Albert Yeung wine sale smashes high estimate at Sotheby’s
Sotheby’s latest white glove sale, a live auction of wines from the cellar of Hong Kong property tycoon Albert Yeung Sau-shing, has far surpassed its pre-sale value reaching a total of HK$17,660,000 (£1,664,000).
Sotheby’s Hong Kong has sold every lot in its latest major wine sale — The Majestic Cellar of Dr. Albert Yeung.
The live auction, held during Sotheby’s Asia’s Luxury Week, was estimated at HK$10m. However, when the final hammer came down, the total sale value of all 426 bottles reached HK$17,660,000.
The top lot, which sold for HK$625,000, was a lot of three magnums of Romanée Conti 1997 Domaine de la Romanée-Conti. Although this lot sold for below its high estimate (HK$650,000), 83.2% of the auction lots were sold above their high estimates.
Two lots of 12 bottles of Petrus 2005 surpassed their high estimate (HK$320,000), with one lot going for HK$437,500 and the second for HK$350,000.
Twelve bottles of Echézeaux 2006 Domaine de la Romanée-Conti, estimated at HK$170,000-240,000, achieved HK$325,000 (US$41,704).
Yeung’s private wine collection features a selection of some of the finest Bordeaux and Burgundy wines.
George Lacey, Head of wine, Asia for Sotheby’s, said prior to the sale: “This is not a high volume cellar, but one with an emphasis on only the most remarkable jewels of the wine world.”
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He described Yeung’s collection as having been curated with “meticulous care”, adding: “Truly, there are only icons to be found here.”
Burgundy continues to lead auction sales worldwide for Sotheby’s. In 2024, wines from the French region accounted for over a third of the auction house’s global wine auction turnover.
Domaine de la Romanée Conti alone represented near 20% of global wine sales, highlighting unparalleled demand. Record prices include Romanée-Conti Grand Cru averaging £221,233 per case in 2024.
The top lot at Sotheby’s was a case of Henri Jayer’s 1999 Vosne-Romanée Cros Parantoux, selling for US.$152,596 in Hong Kong.
Asia is also a key region for Sotheby’s fine wine sales. Asian collectors accounted for 32% of total sales, making the region the second largest market behind the US. Hong Kong remained Sotheby’s most important wine auction hub in Asia, followed by mainland China and Singapore.
Sotheby’s Hong Kong has plans for six more auctions on wine and spirits to come.
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