The 64th Hospices de Nuits-Saint-Georges Auction

The 64th Hospices de Nuits-Saint-Georges Wine Auction takes place on Sunday 9th March 2025 at Château du Clos de Vougeot.

For the first time, iDealwine has organised the auction. The wines from the 2024 vintage have turned out to be of high quality. There’s just one problem – there’s not much of it due to low yields. To add an additional reason to take part in the auction of what will be rare wines, bottles from older vintages will also be going under the hammer on the day.

– A new auctioneer at the helm

The directors of the Hospices de Nuits-Saint-Georges have chosen a new auctioneer to organise their annual auction during which the estate’s wines are sold. Bringing down the hammer in 2025 will be iDealwine. The auction will be led by Cyrille Jomand, CEO of iDealwine, accompanied by Alexandre Giquello, IWA’s partner auctioneer.

“It’s an honour for iDealwine to organise the auction and the whole team enthusiastically jumped into the project. What better way to celebrate our 25th anniversary than to help reveal “Burgundy’s best kept secret” to the world?” 

Cyrille Jomand, CEO of iDealwine and certified auctioneer

– A quality vintage that’ll be rare

The 64th edition of this auction is dedicated to the 2024 vintage, a superb year with wines typical of the Burgundian style – balanced and full of finesse bringing together great purity, freshness, intense fruitiness and a beautiful silkiness. The vintage will go down in history due to the low amount of grapes harvested. The average yield across the estate was 9.5hl/ha whereas this figure is normally around 30hl/ha. Only 36.5 pièces – or barrels – were produced, filled with 15 different wines, all of which are begin put up for auction. A pièce holds 228 litres of wine, which is equivalent to about 288 bottles.

– Bottles from older vintages auctioned for the first time

To compensate for the small number of barrels up for auction this years, 240 bottles and 120 magnums of different wines produced by the Domaine des Hospices de Nuits-Saint-Georges will also be auctioned for the first time. Coming from vintages from 2005 to 2017, the wines will be split into lots of 1, 2, 3 or 6 bottles.

A STORY DATING BACK TO 1270

The history of the Hospices de Nuits-Saint-Georges dates back to 1270 when the leper house opened. During this time, the reign of Saint-Louis was coming to an end and the Capetian House of Burgundy – the youngest line at the time, represented by Robert II – was prospering. Nearly two centuries later, in 1443, the famous neighbouring hospital, the Hospices de Beaune, came into being.

Destroyed during the Wars of Religion, the hospital in Nuits-Saint-Georges was abandoned for several centuries. At the end of the 17th century, it once again began caring for the sick in a new, more spacious location. Under the management of the chaplain Antide Midan, the Saint-Laurent room was built and furnished with 10 beds in 1692. The neighbouring leper houses gradually became part of the hospital. Financial autonomy of the establishment is ensured, thanks to the donations of vines which gradually led to the creation of a vineyard estate attached to the hospital.

…AND IT CONTINUES TO THIS DAY

The Hospices de Nuits-Saint-Georges is a fully operational, public health institution, which was taken over by the Hospices Civils de Beaune in 2016. In 2018, the Saint-Laurent hospital, a new care building with a modern welcome area, opened its doors. It’s adapted to caring for and supporting elderly people. It can treat 80 people at any one time. These new, better equipped buildings were partly financed by funds raised from the winemaking business. The historic buildings and their historically listed parts can still be seen in the centre of the town of Nuits-Saint-Georges.

The main focus of the Nuits-Saint-Georges hospital is care and support of the elderly and palliative care, but the hospital offers classic healthcare too.

A HIGH – QUALITY WINE ESTATE BELONGING TO THE HOSPITAL

The hospital/winemaking estate has been prospering for many years thanks to the donations and bequests of vines from local families dating back to 1633. The names of the different wines pay homage to the generous donors and the people who had a significant impact on the Hospices de Nuits.

The wine estate is part of the hospital, and its profits are given to the hospital every year. Jean-Marc Moron, the director of the estate, looks after the 12.4 hectares of vines with the help of four winemakers and a seasonal support team who are on hand from spring until harvest.

Sustainable winegrowing methods are employed in the vineyards. No insecticide has been used in the past 20 years and herbicide was last used 15 years ago as the team prefers to work the soils regularly. Harvests are conducted by hand and the grapes are sorted both at the vine and on the sorting table. The grapes are completely destemmed before vinification. Pre-fermentation maceration lasts a few days before alcoholic fermentation is started naturally by ambient yeasts. Daily punching down or pumping over take place during this time. A pneumatic press gently releases the juice from the grapes. The start of maturation takes place in new French oak barrels (which come from three coopers).

The estate´s vineyard is mainly made up of plots, found around Nuits-Saint-Georges, which includes eight Villages appellation and nine premier crus. 19 different vintages are produced if conditions allow, reflecting the diversity of the terroirs of the appellation. One of them is a plot called Les Didiers which is solely owned by the Hospice de Nuit, and one rare white Nuits-Saint-Georges plot – Premier Cru Les Terres Blanches – completes the production.

THE HOSPICES DE NUITS-SAINT-GEORGES AUCTION , THE ESTATE’ S ONLY INCOME

2025 marks the 64th Hospices de Nuits-Saint-Georges auction. Each year, a pièce from the new vintage is auctioned to raise funds for another humanitarian or medical association. It’s known as the charity pièce – or the pièce de charité in French. This tradition is continued to honour the generosity of those who donated vines to the estate.

Apart from the money raised through the sale of the charity barrel, the entire profit from the auction goes to the Hospices de Nuits Saint-Georges as well as the other parts of the Hospices Civils de Beaune to continue making the wine and caring for the patients. The sums raised provide invaluable support for investment in the hospital aimed at improving patient care.

The amount of wine produced in 2024 is historically low. 15 different wines are being put up for auction, nine of which are from premier cru Nuits-Saint-Georges plots (including one white), four from Village appellations and one from a Gevrey-Chambertin Village plot.

36 pièces and one feuillette (a 114-litre barrel) from the 2024 vintage will be going under the hammer. This figure includes the charity pièce.

THE 2024 VINTAGE AT DOMAINE DES HOSPICES DE NUITS-SAINT-GEORGE

A DESCRIPTION BY JEAN-MARC MORON, DIECTOR OF THE HOSPICES DE NUITS

THREE WORDS TO SUMMARISE THE VINTAGE ?

Rare: An average of 9.5hl/ha was harvested (compared with an average of 30hl/ha in other years

Purity: A pure representation of the varieties from their terroirs.

Classic: The wines are delicate and balanced, the essence of the Burgundian style.

THE WINES: FRESHAND BALANCED

“The musts offer excellent balance, creating classic wine in all the right meanings of the word.” The vintage is a wonderful example of the Burgundian style, adorned with a beautiful freshness, intense fruit and a silky palate. Contrasting with hot years such as 2020 and 2018, 2024 reconnects with the delicate nature of the wine, while still creating bottles with promising ageing potential.

A WINE MAKER’S YEAR

The immense knowledge and many years of experience of Jean-Marc Moron, who has worked at the estate since 1990, were vital during 2024, which was the director’s 34th vintage.

The weather during the year really put winemakers to the test. “The rainy weather started in October 2023, and we were pleased to see it after two years of drought. We were over the moon to see the water table filling up … but the only worry was that once it had started raining, it didn’t seem to want to stop.” Throughout the year, the vines were subjected to significant mildew outbreaks.

These weather conditions resulted in low yields, especially in Nuits-Saint-Georges.

“There needed to be a small number of grapes on the vine for them to ripen. There’s a saying which says when we see lots of grapes, there’ll be a larger harvest than predicted and when we see very few grapes, we’ll always harvest little. And it was exactly that last year.”

HARVEST: A BEAUTIFUL SEPTEMBER AND TINY YIELDS

While the year saw inclement weather, the period just before harvest turned out much better, contributing to the quality of the small yield. About ten days of wind from the north, which helps the grapes ripen, were followed by warm, sunny weather. “In 2024, the best weather occurred during the final two weeks before harvest. We often say that September makes the harvest.” Harvest started on 19 September 2024 with high quality grapes that were healthy and ripe collected. The grapes didn’t need to be sorted very much in the vineyard or on the sorting table. In the end, the 2024 harvest only had one problem – the amount harvested. Every indicator points towards delicious wines but they’ll be highly rare.

THE PIÉCE FROM 2024 VINTAGE

PIÉCE LOTS FROM THE 2024 VINTAGE – 36.5 PIÈCES, 15 DIFFERENT WINES

Vins rouges / Red wines

• Gevrey-Chambertin Les Champs-Chenys, Cuvée Irène Noblet
• Nuits-Saint-Georges Les Maladières – Les Brûlées, Cuvée Grangier
• Nuits-Saint-Georges Les Fleurières – Les Plantes au Baron, Cuvée des Soeurs Hospitalières
• Nuits-Saint-Georges Les Lavières – Les Bas de Combe, Cuvée Guillaume Labye
• Nuits-Saint-Georges Les Saint-Julien – Les Plateaux, Cuvée Claude Poyen
• Nuits-Saint-Georges 1er cru Les Vignerondes, Cuvée Bernarde Delesclache
• Nuits-Saint-Georges 1er cru Les Terres Blanches, Cuvée Saint-Bernard de Cîteaux
• Nuits-Saint-Georges 1er cru Les Rues de Chaux, Cuvée Camille Rodier
• Nuits-Saint-Georges 1er cru Les Porrets-Saint-Georges, Cuvée Antide Midan
• Nuits-Saint-Georges 1er cru Les Boudots, Cuvée Mesny de Boisseaux
• Nuits-Saint-Georges 1er cru Les Murgers, Cuvée Guyard de Changey
• Nuits-Saint-Georges 1er cru Les Corvées Pagets, Cuvée Saint-Laurent
• Nuits-Saint-Georges 1er cru Les Didiers, Cuvée Jacques Duret
• Nuits-Saint-Georges 1er cru Les Saint-Georges, Cuvée des Sires de Vergy

Vin blanc / White wine

• Nuits-Saint-Georges 1er cru Les Terres Blanches, Cuvée Pierre de Pême

– Archived bottles up for auction

• 2017 Nuits-Saint-Georges Premier Cru Les Didiers, Cuvée Cabet
• 2013 Nuits-Saint-Georges Premier Cru Les Didiers, Cuvée Cabet
• 2016 Nuits-Saint-Georges Premier Cru Les Didiers, Cuvée Jacques Duret
• 2015 Nuits-Saint-Georges Premier Cru Les Didiers, Cuvée Jacques Duret
• 2014 Nuits-Saint-Georges Premier Cru Les Didiers, Cuvée Fagon
• 2008 Nuits-Saint-Georges Premier Cru Les Didiers, Cuvée Fagon
• 2012 Nuits-Saint-Georges Premier Cru Les Saint-Georges, Cuvée des Sires de Vergy
• 2011 Nuits-Saint-Georges Premier Cru Les Saint-Georges, Cuvée des Sires de Vergy
• 2008 Nuits-Saint-Georges Premier Cru Les Saint-Georges, Cuvée des Sires de Vergy
• 2005 Nuits-Saint-Georges Premier Cru Les Saint-Georges, Cuvée des Sires de Vergy
• 2010 Nuits-Saint-Georges Premier Cru Les Saint-Georges, Cuvée Georges Faiveley
• 2016 Nuits-Saint-Georges Premier Cru Les Rues de Chaux, Cuvée Camille Rodier
• 2015 Nuits-Saint-Georges Premier Cru Les Vignerondes, Cuvée Bernarde Delesclache

La pièce de charité | The charity pièce

For the first time ever, the charity pièce will be a white wine. From Nuits-Saint-Georges, this wine is crafted from the small amount of Chardonnay vines that can be found in the appellation. In 2022, this variety amounted to about 5% of the planted vines.

The climat Les Terres Blanches is located near Premeaux-Prissey, on the edge of the AOC Nuits-Saint-Georges. The 2,000 square metre plot is home to vines dating back to 1995. This historic area has benefited from the limelight it gained and subsequent additional interest since it was awarded premier cru classification in 1990.

Producing especially good quality white wines, the plot enjoys a cool climate thanks to its position at the top of the slope and its proximity to the forest. The top of the plot sits on a white limestone seam that was once quarried by local inhabitants. The soil also contains clay. Ripening happens later here; in 2024, the harvest took place on 22 September. As an exception to the usual 40 to 42 hl/ha harvested in good years, 2024’s yield produced 30 hectolitres per hectare.

Buying this pièce works a little differently as it is not sold through the auction so to speak but rather, buyers put their name down, stating how many bottles they wish to buy and whether they would like to make an additional donation in aid of the chosen charity.

Nothing can hold us back

As everyone knows, the weather in 2024 required our teams to be vigilant throughout. The Domaine des Hospices de Nuits-Saint-Georges produced one of the smallest harvests in its history.

Since the wines are of remarkable quality thanks to the work of the winegrowers and the estate’s manager, we wanted to keep the auction on the second Sunday in March, as tradition stipulates, so that everyone can enjoy the weekend’s festivities. We have also introduced an exclusive feature to add an extra special touch.

This is the strength of our hospitals and especially of the one in Nuits-Saint-Georges. Since its creation in 1270, those working there have always known how to bounce back from the trials and tribulations that history has thrown their way. At the end of 2024, we finally started a new re-education programme after persevering for several years. We are able to maintain our momentum thanks to our team resilience and the funds raised from the auctions.

An auction to finance a good cause

“The money raised at the wine auction goes directly to the Hospices and finances local investment projects. At the end of 2024, we started a new rehabilitation programme at the Nuits-Saint-Georges site despite the different problems we had been facing. Thanks to our perseverance and the funds raised from the auctions, we are able to maintain our momentum.”

Guillaume Koch
Director of the Hospices Civils de Beaune

THE ASSOCIATION – COUCOU NOUS VOILOU

This year’s chosen charity is called Coucou nous voilou. Founded by Marc Salem, who spent 15 years at the head of France’s top paediatric hospital, Hôpital Necker-Enfant Malades, this charity works to improve the daily lives of sick children and teenagers. While the founder was not a member of the caregiving team, he strives to brighten the lives of the children, by getting them involved in the charity which brings the cinematic world to hospitals. He created the association Coucou nous voilou in 2015.

The charity organises many things: outings, trips, decorations, toys, murals, etc. – basically any initiative that could bring some joy to children who are unwell. One of the charity’s flagship projects is AbracadaBox. It’s a plastic box that covers a child’s drip or chemotherapy bag and the child can choose their favourite character to adorn it: comic book characters, Smurfs, Raving Rabbids, or other figures. This helps the child to better accept the medicine and care they require.

Supported by many French celebrities, the charity can count on the Hospices de Nuits this year to help it in its work

The 64th Hospices deNuits-Saint-Georges Auction

Each year, at the start of March, the wines produced by Hospices de Nuits-Saint-Georges are auctioned. The hospital created in 1270 has been prospering for many years thanks to the donations and bequests of vines from local families. Today, the Hopsices’ vineyards cover 12.4 hectares, mainly located in Nuits-Saint-Georges. The auction is the only source of revenue of the estate and the money raised goes to the Saint-Laurent hospital which cares for up to 80 people.

The auction will take place at Château du Clos de Vougeot from 3pm on Sunday 9 March. To do so, it’s imperative to register in advance (registration closes on Thursday 6 March 2025 at 23:59 (French time))

The 64th Hospices deNuits-Saint-Georges Auction will take place on 9 March 2025 at Château du Clos de Vougeot from 3pm on Sunday 9 March, (registration closes on Thursday 6 March 2025 at 23:59 (French tim)). For registration and more information here.