The charity barrel – or pièce de charité in French – is a nod to the Hospices de Nuits’ past and the donations and bequests of vines that has created the winemaking estate that we know today. This year, it will be sold to raise funds for the association Coucou Nous Voilou which works to improve the daily lives of sick children and teenagers. How to donate to the charity? There are 3 ways you can donate: buying bottles from the charity pièce, bidding on the exquisite case containing two bottles from 1955 and 1959, and by giving a donation. The article contains everything you need to know!
The charity pièce – A way to honour past generosity
Have you already thought about where the vines the form the Domaine des Hospices de Nuits-Saint-Georges came from? Because we have. And we have found the answer for you. The vineyards have been given to the hospital since 1688 (but other types of donations were given from 1633) to support the care of people who were unwell or elderly. You have no doubt picked up on the fact that the land donated by the inhabitants of Nuits Saint-Georges and the surrounding area are now considered prestigious vineyards. Legend has it that the first plots were donated by Hugues Perdrizet along with two vineyard workers and the final plots were bequeathed by Madame Irène Noblet and the Jeanniard family. This is why the charity barrel – or pièce de charité in French – which will be sold at Château de Clos de Vougeot pays homage to all those who made donations over the centuries. This barrel is sold to raise funds for a chosen charity that changes every year.
A first for the charity pièce in 2025
For the first time ever, the charity barrel contains a white wine – the Nuits-Saint-Georges Premier Cru Les Terres Blanches – Pierre de Pême. It’s a rare wine from the appellation as Chardonnay is only planted on about 5% of it and this year the wine is even rarer as the 2024 harvest was rather small, but it is of high quality.
The plot is located near Premeaux-Prissey, on the edge of the AOC Nuits-Saint-Georges and the vines that grow there today were planted in 1995. Since 1990 when it was classed as a premier cru, this vineyard has been in the limelight. The vineyard is cool due to its location at the top of a slope near a forest, and it has white limestone and clay soil. The grapes ripen late, and the harvest started on 22 September in 2024. Yields were reasonable this year at 30 hectolitres per hectare (hl/ha) (compared with 40 to 42 hl/ha in good years).
The chosen charity: Coucou Nous Voilou
Coucou Nous Voilou is the charity chosen this year to receive the funds raised by the sale of the pièce de charité.
Founded by Marc Salem, who spent 15 years at the head of France’s most important paediatric hospital, Hôpital Necker-Enfant Malades, this charity works to improve the daily lives of sick children and teenagers. “When I arrived at the Necker Enfants Malades Hospital, I realised that the level of care, the procedures, surgery… everything was perfect, with world-renowned doctors. But at that time, there wasn’t anything in the hospital that showed it was a paediatric hospital with sick children. It looked almost like a geriatric hospital, or a regular hospital. This is what motivated me to change things, wanting to improve the daily lives of sick children and teenagers.”
Coucou Nous Voilou, created in 2015, works to brighten the lives of children and teenagers in hospital through trips, games, murals, etc.. The charity’s flagship project 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 that they require.
Supported by many French celebrities, the charity can count on Chantal Ladesou and Philippe Candelorothe to represent it at the 64th Hospices de Nuits auction.
Watch the full interview with Marc Salem
Two additional bottles donated by Maison Delaunay
Maison Edouard Delaunay is a major buyer of Hospices de Nuits wines with a long history of supporting the estate. Laurent Delaunay, the house’s president, has decided to offer two bottles from mature vintages – 1955 and 1959, no less – of the Hospices de Nuits’ wines and the money raised through their sale will also go to Coucou Nous Voilou.
The two bottles,
- 1955 Nuits-Saint-Georges Premier Cru Les Saint-Georges, recorked in 2021 by Maison Delaunay
and - 1959 Nuits-Saint-Georges Premier Cru (1959 is one of the best vintages of the century in Burgundy)
were bought by Jean Delaunay, Laurent’s grandfather, before the auction even existed. They have been stored in the best conditions in Maison Delaunay’s cellars.
How to donate to the charity? There are 3 ways you can help
> Sign up to buy bottles of the charity barrel: Buying the charity 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 (there are 288 in total). The price per bottle is €150 and this includes the maturation fee. You will be able to pick up your bottles in a year’s time. Bottles are limited to 24 per person, and in case you are not just around the corner, the form can be sent via post to Hospices de Nuits-Saint-Georges. Cheques are made payable to Trésor Public des Hospices Civils de Beaune.
> Bid on the 2-bottle wooden case wine from 1955 and 1959: You can also bid on the famous case of 1955 Nuits-Saint-Georges Premier Cru Les Saint-Georges and 1959 Nuits-Saint-Georges Premier Cru donated by Maison Edouard Delaunay. The winning bidder will be able to collect these wines at the end of the auction.
- A voluntary donation
> Donate to the charity without anything in return: You can also donate to the charity in the auction room or via the HelloAsso link. If you live in France, these donations may be tax deductible.
Key information about the Hospices de Nuits-Saint-Georges auction
