Hospices de Beaune 2013
The Hospices de Beaune was founded in 1443 to take care of the sick and the destitute. The annual charity auction is held in the Gothic architecture of Hotel Dieu-de-Beaune.
Lowest in three decades, the 2013 Hospices de Beaune only had 443 barrels for auction, composed of 330 reds and 110 whites. Hail in July destroyed much of the Cotes de Beaune crops.
Following Carla Bruni-Sarkozy, French actress Clotilde Courau was the guest president of this year's auction on Nov 17, 2013. While Carla was France's former first lady, Courau is the Princess de Savoie. Average price per lot went up 27% to EURO 13,000, mainly driven by increased demand vs. reduced supply, a condition expected to be mirrored in the market for this vintage. On the extreme ends are Paul Chanson Corton Vergennes (+85% at EUR 24,000) and Dumay Corton Charlotte (+60% at EUR 16,000). Meursault Genvrieres Premier Cru Cuvee Philippe Le Bon, the Piece de President [the featured charity lot], sold for less than a year ago at EUR 131,000, more than halved a year ago. The buyer was a young Chinese business woman. Despite the smallest volume since 1981, a record of Euro 6.3M was still set (a 7% increase over 2012 which was also a record year). |
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The Rare 2013 Vintage
Hailstorm in July destroyed many vineyards in Cote de Beaune. Careful grape selection was required, resulting in a small lot for Hospices de Beaune auction. The Cote de Nuit on the other hand was not affected, producing red Grand Crus with elegance and ample fruits.
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