We are thrilled to announce that our Club Syndicate for the upcoming Hospices de Beaune Auction is now open! This will be the sixth year we've crowdfunded barrels of top Burgundy and it remains one of the most exciting opportunities we have available for Club Members.
The good news is that the 2024 vintage, despite late flowering and mildew pressure earlier in the year, is looking very promising for the Hospices de Beaune and the harvest took place in sunny, breezy conditions at peak ripeness. The quality of the grapes is very high, with less work on the sorting tables than expected (only 3-5% berries needed to be removed), a particularly impressive achievement as this is the Hospice’s first year certified organic. The healthy, small berries will make for concentrated aromas and intense flavours and first impressions from the fermenting Pinots reveal a fresh, aromatic profile – very “pinoty”… the Chardonnays are looking very promising too, and after two very hot years, a cooler, more minerally fruit profile is expected.
The prestige, quality, and subsequent demand for Hospice de Beaune wines are all on a firmly upward trajectory, and we are hoping to secure our chosen cuvees at well below our nominal share price. The last auction was a particulary nerve-wracking, fraught affair, though we were pleased to upgrade to a very special Pommard 1er Cru Cuvée Dames de la Charité for Syndicate Members at just £1,560 per share (113% of nominal), and secure both a Corton Grand Cru at and Meursault 1er Cru at almost 80% of the nominal share price!
In all instances we were able to secure wines at some of the most attractive prices of the auction, and our experience at the Hospices means we are confident we will secure a great deal in 2024 again on behalf of Syndicate Members. We are all delighted to offer this wonderful chance to participate in a slice of history and add something very special to your cellar, including rare large formats.
The Wines
2024 1er Cru Red, Hospices de Beaune
£1,680 in bond per share (12x75cl equivalent, can include magnums and jeroboams)
Personalised shares from a ¼ barrel (72x75cl+)
Larger formats available upon request
2024 Corton Grand Cru, Hospices de Beaune
£3,576 in bond per share (12x75cl equivalent, can include magnums and jeroboams)
Personalised shares from a ¼ barrel (72x75cl+)
Larger formats available upon request
2024 Meursault 1er Cru, Hospices de Beaune
£3,576 in bond per share (12x75cl, can include magnums and jeroboams)
Personalised shares from a ¼ barrel (72x75cl+)
Larger formats available upon request
Join the Syndicate
How it works
More details about the Hospices and auction are included further below but in a simplified version of previous offers, we are asking for commitments to the following:
1. Shares of 12 bottles (or 6 magnums / 3 double magnums) or more in Honest Grapes Syndicate Member’s 2024 barrels which we’ll select at auction and have bottled and labelled for us as our own private Syndicate label. You’ll need to trust us and our chosen éléveur (winemaker – TBC) to select great wines within budget and be a bit flexible on the ultimate share prices (but we won’t go over 20% max price without asking). We’ll circulate the syndicate T&C to everybody who commits or wants more info. We need 24 shares to fill each barrel and we’ve already got several confirmed from those on the waiting list, who missed out on our previous Hospices syndicate.
2. Syndicate members are required to pay 80% of the nominal share price prior to the auction and the remainder within 7 days following the auction.
3. Corporate / family private labels. We can organise this for shares of 72 bottles (1/4 barrel) or more, so roughly 6x the above in cost. We have done a number of these previously for corporates, families, weddings, birth years etc. The labelling is regulated by the Hospices charity so usually has a few words like ‘Selected for the xxxx Family/ xxxx Partners’.
4. If you want a specific wine at the auction, and are interested in purchasing a full barrel, let us know and we’ll do our best to accommodate you.
About the Hospices de Beaune
The origins of the auction lie with Chancellor Nicolas Rolin's founding of the Hôtel Dieu (later to be known as the Hospices de Beaune) in 1443 to serve as a hospital and safe haven for the poor. Over the years, more than 60 hectares of Grand Cru and Premier Cru vineyards have been donated to the estate and since 1859, on the third weekend of November, the Hospices de Beaune has held an annual wine auction to raise money for the hospital’s upkeep and other charitable projects. The 164th Hospices de Beaune auction is taking place on Sunday 17th November, 2024.
Honest Grapes selects the wines, organises the syndicate, underwrites the project and élevage (maturation) in partnership with an illustrious winemaker. The wines are produced in very small quantities (one to two barrels) and the combination of vineyard, vintage and winemaker means Syndicate Members gain the benefit of top grade, exclusive, one-time only wines. Owning their own Hospices wine is on the bucket list for most Burgundy lovers, and our syndicates allow members to own a smaller share of the better quality wines rather than financing their own barrel, although as per above – we can organise personalised quarter shares as well as half and whole barrels too. In every case Hospices bottles, especially larger formats which we recommend, make a particularly impressive impression when served or received as gifts by friends and clients!