HDH top of the US auction charts

US fine wine auctioneer, Hart Davis Hart, looks set to remain the country’s number one wine seller this year as the US market continues to grow.

An initial report from the house ahead of more comprehensive analysis later this week shows that HDH saw 18.4% growth this year and realised US$42.8m in live sales.

The Chicago-based house announced in July this year that it had moved into the lead position in the US ahead of previous and long-term holder Acker Merrall & Condit in New York.

Its last auction in Chicago on 12-13 December realised over $6m and was 98.93% sold by lot.

Meanwhile, Christie’s US fine wine arm reported that it made $3.8m in December through three sales.

Burgundy topped two of the auctions, six bottles of 1990 Domaine de la Romanée-Conti, Romanée-Conti realising $122,500 in one sale and a Methuselah of 1990 La Tâche for $49,000 leading another.

The third, which was conducted online, saw 11 bottles of 1986 Mouton Rothschild (currently one of the most popular first growths) realise $6,738.

No doubt HDH will be able to point to Burgundy as the main driver of its trade this year but it also had some success with a Bordeaux-only sale in early November which achieved over $5m and was hailed as boding “well for Bordeaux’s future”.