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Waitrose reveals Hospices purchases
UK multiple grocer Waitrose has revealed it acquired two barrels of Burgundy at the recent Hospices de Beaune auction – the first time it has bought wine at the sale.
The supermarket bought a barrel apiece of 2016 Pommard Premier Cru Cuvée Dames de la Charité and 2016 Volnay Premier Cru Cuvée Blondeau.
It was the first time that Waitrose had bought wine at the historic charity sale.
The wines will now spend the next 18 months finishing their élévage in the cellars of the Hospices before being bottled; with each barrel yielding roughly 288 bottles which will then be sold exclusively online through the Waitrose Cellar site.
Xenia Irwin MW, Waitrose wine buyer, said: “We are thrilled to have come away from the prestigious Hospices de Beaune auction with two barrels after months of careful planning and research; it’s something we are extremely proud of.
“The day before the auction we tasted the individual barrels in the Hospices Cellars and we are extremely pleased with the quality of the wines we have bought.
“The barrel maturation period and therefore timing of the wine’s launch will be established in the coming months, but this is an incredibly exciting development for us as a wine buying team.”
The 156th Hospices de Beaune auction was held on 19 November and despite not matching the results of last year’s sale, still realised €8.4 million.
The majority of buyers at the sale were trade, with Waitrose saying in a statement that it was one of just three UK merchants that purchased wine at this year’s auction.