Led by a “tasting opportunity” featuring Bollinger 1914, Sotheby’s November 19^th New York sale features “A Century of Bollinger” in addition to a number of other interesting consignments, including more than 200 lots of DRC containing more than fifty cases in original, banded OWC.  Also featured are the cellar of the late Martin Kaplan, rare 1960s Burgundy of good provenance such as full cases of ’66 Clair Daü Bonnes Mares and Rousseau Chambertin, as well as a magnum of 1947 Cheval Blanc.  There are also two charity lots to benefit La Cité du Vin in Bordeaux, one of which features a jeroboam of 2000 Mouton and lunch at the château for six, -while the other includes an imperial of ’95 Pétrus and lunch at the Moueix prepared by chef Michel Guérard of the eponymous Michelin three-star restaurant.

The New York tranche of Zachys multi-day single owner sale earned more than $5.5 million for the consignor, continuing a strong performance that began in September back in Hong Kong. There have also been two online segments, one of which is continuing. The combined total to date, after the two live sales and one online, is $11,986,289. The two top lots in New York both made $91,875: an imperial of 1961 Latour, and six magnums of 1988 Roumier Bonnes Mares, while six magnums of Rousseau Chambertin 1991 generated $51,450. Wines from Roumier and Rousseau, in fact, dominated the top ten, with seven of ten wines coming from these two iconic Burgundy producers.

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In order of preference

Champagne Krug, Reims

In my view, the best there is, from the “regular“ Grande Cuvée to the vintage to the Clos du Mesnil. The Rosé is a bit more expensive than it should be, and the Clos d’Ambonnay is much more expensive than it should be, yet this is hands down the very top.

Champagne Jacques Selosse, Avize

Probably the most skillful and innovative récoltant-manipulant working today; not inexpensive but worth it, especially if someone else is paying.

Champagne Salon, Le Mesnil sur Oger

Salon is a top classic collectible, steely and very fine, but takes a long time to come around.

Champagne Bollinger, Aÿ

One of the greats; Vieilles Vignes Françaises is the top cuvée, yet the RD is also superb and the Grande Année vintage is a solid value.

Dom Pérignon, Épernay

The inimitable classic and one of the best champagnes for aging, full stop.

Sotheby’s fall series of wine and spirits sales totaled over $11 million in a strong debut for their fall season here. A multivendor sale accounted for more than $4.9 million of the total (96.7% sold), led by 7 bottles of ’96 Jayer Cros Parantoux that earned more than $59,000 and 9 bottles of 1990 La Tâche that sold for more than $50,000. The sale entitled “Classic Cellar 2” also did well, earning more than $2.8 million, led by six bottles of 2000 Pétrus, which sold for $23,558. As Pétrus was the feature of this sale, the top twelve lots were all Pétrus. A single-owner focus, however, did not fare so well: the “Connoisseur’s Cellar” generated $2,814,792, but was only 83.5% sold by lot; the highest-grossing lot was a case of 1995 Jayer Cros Parantoux that sold for $65,962 including premium. Finally, the Asian allotment of the special “l’Odyssée d’un Roi” bottling of Rémy Martin Cognac Louis XIII sold for $190,000, as compared to the $135,000 that the same bottle earned in New York. The package includes the cognac in an engraved decanter from Cristallerie Saint-Louis in a trunk by Hermès and with a white gold pipette from silversmith Puiforcat. The next and final bottle will be sold in London on November 16th.

Executive Summary:

Bordeaux continues to strengthen; provenance increasingly important as single-owner and ex-domaine sales do very well; Burgundy trends are mixed but overall generally still positive.

Detail:

The fall auction season opened with a multi-vendor sale by Christie’s Hong Kong, led by rare wines from the library of Bouchard Père et Fils. The top-grossing lot in the sale was a case of ’88 Romanée-Conti that sold for more than $174,000, a vigorous result. The old property from the Bouchard cellar also did well, making 260% of the pre-sale low estimate. Chambertin 1865 sold for nearly $40,000 per bottle, and Montrachet 1865 sold for more than $25,000 per bottle.