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Burgundy and Scotch lead the way at Sotheby’s sale

Top Scotch whisky and Burgundy dominated Sotheby’s sale of fine and rare wines and spirits in London this week, in what was house’s last sale of the year.

Taking place on Wednesday 13 December, the sale realised just over £1 million but fell a few thousand pounds short of its pre-sale high estimate.

Nonetheless, there was keen bidding for the various lots on offer, with the top lot being a 12 bottle case of 1990 Henri Jayer Echézeaux which made £54,970.

Top Bordeaux and Burgundy in the shape of 1986 Domaine de la Romanée-Conti, 1990 Clos de la Roche from Domaine Ponsot, 2012 Bonnes Mares from Georges Roumier and 1961 Palmer and Ducru-Beaucaillou were also much in evidence among the top lots as was rare Scotch and Cognac.

A 60-year-old Macallan in Lalique decanter (£40,630), 17 bottles of Port Ellen Natural Cask Strength single malt (£26,290) and one bottle of Rémy Martin’s Louis XIII ‘Black Pearl’ (£13,145) were the best-selling spirits consigned to the sale.

Head of Sotheby’s Wine, Europe, Stephen Mould, summed up: “Burgundy and Whisky stood out in our end of year sale. “The case of Echézeaux 1990 Henri Jayer, Georges Jayer propriétaire was the most sought after lot, while a selection of Burgundy from Domaine Georges Roumier from village level to Grand Cru was also in strong demand.

“The Macallan 60 Year Old in a Lalique Decanter was the stand out lot of whisky in a sale which also included Macallan, Masters of Photography and all 17 releases of Port Ellen Natural Cask Strength Single Malt. The auction began with a cellar strong in Bordeaux of younger vintages, which achieved solid results across the board. The Bordeaux theme continued with rarer and more mature vintages such as the fabled 1961s.

“Elsewhere, Champagne including Dom Pérignon and Krug found buyers to be in a festive mood. Terrific collections of Italian wine from Masseto, Ornellaia, Sassicaia and Giacomo Conterno were snapped up, showing that there is a healthy interest for wine across all regions. We now look forward to our single owner sale in the New Year on 24 January.”

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