HDH secures #1 spot

Fine wine auctioneer Hart Davis Hart has claimed it is the leading house in the US after a “record breaking” US$9.6 million sale.

Chicago-based HDH finished the year earlier this month with its first ever three-day sale. The impressive results bring the house’s overall sales to US$41.48m after seven auctions, 30% more than its closest competitor according to the house.

The latest sale, held from 10-12 December, saw a little over 99% of the 3,395 lots sold, with over 900 bidders (also a record for HDH) competing for top Burgundy, Champagne and Napa.

Sixty-six lots of Coche-Dury made US$435,876 (with the Corton Charlemagne in particularly high demand), a further 46 lots of Armand Rousseau US$318,826 and 63 lots of Domaine Raveneau US$205,958.

An ex-cellar collection of Ridge Monte Bello sold for US$114,087 – far above its US$81,570 high estimate, while 15 lots of Dom Pérignon made US$57,958 altogether.

The leading individual lot was – unsurprisingly – a case of 1990 La Tâche from Domaine de la Romanée-Conti which realised US$45,410, closely followed by three double magnums of 1982 Petrus, which made US$41,825.

HDH’s top-selling lot of the year was six magnums of 1982 Le Pin which made US$101,575.

The house said in an announcement: HDH solidified its position as the #1 wine auction house in the U.S with this phenomenal sale, the largest wine auction in the world in 2015. HDH has created the world’s most active, accurate, and efficient marketplace for wine, while maintaining by far the lowest buyer’s premium in the industry. In March of 2015, HDH rolled out a revolutionary new bidding platform for absentee and live bidding, which has been an integral part of every auction since and has dramatically improved the bidding experience.

“In addition, the firm has maintained the industry’s highest sell-through rate, passing only .27% of 15,261 lots offered. HDH also had a record number of bidders and buyers in 2015. By offering impeccably sourced wines, reaching global bidders, and providing the best service in the industry, HDH has once again achieved market-leading results.”