Spirits and Wine

All For One

Two years ago the inaugural Distillers One of One auction of ultra-rare whiskies raised £2.4 million for charity. Of that, £2.2 million was donated to the Youth Action Fund, established by The Distillers’ Charity to transform the lives of disadvantaged young people in Scotland.

On October 5, in the dramatic landscape of Hopetoun House just outside Edinburgh, it is happening again. The second edition of The Distillers One of One sale, organized in partnership with Sotheby’s, brings some of the finest whiskies together in one sale. Each lot—as the title suggests—is unique.

Jonny Fowle, Sotheby’s global head of spirits, highlights two lots as examples of its rare offerings. “We have a whisky from Bowmore called Stac, after the Gaelic word for a sea stack. It is a 55-year-old whisky, the oldest that Bowmore has ever released.” Distilled in 1962, it is the first time this whisky has been available, with an estimate of £300,000–£500,000.

“Another is from Diageo’s Brora distillery, from the legendary 1972 vintage,” says Fowle. “At 50 years old, it is the oldest whisky the distillery has ever released.” The bottle’s design pays homage to the wildcat motif that features on each Brora bottle.

Fowle is delighted with the extraordinary whiskies and with the auction’s new venue. “The size of Hopetoun House means we can host even more bidders. It promises to be a spectacular occasion for a great cause.”

Best of Burgundy

Held every year in November since 1859, the wine auction—run for the third successive time by Sotheby’s—is the most famous sale of its kind in the world. It takes place in Halle de Beaune, where barrels of Burgundy’s finest wines will be sold to benefit the local hospital and retirement homes.

The proceeds will also help to maintain the 60 hectares of vines owned by the non-profit Domaine des Hospices de Beaune, grand cru and premier cru vineyards bequeathed by local landowners.

It is from these vineyards that barrels from 31 red cuvées and 18 white are drawn. This year’s auction will feature the promising 2023 vintage.

Winemaker Ludivine Griveau in the Hospices de Beaune winery

Wines to Watch

Hospices de Beaunes wine is auctioned by the barrel. In Burgundy – a region known for its two main grape varieties, pinot noir and chardonnay – barrels are by tradition 228 liters. Highlights

from the 2023 event include:

1. Bâtard-Montrachet Cuvée Dames de Flandres From a vineyard purchased by the Hospices de Beaune in 1989, a hugely complex white Burgundy with a stellar reputation for aging.

2. Mazis-Chambertin Grand Cru Cuvée Madeleine Collignon From the same slope as the famous Chambertin Clos de Bèze, almost 60% of this cuvée comes from vines planted in 1947. Intensely fruity.

3. Beaune 1er Cru Cuvée Clos des Avaux A weighty, deep crimson Burgundy from a climate known for long-lived wines. Tannic and powerful.