Most coveted barrel in the world
It’s November once again, and the Hospices de Beaune auction in Burgundy is ready to open its doors as collectors, négociants, and wine enthusiasts from around the globe compete for a share of Burgundy's finest wines.
Yet one lot attracts a singular kind of attention. The Pièce des Présidents, or Presidents' Barrel, is a unique charity barrel whose sale raises money for humanitarian and medical causes.
With a tradition dating back nearly half a century, celebrity ambassadors (2026’s are still to be unveiled), and record-breaking bids, the Presidents' Barrel auction is one of the most anticipated moments in the Burgundian wine calendar.
166th Hospices de Beaune Wine Auction
For a wine lover, there is no better place to be than Burgundy on the third weekend of November each year. This is the season of the “Trois Glorieuses”, three unmissable events that are the highlight of the Burgundy wine calendar.
Taking place from November 13th to 15th this year, the Hospices de Beaune festivities offer three days of wine, food, and entertainment celebrating Burgundy wine heritage.
The weekend’s program launches with Les Festivinales, a lively market of local crafts and entertainment on Place Carnot, alongside the Fête des Grands Vins de Bourgogne at the Palais des Congrès, open to the public in the afternoon. Saturday features open cellars, wine tastings throughout Beaune, and the vineyard half-marathon.
The celebrations culminate on Sunday with the famous charity wine auction, which takes place in the afternoon beneath the Halles de Beaune. This is followed by the official gala dinner at the historic Hôtel-Dieu. Attracting collectors, négociants, and wine enthusiasts from around the world, the weekend also features the aforementioned celebrated Pièce des Présidents, the auction's special charity barrel.
A new feature is making the event more accessible to American bidders. This year, the event auctioneer, Sotheby’s, has organized a live broadcast of the event at its New York headquarters for clients who can’t travel to Beaune.
What’s up for bid in 2026 auction?
- Cuvées: Around 50 different wines offered by the Hospices de Beaune
- Barrel size: Each pièce holds 228 liters, equivalent to approximately 288 bottles
- International reach: The 2025 auction featured 552 lots, including 428 red wine barrels, 111 white, 11 eaux-de-vie and the charity barrel
- 2026 vintage volume: A relatively small crop of 432 barrels – 348 red and 84 white
- White wines: Account for around 20% of production, broadly in line with normal proportions
- Growing conditions: Low yields resulted from an early heatwave, rather than the conditions behind the similarly small 2024 crop
- Harvested over nine days between August 15th and 24th
- Wine character: The remaining grapes benefited from summer sunshine, producing concentrated, naturally rich fruit, expressive aromas and powerful tannins
Charitable Burgundy wine auction
The roots of the Pièce des Présidents date back to 1978. With the aim of raising the international profile of the historic auction event, Hospices de Beaune introduced a special charity barrel. The endeavor complemented the institution's age-old tradition of raising funds for healthcare initiatives through the sale of its wines.
The Hospices itself has a much longer tale to tell. Founded in 1443, the Hôtel-Dieu was established to provide care for the sick and impoverished. The building’s distinctive Flemish Gothic architecture, signature colorful glazed roof tiles, and unique history have made it one of Burgundy's most standout wine landmarks.
The annual wine auction, which started its public format in 1859, has traditionally helped support the institution’s medical services.
Today, the President’s Barrel is one of the highlights of the auction, with celebrities from the worlds of culture and sport invited to advocate for the chosen charities in a spirit of bonhomie. The auction takes place by candlelight, harking back to sales of earlier centuries and adding to the atmosphere of anticipation and excitement in Burgundy’s wine capital.
Raised funds will support two rare-disease charities: ARSLA, which aids people with motor neurone disease, and DEBRA France, which supports those affected by epidermolysis bullosa (butterfly skin disease).
One charity wine barrel, one exceptional Burgundy
The President’s Barrel is generally a single 228-litre pièce, equivalent to approximately 300 standard bottles. It contains a specially chosen Burgundy Grand Cru or Premier Cru from the Hospices de Beaune's own vineyards.
The wine changes each year. Recent selections have included Corton Grand Cru, Clos de la Roche Grand Cru, Mazis-Chambertin Grand Cru, and Pommard Premier Cru Les Rugiens.
In 2026, for the first time in the history of the auction, the President’s Barrel will be a Clos de Vougeot Grand Cru. The wine comes from a parcel donated last year by the Faiveley family to the Hospices de Beaune estate.
This charity cuvée is unique in several respects. Unusually, it underwent vinification in an open-top 500-liter wooden vat, using meticulously selected grapes. Seventy percent were whole bunches, with only the finest sections of the bunches kept and the main stems removed. During the 19 days of maceration and fermentation, extraction was through gentle, hand-performed pigeage, guaranteeing a delicate and carefully measured extraction.
Family cooperage
The Clos de Vougeot Grand Cru cuvée will mature in a barrel made by Cognac-based cooperage Taransaud, commissioned for the sale.
The bespoke vessel is made from fine-grained French oak from the Moladier forest in the Allier. It features a tight grain to allow for a gradual integration of tannins, and an extended, gentle toasting process minimizes oaky influence, enabling tannins to integrate slowly. This preserves Clos de Vougeot's fruit aromas and flavors while enhancing the Pinot Noir’s structure and finish.
Record-breaking wine auctions
The price reached by the President’s Barre fluctuates significantly over the years. Here is the history of record-breaking charity wine sales in Beaune.
- 2022 (All-Time Record): €810,000 for a 228-liter barrel of Corton Grand Cru.
- 2021: €800,000 for a 228-liter barrel of Corton Grand Cru Les Renardes.
- 2020: €660,000 for a 228-liter barrel of Clos de la Roche Grand Cru.
- 2015: €480,000 for a 228-liter barrel of Corton Grand Cru Renardes.
- 2025: €400,000 for a 228-liter barrel of Pommard Premier Cru Les Rugiens (a record for a Premier Cru).
- 2024: €380,000 for a 228-liter barrel of Beaune premier cru Les Bressandes.
- 2023: €350,000 for a 228-liter barrel of Mazis-Chambertin Grand Cru.
Fine wine collecting
For the winning bidder, the President’s Barrel offers more than a fine Burgundy. It also provides a unique link to a prestigious and historic wine auction and the chance to support worthy causes. Following the auction, the barrel is passed over to a specialist for maturation, bottling, and sharing.
The Pièce des Présidents has become a showcase for Burgundy's cuvees and charitable spirit. Its legacy is not only mirrored by record-breaking bids, but by the practical help it brings to organizations that make lives better.
Could there be a more fitting expression of the Hospices de Beaune's centuries-old wine philanthropy mission?
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