154Th HOSPICES DE BEAUNE WINE AUCTION 16Th
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154th HOSPICES DE BEAUNE WINE AUCTION 16 th NOVEMBER 2014 THE 2014 BURGUNDY VINTAGE As seen by Roland Masse, vineyard-manager and wine-maker Domaine des Hospices de Beaune 2014: The year of the great terroirs and their fine wines: elegance and breeding The grands crus of Montrachet, Corton and the Côte de Nuits were spared by the hailstorm between Meursault and Beaune on 28th June. Overall production is of course affected by these losses in certain villages of the Côte de Beaune but, for the wines from these prestigious terroirs, both Pinot Noir and Chardonnay varieties are models of fine Burgundy wines. The white wines harvested mid-September in ideal weather conditions are high class, with precision and great freshness. The beginning of their ageing seems promising for their future. The red grands crus are of a very good level, with lovely bright colour, fine tannins, creamy harmony and balance, length and complexity in their elegance. The premiers crus, less revealing in terms of their keeping potential, are just as elegant and noble. This 2014 vintage, despite its chaotic weather, is going to show itself to be of a very good quality level. 2 INTRODUCTION TO THE 2014 BURGUNDY VINTAGE By Anthony Hanson, Master of Wine, Senior Consultant, Christie’s international Wine Department Joy and despair – a roller-coaster summer, then finally: Joy ! After two small harvests in 2013 and 2012, the generous appearance of infant grapes in Spring 2014, followed by a rapid and successful flowering of the vines, lifted Burgundian hearts. Then a devastating hail-storm cruelly dashed the hopes of many on the central Côte de Beaune. Thanks to the early flowering, with June’s sunshine, those vineyards not affected by hail looked magnificent. However, a proper summer never arrived. By the middle of August, growers were standing at the edge of a precipice: grey rot could start to spread if rain persisted and the sun stayed hidden, however, the balance tipped again. Superbly sunny, dry weather set in for the 12 days prior to the Hospices harvest, which began on 10th September. The sunshine then lasted throughout the picking – exactly what was needed to complete the ripening of the grapes, which were in excellent health. A classic Burgundy vintage Tasting the grape-juice and the first-to-finish wines, Roland Masse, the Hospices vineyard-manager and wine maker, said: “The fermentations of the whites are proceeding well, and we will have two styles. For Pouilly-Fuissé and Saint-Romain, where yields are normal, the wines show finesse and good acidity, with elegance. For the small productions of Meursault and Corton-Charlemagne, the wines are fleshy, and well rounded, with excellent fruit and lively structure. Amongst the reds, the three Savigny wines, Santenay, and Auxey-Duresses are full of fruitiness, with fine balance of acidity and agreeable tannins. Results are more mixed for our Beaunes (depending on hail impact) but we took the greatest care with all vinifications. The Volnays are superb – fleshy and harmonious. It is too early to compare our 5 Pommard Cuvées, but yields are small, and the wines well concentrated. The Cortons are absolutely magnificent. From the Côte de Nuits, it is a superb vintage for all three Grands Crus. We feel confident that tasters will be thrilled to discover the many diversities in this classic Burgundy vintage.” The 2014 vintage, and the 154th wine sale Because of hail damage on 28th June, several Cuvées from Beaune, Pommard, Volnay and Meursault produced half, or less, of a normal crop. A welcome compensation is the arrival of a new Cuvée of white 1st Growth Beaune, named Cuvée Suzanne et Raymond. This comes from a plot of land which is well-suited to white wine production. It was previously planted with Pinots Noirs whose grapes went into Beaune Cuvée Cyrot-Chaudron. The new wine bears the Christian names of the two generous benefactors, the Cyrot-Chaudron couple, who originally donated this vineyard in 1979. In total in 2014, there will be 47 different Cuvées in the sale: 33 red wines and 14 whites. 534 barrels are being offered, 417 being red and 117 being white. 3 Today, 88% of the Hospices Domaine are Premiers Crus and Grands Crus, which is an exceptionally high proportion, and one of the reasons – along with low yields, due to careful pruning – why so many, superb Cuvées are available. Having watched beautifully healthy grapes coming into the winery, seen the thickness of their skins, the many tiny berries being meticulously sorted and the care with which they were handled, I confidently believe there will be great wines for laying down, and others – both red and white – for more immediate drinking. 4 THE PRESIDENTS OF THE 2014 WINE SALE AND THEIR CHARITIES Since 1945, every year the Hospices de Beaune have lent their support to one or more charities by donating the proceeds from one barrel of wine, called a pièce in Burgundy, sold especially for that purpose – the "Pièce du Président". For this 154th Sale the "Pièce du Président" will be a 228 liters barrel of Corton-Bressandes Grand Cru: Cuvée des Présidents. Engraved by Pierre Toillon, Meilleur Ouvrier de France – Master Cooper STORY OF THE CUVEE This unique Cuvée results from the separate vinification of carefully selected grapes coming solely from the vineyard Corton-Bressandes Grand Cru. The reputation of this famous hillside for producing one of Burgundy’s richest, most perfumed, most harmonious and long-lived Grand Cru red wines is long established. One barrel of exceptional Corton- Bressandes has been chosen, coming from the other Corton Cuvées, which is ageing in a specially-commissioned oak barrel of the highest quality. 5 THE HOSPICES DE BEAUNE, SINCE 1443 1443 At a time of misery and famine, Nicolas Rolin, chancellor to Philippe Le Bon, Duke of Burgundy, and his wife, Guigone de Salins, establish the Hotel-Dieu (Hospital) to take care of the ill and poor. Since its foundation, the Hospital has been funded by legacies and gifts in the form of money, land, buildings and –naturally in Burgundy– vineyards. 1457 The first gift of vineyards is made by Guillemette Leverrier: “Beaune, lieu dit Beaumont-le-Franc”. Two years later Jean Plampays and his wife donate further vineyards. Many other such donations will follow over the next centuries until the domain reaches over 60 hectares today. The vineyard production is sold every year, and the proceeds are dedicated to funding the charitable activities of the Hospices. The methods of sale have varied over time, since the private sales in force until the French Revolution. 1859 For the first time, the Hospices wines are sold at auction. 2005 The Hospices de Beaune entrust Christie’s with the organization of the 145th wine auction, thus combining tradition and modernity. The sale is opened up to private people, who, on their own, or combining with friends and family, can buy together and share one or several barrels of wine (called pièces in Burgundy). After the sale, your wine will be tended by a Burgundy négociant-éleveur in whose cellars it will mature until the chosen moment of bottling. 2006 Princess Margarita of Romania and the French actresses Fanny Ardant and Alice Taglioni, guests of honour, encourage bidding for the special barrel “la pièce des Présidents”. The barrel of Beaune Premier Cru Cuvée Dames Hospitalières reaches 200,000 euros, a record in the Hospices’ History. These funds were dedicated to the charities Enfants et Santé and Princess Margarita of Romania. 2007 For the first time, Christie’s LiveTM allows buyers to attend the sale live via Internet and to bid from their personal computer anywhere in the world. 2008 The most remarkable novelty for the 2008 sale was the presence of a new Cuvée, the Pommard- Epenots 1er Cru Cuvée Dom Goblet, which was received with enthusiastic acclaim and reached the highest average price for a Pommard in the sale: 5.750 euros. In 2007 we had already witnessed similar enthusiasm for another new cuvée, the Corton Clos du Roi Grand Cru Cuvée Baronne Du Baÿ. Today, this has properly earned its place amongst the greatest wines of the Hospices de Beaune. 6 2009 2009 was a great vintage for Burgundy wines, both white and red. A large production enabled the Hospices to sell the largest numbers of pièces since 1973 (799 lots). The high quality of the wines and the international demand lead to a 20 percent rise of the average price for a barrel which made the 2009 sale result (5 million euros) the second greatest total, after the famous record of the 2000 Millennium sale. Besides, the Hospices de Beaune had the opportunity to sell for the first time a new cuvée of white wine, a Saint Romain Cuvée Joseph Menault. 2010 For the 150th anniversary, after a scant harvest (producing 643 barrels) the sale total nevertheless reached nearly 5 million euros. Of this, 400,000 euros, a record amount, represented the price paid for la Pièce du Président, a barrel of 500 litres of Beaune Premier - Cru Cuvée Nicolas Rolin, which had been specially designed for the occasion, and was brilliantly auctioned by Fabrice Luchini. A new wine, Santenay - Cuvée Christine Friedberg increasesd the number of the Hospices’ cuvées available for sale, and there was one name change: Corton-Charlemagne Grand Cru - Cuvée Charlotte Dumay became for the first time “Cuvée du Roi Soleil”. The 150th sale was a first-time opportunity to organize several events in China, in order to promote the Hospices de Beaune’s selection to connoisseurs in Beijing, Shanghai and Hong Kong. 2011 The 151th Hospices de Beaune wine auction, the oldest and most prestigious charity wine sale in the world, is to take place at the Halles de Beaune.