An impressive collection of European wines are set to be auctioned at Sotheby’s Hong Kong on May 28th of this year. The 970 lot auction, which is estimated to fetch a total of between $7.7 and $10.6 million USD, are the contents of a single cellar assembled through decades of visionary collecting. Rare and impressive labels span three centuries, and include Domaine de la Romanée-Conti, Lafite Rothschild, and Yquem, among others. Through the development of personal relationships with premiere producers and a passion for academic collecting, a devoted connoisseur amassed this enviable cellar.
“It is a great privilege for us to be entrusted with the sale of such an extraordinary cellar, one of the most historic collections to come to market in recent memory. Both in terms of scale and provenance, this collection is a glorious testament to a visionary collector. But as so often happens, that passion can lead to cellar overcrowding, resulting in a truly wonderful opportunity for wine lovers from across the world to appreciate and nurture these spectacular bottles,” said Adam Bilbey, Head of Sotheby’s Wine & Spirits, Asia and Europe.
This auction presents a unique opportunity for aficionados and devoted collectors to season their cellars with some of the most brilliant wine from the best French producers. The Bordeaux collection boasts 63 lots of Petrus, which span nearly one century and include the ultra coveted 1945 and 1947 vintages; not to mention a brilliant collection of 83 lots of God’s golden nectar, Chateau Yquem, with vintages dating back to 1865. Additional noteworthy lots include two bottles of 1898 Chateau Lafite Rothschild and a host of vintages by Mouton Rothschild that are available in a wide variety of formats.
An exceptional collection of Burgundies includes 75 lots of Domaine de la Romanée-Conti span seven decades and are estimated to fetch over $900,000 USD. The DRC lots include a 12 bottle case of La Tâche 1985 and a single bottle of Romanée Conti 1990 in its original wooden case. On the other hand, devoted followers of Henri Jayer will be pleased to see 75 unique lots by the maker (estimated in excess of $3.8 million USD). The Henri Jayer lots include 29 lots of Vosne-Romanée Cros Parantoux, including a 1978 in magnum, 1990 in magnum, and 1999 in original carton.
Alsacian collectors will take note of the one dozen lots Trimbach spread across 40 years and include 10 lots of Trimbach Clos Ste Hune. All said, this truly remarkable auction is one of the most impressive offerings of elite French wines in recent history.
Images Courtesy of: Sotherby’s
