Acker completes Saunier collection sales

US auctioneer Acker Merrall & Condit saw the final sale of importer Martine Saunier’s Burgundy collection go out with a “big bang” in New York.

The first part of the sale had taken place in Hong Kong at the beginning of the month. Henri Jayer’s 1999 Cros Parantoux had led the field at that sale, making HK$938,000 in a sale that made HK$57m overall.

The second half of the collection helped drive the overall sale to a US$4.4 million total.

Another case of the ’99 Cros Parantoux from the Saunier collection led the New York sale too, fetching US$148,200 during a day in which US buyers pushed the Burgundian estate to capture 17 of the top 25 lots leaving only eight spots for normal favourite Domaine de la Romanée-Conti to occupy alongside Domaine Rouget.

Acker CEO, John Kapon, said: “It was exciting to see New York go toe to toe and blow for blow with Hong Kong and produce similar results, with many of the same wines getting even higher prices. Both markets have raced off to great starts here in 2015.”

“Of course, given Martine’s collection and historical significance, it should have come as no surprise! It was a privilege for me to auction her collection, the last of the very, very best from this wonderful person. She even donated 25% of her proceeds from this sale to her favourite charity, ‘Doctors Without Borders’.

“Martine is both a trailblazing pioneer and ambassador extraordinaire for French wine here in America, so it is only fitting that her collection finish off here in New York City.”