Many Honest Grapes members have participated in the past four crowdfunding syndicates that we’ve put together for shares in barrels purchased at the prestigious annual Hospices de Beaune auction. We are all delighted to once again offer this wonderful chance to participate in a slice of history and add something very special to your cellar, including rare large formats.
Early reports of the 2023 vintage are very promising according to Burgundy expert Jasper Morris MW in a recent podcast. He firstly points to the minimal incidences of extreme frosts and hail, or extended periods of drought or intense heat that have marked recent years. It was also a bountiful harvest which therefore allowed for a very strict selection of only the best grapes on the sorting tables: “in 2023 once you started harvest it was quite quick and reasonably unproblematic. The critical feature for reds was the large volume meant that any grape which wasn’t absolutely perfect got rejected – people ended up with fruit they were very happy with.” As a generally cooler year, alcohol levels will be moderate, and the wines “juicier, fruitier, less concentrated and solar in style” than vintages like 2022, 2020 and 2018.
He suggests that “reds could be on a parallel with 2017 – a vintage of real interest”. 2017 is one of Head Wine Guru Tom's favourites of late and absolutely delicious. Regarding whites Jasper says “I’m very very hopeful for the quality of the Chardonnays of the Cote de Beaune this year”. His makes the comparison to a riper version of the now fabled 1992 vintage – which at the time he believed “had the possibility to grow into a great vintage (it did) but were immediately delicious and going to stay delicious.” In the same vein he argues that 2023 could well turn out to be a famously great year but even right now is “absolutely scrumptious.”
The Hospices de Beaune vineyard team began picking the Chardonnay on 6th September and Pinot Noir on 11th and head winemaker Ludivine Griveau thought straight away that the resultant whites could be exceptional, and after rigorous sorting to leave only the best quality grapes, that the reds too were extremely promising. “Coming in to the vat house, the smell of the grapes was amazing, and she was clearly really happy” says Jasper.
The prestige, quality, and subsequent demand for Hospice de Beaune wines are all on a firmly upward trajectory, but we are hoping that this generous vintage will enable us to secure our targeted barrels comfortably within the estimated price brackets. We have in mind three cuvees this year, in a similar vein to 2022 in which we sold 5 barrels, including a Corton Grand Cru due to high demand for Grand Cru previously.
The Wines
2023 1er Cru Red, Hospices de Beaune
£1,380 in bond per share (12x75cl equivalent, can include magnums and jeroboams)
Personalised shares from a ¼ barrel (72x75cl+)
Larger formats available upon request
2023 Corton Grand Cru, Hospices de Beaune
£3,480 in bond per share (12x75cl equivalent, can include magnums and jeroboams)
Personalised shares from a ¼ barrel (72x75cl+)
Larger formats available upon request
2023 Meursault 1er Cru, Hospices de Beaune
£3,480 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 2023 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 163rd Hospices de Beaune auction is taking place on Sunday 19th November, 2023.
Head winemaker Ludovine Griveau talked about the 2023 Hospice de Beaune cuvées when we visited her at the cuverie.
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!