Over the last few hours, there has been some misunderstandings about who purchased the charity piece in memory of Louis-Fabrice Latour. In order to set the record straight, we would like to clarify that the piece was bought by Maison Louis Latour and Maison Joseph Drouhin, with the support of the FNEB.
The two Beaune producers, whose families have long been friends, agreed to purchase the charity piece for 700 000€. During the auction, the sum was supplemented by the Burgundy Wine Growers and Trade to reach 810 000€.
Every year, the charity piece inspires a tremendous display of solidarity among Burgundy wine merchants, private companies and wealthy individuals, and every year the amounts raised increase. 2022 has been no exception, but is a particularly poignant year for Burgundy’s winegrowing community following the death of Louis-Fabrice Latour last September.
His wife Patricia was deeply moved by the record-breaking sale: “It’s the best possible tribute to Louis- Fabrice, my husband, who died last September, and to whom the charity piece was dedicated this year. I think I have been successful and am pleased that Maison Louis Latour has participated alongside our friends Maison Joseph Drouhin, by jointly purchasing the charity piece. The fact that the other Burgundy négociant houses joined forces to contribute the missing 110,000 euros to make this piece an absolute record is highly symbolic to me. In this way, they have shown their support for a cause that meant a great deal to Frédéric and to me personally: children in need in France and around the world (and more particularly children with cancer). But it is also a gesture towards Louis-Fabrice who contributed so much to Burgundy and the Wine Council: I am very aware of this and thank them for it.”
Frédéric Drouhin, President of Joseph Drouhin, also commented : “There is nothing more joyful than a child’s laughter or smile, and nothing more heart breaking than to see a child ill, especially with cancer, this disease that is so unfair. Both our families have experienced this directly with the passing of my daughter Romane and my friend Louis-Fabrice Latour. It was so fitting to make the purchase with Maison Louis Latour in order to support two associations that mean so much to us, in particular Princess Margot, to bring support and comfort to sick children and their families. We are very touched that our colleagues from the FNEB have joined us to raise the €700,000 that our two families have shared, thereby donating a substantial sum to the associations. We congratulate them on their work.”
To find out more about the children’s charities receiving this exceptional donation:
Princesse Margot www.princessemargot.org
Vision du Monde www.visiondumonde.fr
ABOUT JOSEPH DROUHIN
Founded in 1880, Joseph Drouhin is the product of a rigorous family tradition, in-depth expertise and the accumulation of five generations of experience. The Domaine comprises 93 hectares of vines among the greatest names in Burgundy, all managed in accordance with organic and biodynamic principles. Only natural products are used, and all procedures are carried out with the greatest possible respect for the soil, the vines and the environment, since 1988. The Joseph Drouhin style can be described as a combination of the originality of the terroir, the nature of the vintage, finesse, elegance and harmony.
ABOUT LOUIS LATOUR
Founded in 1797, Louis Latour owns some of the finest vineyards in Burgundy and takes particular care in practising traditional winegrowing methods on excellent terroirs to produce wines of extreme ?nesse that are representative of Burgundy’s great wines. The family has been developing its wine- making expertise for 225 years and hopes to continue doing so for many more years to come. Since 1997, Louis Latour has been a member of the Henokiens, an international association of family businesses that are at least two hundred years old and still owned by their founding families
