Hospices de Nuits, a record that's deceptive?

The 62nd Hospices de Nuits-Saint-Georges wine auction took place at Château of Clos -of- Vougeot .

The 62nd Hospices de Nuits-Saint-Georges Wine Auction took place this Sunday, March 12th at Château of Clos of Vougeot And it lived up to all its promises with a record overall result of €3,603,000 (hammer price), representing a 45% increase compared to the March 2022 sale (2021 vintage). This increase in turnover, however impressive, is not entirely unexpected, since the "generous" 2022 harvest allowed the Hospices de Nuits to offer 160 barrels of wine for sale this year, divided into 19 different cuvées (18 of pinot noir ), compared to… only 109 in 2022 (2021 vintage) and 120 to 130 on average in previous vintages. It is equally interesting to look at an indicator that better reflects market trends: the average price per 228-liter barrel. On this point, sales recorded a… decrease, a slight one, but a decrease nonetheless, of 1.27% to €22,518.75 (hammer price) per barrel. In the current euphoria and faced with the seemingly limitless price increases of Burgundy wines, particularly in prestigious appellations, is this small decrease a first sign of market fatigue, the beginning of a return to reason? Time will tell… Note that the cuvée The most expensive one sold is a Nuits-Saint-Georges 1er cru Les Saint-Georges cuvée Georges Faiveley , at a price of €55,000, compared to €52,000 last year; a rather reasonable increase for a cuvée fantastic.

A CHARITY PIECE TO BENEFIT THE PINK BLOUSES

The "charity play", known as cuvée des Bienfaiteurs, resulting from the blending of the nine Nuits-Saint-Georges Premier Cru red wines of domaine Sold by subscription, the play raised a record €64,580 for Les Blouses Roses, whose mission is to improve the well-being of vulnerable people (children, adults, and the elderly) in hospitals and nursing homes. With the proceeds from the charity play, the association plans to implement two projects for children with disabilities: animal-assisted therapy sessions and music therapy.

Christophe TUPINIER

Rédacteur en chef des dégustations