Christie’s Hong Kong unveils exceptional line-up of wines and spirits across four auctions

Christie’s Hong Kong has unveiled an exceptional line-up of live and online-only auctions this May, which feature a diverse range of wines from renowned private cellars and library vintages designed to cater for the growing demand from Asia’s thriving fine wine market.

The line-up comprises four sales – two of which will be held live at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre on 24-25 May, with two further sales running online-only from 26 May-7 June.

Michelle Chan, head of wine and spirits, Christie’s Asia Pacific, said the exceptional line-up highlighted the breadth and depth of the firm’s wine offerings, with a diverse range of wines and spirits at attractive price points that would cater to both seasoned collectors and new enthusiasts.

“Our curation includes some of the finest wines from private cellars across the world, reflecting Christie’s longstanding success and heritage in curating the very best for our clients,” she said. “Spanning Bordeaux, Burgundy, Champagne, Rhône, and premium Scottish and Japanese whiskies, these auctions are a testament to our commitment to offering unparalleled quality and diversity to the global wine market.”

Finest and Rarest Wines Featuring Four Stunning Cellars and Library Vintages Direct from Château Léoville Poyferré

The first of the two live sales to take place is the ‘Finest and Rarest Wines Featuring Four Stunning Cellars and Library Vintages Direct from Château Léoville Poyferré’ at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre on 24 May, which is expected to reach at least HK$27 million (US$3.5 million).

The sale comes from respected private collectors worldwide, including A Superb Family Collection from North America, which includes rare magnums of Mouton 1945, Haut-Brion vintages purchased directly from the Château, rare magnums of Le Pin 1982, and a selection of Romanee-Conti vintages, including the 1989, 1990, and 2005. An “exquisite” collection of mature Bordeaux has also been curated by a Japanese collector, featuring Lafite vintages 1945, 1953, 1959, 1961; Latour 1959 and 1961, Mouton 1959, Haut Brion 1961, and Palmer 1961; as well as more than 50 lots of Château Léoville Poyferré, which come direct from the Château. These span the 1982 to 2020 vintages and include a full range of formats, including a jeroboam of Château Léoville Poyferré 2020 (estimate: HK$7,500 – 11,000 / US$950 – 1,400), right up to a Melchoir 18L.

Burgundies on offer include a selection of DRC and Domaine Leroy Nuits-Saint-Georges Les Boudots 2014 and 2015 in their original carton; a Domaine de la Romanée-Conti, La Tâche from 2000s and 2010s, and a fine selection of White Burgundy including Joseph Drouhin, Montrachet Marquis de Laguiche, Faiveley.

An Exceptional Private Cellar Part II

The second live auction, ‘An Exceptional Private Cellar Part II’, will be held at the same venue on 25 May – the second instalment of the highly successful single-owner collection that was sold at Christie’s Hong Kong in 2021. It is estimated to raise around HK$14 million (US$1.8 million) at the low estimate.

The sale includes a selection of wines from Bordeaux, Burgundy, the Rhône, and several Super Tuscans along with an exceptional offering of ultra rare bottles of whiskies from The Macallan and Japanese ‘ghost distillery’ Karuizawa. These include a rare Red Ribbon collection of The Macallan dating from the 1930s to 1950s, and ultra-rare bottles of Karuizawa 36 Views of Mount Fuji (1 bottle per lot, low estimate: HK$24,000-40,000 / US$3,000-5,000) and Streams of Time 1965-2017 (estimate: HK$320,000 – 450,000 / US$40,000 – 58,000).

“The rarity of the Karuizawa selection is remarkable, as bottles from this ‘ghost distillery’ become increasingly scarce over time,” a Christie’s spokesman said.

Highlights of the sale from Bordeaux include wines from Latour, Lafite, Margaux, Mouton, La Mission Haut-Brion, and Haut-Brion on the Left Bank and Petrus, Le Pin, Lafleur, and Cheval Blanc from the Right Bank. This includes six bottle cases of Château Lafite-Rothschild 1982 (estimate: HK$80,000 – 110,000 / US$10,300 – 14,000),  Château Mouton-Rothschild 1959 (4 bottles per lot, estimate: HK$65,000 – 95,000 / US$8,300 – 12,000), magnums of Château Margaux 1961 (estimate HK$45,000 – 65,000 / US$5,800 – 8,300 for 3 magnums),  a double magnum of Château Haut-Brion 1989 (estimate: HK$65,000 – 90,000 / US$8,300 – 12,000) and 3 bottles of Petrus 1989 (estimate: HK$70,000 – 100,000 / US$9,000 – 13,000 per lot of 3).

Burgundy enthusiasts also have a remarkable selection of rare vintages to choose from, including a large selection of wines from Domaine de la Romanée-Conti, including ultra-rare large formats such as methuselahs of La Tâche 2000 and Montrachet 2003; Henri Jayer, including Cros Parantoux dating back to the iconic 1985; and Armand Rousseau, among others.

Highlights from the Rhône include bottles of Hermitage La Chapelle, De Fonsalette, and Rayas vintages back to 1976, as well as the exquisite super-Tuscan, Masseto.

A Dazzling DRC Collection from a French Private Cellar

The first online sale, which will be held from 26 May – 7 June, entitled ‘A Dazzling DRC Collection from a French Private Cellar: Online’ will see an exclusive range of more than 90 lots of Domaine de la Romanée-Conti.

Highlights of this sale include Domaine de la Romanée-Conti, La Tâche 1997 (6 bottles per lot, estimate: HK$170,000 – 260,000 / US$22,000 – 33,000), Domaine de la Romanée-Conti, La Tâche 2007 (12 bottles per lot,, estimate: HK$400,000 – 600,000 / US$50,000 -76,000),  and Domaine de la Romanée-Conti, La Tâche 2009 (12 bottles per lot, estimate: HK$550,000 – 800,000 / US$70,000 – 100,000).

A Blue-Chip Burgundy Collection Purchased on Release: Online

The second online sale, ‘A Blue-Chip Burgundy Collection Purchased on Release: Online’ will run concurrently, comprising more than 250 lots, around 90% of which were purchased on release. Highlights include wines from Rousseau, including a 12-bottle lot of Domaine Leroy Vosne-Romanée 2004 (estimate: HK$320,000 – 480,000 / US$40,000 – 60,000); Dujac, and Roumier, from vintages from the 1990s to 2017, as well as a superb selection of highly sought-after white Burgundies by Pierre Yves Colin Morey.

Previews of all four sales will be held next week (16 – 19 May) at Christie’s Galleries in Central Hong Kong.

Save the date and browse the lots below

Auction times

24 May | Live Auction | Finest and Rarest Wines Featuring Four Stunning Cellars and Library Vintages Direct from Château Léoville Poyferré

25 May | Live Auction | An Exceptional Private Cellar Part II

26 May – 7 June | Online Auction | A Dazzling CRC Collection from a French Private Cellar: Online

26 May – 7 June | Online Auction | A Blue-Chip Burgundy Collection Purchased on Release: Online