In Dialog with Laurent Delaunay on Edouard Delaunay’s Landmark Partnership with Bonhams

When Bonhams introduced its partnership with Burgundy’s Edouard Delaunay for “Jubilant Revival in Burgundy: Maison Edouard Delaunay Ex-Domaine – Best & Rarest Wines”, it marked a lot greater than a milestone public sale. It additionally represented a shift in how effective wines are launched, authenticated and picked up. Operating on-line from 5 to 27 November 2025, the sale options 68 distinctive heaps sourced immediately from the Delaunay household’s non-public cellar — bottles which have by no means left their house at Château de Charmont till now.

Based in 1893 and revived in 2017 below fifth-generation winemaker Laurent Delaunay, the Maison has change into a mannequin of Burgundy’s trendy renaissance, uniting heritage with technical mastery. LUXUO speaks to Laurent Delaunay, president of Edouard Delaunay, in regards to the significance of this unprecedented collaboration with Bonhams, the evolution of Burgundy’s public sale market and why provenance stays the final word benchmark of worth in effective wine.

How distinctive – and extraordinary – is that this affiliation between Bonhams and Edouard Delaunay?

For us, it’s each new and really distinctive. That is the very first time that we now have labored on such a undertaking with a prestigious public sale home of this calibre. Historically, wine auctions have centered on the secondary market — collectors or cellar homeowners reselling bottles they’d beforehand bought from producers or négociants. These gross sales confirmed that effective wine might be each a pleasure to share and a invaluable funding.

In recent times, nonetheless, a brand new strategy has emerged: auctions that includes wines launched immediately by the producers themselves, typically bottles which were fastidiously stored till they reached their preferrred maturity and market curiosity. That is exactly what we’re providing via this collaboration with Bonhams.

For wine lovers, the advantages are clear. Authenticity and provenance are totally assured since these wines come immediately from our circle of relatives cellar. They’ve by no means travelled, have all the time been saved in excellent situations at our Château de Charmont in Burgundy, and at the moment are launched at their optimum consuming window. Though this strategy is gaining traction, it stays uncommon. For us, it is a true première.

How essential and educated are Burgundy wine lovers within the Far East?

Extraordinarily. Alongside the USA and the UK, wine fans within the Far East are among the many most passionate and educated on the planet. Since relaunching our Burgundy vineyard in 2017, we now have made this a part of the world a precedence — deciding on the best importers and distributors, spending time within the area to current our wines, and welcoming many Asian guests to Château de Charmont, simply outdoors Nuits-Saint-Georges.

Over time, many of those encounters have advanced into real friendships. I’m continually impressed by the curiosity and deep understanding of Burgundy that our Asian pals show. On a number of events, they’ve even launched me to fellow Burgundy producers I had not met earlier than — which says rather a lot about their ardour and community.

What would be the profile of the bidders at this particular public sale to be staged in Hong Kong?

Open-minded wine lovers and collectors — people who find themselves keen to find a distinct side of Burgundy, one which displays the spirit of an genuine household Maison they may not but know. Burgundy is a captivating and singular wine area the place, even for seasoned connoisseurs, there’s all the time extra to discover: new names, forgotten appellations, hidden gems.

Because the famend wine critic Michel Bettane just lately wrote, “That is not a renaissance, it’s a masterful return to the forefront.”

And though the public sale will likely be launched from Hong Kong, it is going to be accessible on-line to wine fans throughout the globe.

Do you anticipate some record-breaking numbers?

Not essentially. We’re totally conscious of our present market positioning and we proceed to construct our popularity step-by-step. Nonetheless, given the distinctive high quality of our wines — which have been unanimously praised by critics and sommeliers alike — we’re assured that their worth and recognition will proceed to develop over time.

This public sale subsequently, represents an excellent alternative for discerning collectors to put money into our greatest wines whereas they continue to be attractively priced. Above all, it permits us to introduce Edouard Delaunay to a brand new viewers of collectors, to strengthen our picture, and to determine an preliminary benchmark inside the public sale world.

How will you assess whether or not the public sale is an entire or partial success?

Along with Bonhams, we now have set average information worth targets and will likely be happy if they’re reached or exceeded. However past the monetary facet, what really issues to us is the extent of curiosity and enthusiasm this occasion generates round Edouard Delaunay.

Are there different comparable initiatives by Edouard Delaunay deliberate elsewhere on the planet?

No. It will stay a singular initiative, with no plans to duplicate it within the close to future.

Head to bonhams.com for extra data.

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