Sotheby’s unveils US$25m autumn line-up

Auctioneer Sotheby’s could make as much as US$25 million from its autumns sales, with a series that features the most expensive bottle it has ever offered.

Taking place in London, New York and Hong Kong, the sales follow on from a record-breaking H1, when the fine wine department’s sales topped US$57m.

Featuring fine wines such as the Domaine de la Romanée-Conti collection from Domaine Drouhin, ‘historic’ vintages of Latour and a bottle of 1926 Macallan with the Sir Peter Blake label – which has the highest estimate ever placed on a bottle of wine or whisky at Sotheby’s – the autumn sales series has been described as “the strongest and most diverse range of wines since Sotheby’s started offering wine in 1970,” said worldwide head of wine, Jamie Ritchie.

With this series of sales, it is an absolute certainty that Sotheby’s will exceed its US$64m results from last year and there are still winter sales to come.

Two sales in London being held in the morning and afternoon of 19 September have the potential to realise almost £3m (US$3.6m) and include 1989 Petrus and Haut-Brion and 1963 Quinta do Noval Nacional.

In Hong Kong, three sales being held from 29-30 September could make as much as HK$105m (US$13.4m) with highlights including, 1961 Latour and various vintages of Cheval Blanc and DRC.

The three New York sales from 12-13 October and 10 November includes the Drouhin DRC collection and 1926 Macallan and could make as much as US$9.9m.

Ritchie commented: “Following our record-breaking first half sales of $57 million, our early fall season showcases over $25 million of the world’s most sought after wines and spirits – the strongest and most diverse range of wine sales since Sotheby’s started offering wine in 1970, which puts us on track to have one of our best years ever.

“It is a privilege to be entrusted with the sale of five outstanding private collections, all of which have exemplary provenance. This season, buyers have many unique opportunities, as illustrated by the 200 bottles of historic DRC on offer from Robert Drouhin’s private cellar, as well as a bottle of the legendary Macallan 1926, with the British artist Sir Peter Blake label, one of only 12 bottles produced.

“The whisky business has been showing extraordinary growth and we will be expanding our offering of spirits in the future. This season has a wine or spirit for every taste and price point.”

Click through to see a quick breakdown of each sale taking place this autumn.

London: ‘The Collection of Perfection’ & Finest and Rarest Wines –19 September

Photo: Sotheby’s

London’s sales this autumn begins with a private collection on the morning of 19 September which has a pre-sale estimate of £1.2-£1.6m and includes top Bordeaux and a “breath-taking” collection of Burgundy as well as notable Italian labels. Look out as well for Vérité and Torbreck’s ‘The Laird’.

It is followed by an afternoon fine wine sale with a £897,910 – £1.2m estimate.

Highlights from the morning session include: six bottles of 1989 Petrus (£15,000-£20,000) and six magnums of the same (£30,000 – £40,000); 12 bottles of 1963 Nacional from Quinta do Noval (£24,000-£32,000) and a dozen bottles of 1989 Haut-Brion (£16,000-£20,000).

Hong Kong: ‘The Towering Bordeaux Collection Featuring Historic Vintages of Latour’ – 29 September

Photo: Sotheby’s

Taking place in the morning and with a pre-sale estimate of HK$32m – HK$36m (US$3.3m – US$4.6m) this sale features – as advertised – a healthy dose of old and rare vintages from first growth Latour.

Among the wines on offer are a full case of the famed 1961 for HK$300,000 – HK$450,000, a Marie-Jeanne (2.25 litre) of 1959 (HK$85,000-HK$110,000), a magnum of the 1947 (HK$40,000 – HK$80,000) and two bottles of the 1945 (HK$60,000 – HK$65,000).

The afternoon session, meanwhile, features…

Hong Kong: ‘The Wonderful Cellar of an Important Asian Collector’ – 29 September

A private collection from an Asian collector with all the great names of Bordeaux and Burgundy as standard and a pre-sale estimate of HK$17m – HK$24m (US$21m – US$3m).

Look out in particular for cases of 2005 La Tiache from DRC (HK$380,000 – HK$550,000 apiece) and 2010 Cheval Blanc “in all formats”.

The following day (30 September) there is a fine wine sale with an estimate of HK$32m – HK$45m (US4.1m-US$5.8m).

New York: ‘Finest and Rarest Wines featuring The Macallan 1926, Sir Peter Blake – 12-13 October

Photo: Sotheby’s

Although there will be many fine wines available at this sale, all eyes will be on the bottle of Scotch whisky at its centre.

Valued at US$700,000 to US$1.2m, it is the highest estimate ever placed on a single bottle of wine or spirit at a Sotheby’s auction.

This May in Hong Kong, Bonhams sold two bottles of this rare single malt – one featuring the Peter Blake label the other the Valerio Adami label – and both broke the world record.

The Peter Blake label sold for US$1m, breaking the world record for a single bottle and then the Adami label broke the record again when it sold for US1.1m

Will it be broken again?

New York: ‘Rare Domaine de la Romanée-Conti from the Personal Cellar of Robert Drouhin’ – 13 October

Another highlight of an action-packed two days in New York, is the sale of many mid to late-20^th century DRC wines from the collection of its Franco-Belgian agent, fellow Burgundian estate Domaine Drouhin.

Featuring just 100 lots, the sale has an estimate of US$952,000-US$1.4m and includes wines in various formats from 1937-1964 across the property’s various grands crus.