The announcement from this afternoon:

18 March 2021 – The Hospices Civils de Beaune has confirmed the appointment of Sotheby’s as the new host of its celebrated and historic annual barrel auction – the 161st Edition will be held at the Halles de Beaune on November 21st, the third Sunday in November, as per tradition.

François Poher, Head of the Hospices Civils de Beaune, said: “After a tender procedure launched in mid-December, we have chosen Sotheby’s proposal. For the next five years, we will work together to deepen knowledge of our domaine, its wines and our sale for the benefit of all of Burgundy. We will also work to preserve the centuries-old character and heritage of our hospital institution and further strengthen its capacity to invest in the service of the people of our region.”

Mario Tavella, President of Sotheby’s France and Chairman of Sotheby’s Europe, said: “Sotheby’s is proud to work alongside the Hospices de Beaune as organiser of its charity auction and also to promote the cultural initiatives that punctuate the year of this honourable institution. This year will mark the launch of Sotheby’s wine sales in France and we are honoured by the trust placed in us by the Hospices de Beaune and look forward to beginning our work with their team this week.”

Now that’s proper news!

I did hear that Christies were quite pissed that the November auction had been covid-cancelled – they were ready to go ahead 100% online – as many auctions have been done in the last 12 months. Whether this is the result of that disagreement or simply that it was time for a change is unimportant, it’s the way forward right now. I’ll be interested to see what changes…