presidents’ Barrel

were offered.

Separate from the Presidents’ Barrel - and as per tradition - proceeds from the auction support the Hospices Civils de Beaune’s hospital programme. Funds raised from the 165th sale will contribute to the hospital’s major investment initiatives to modernise its facilities, including the ongoing construction of a new 15,000 m² hospital building to replace the first modern-era structure of the Hospices, dating from 1971; and the rebuilding of the hospital in Seurre.

Summary of the Key Facts and Figures

Aggregate total: €20,223,043
Hammer total: €18,754,670
Hammer total excluding the Presidents’ Barrel: €18,354,670
Average price per barrel for the red and white wines: €33,930 (excluding eaux-de-vie and the Presidents’ Barrel) - an increase of 4.6% on 2024
- Average price per barrel for the reds: €27,480
- Average price per barrel for the whites: €58,580
- Average price per barrel for the Grands Crus: €86,290 o Average price per barrel for the Premiers Crus: €23,180

Cuvée auction records included: Bâtard-Montrachet Grand Cru, Cuvée Dames de Flandres at €400,000; Corton Charlemagne Grand Cru, Cuvée François de Salins at €155,000; Beaune Blanc Premier Cru Clos des Mouches, Cuvée Hugues et Louis Bétault at €60,000
24 events showcasing Hospices de Beaune wines held around the world, in 17 locations. Including six new destinations: Abu Dhabi, Bangkok, Copenhagen, Jakarta, Madrid and São Paulo
Duration of sale: six and a half hours (presided over by Aurélie Vandevoorde and Pierre Mothes, who have had the privilege of supporting the Hospices de Beaune for the past five years)

Source: BIVB