Christie’s Finest & Rarest Wine auction at the Four Seasons Hotel des Bergues in Geneva on 15 May 2018 totaled CHF4,290,960 / $4,295,250 / €3,985,014, the highest result in the past four years. The sale offered 702 lots mainly consigned by private collectors from Europe and sold 98% by value and 95% by lot.
Edwin Vos, Head of Wine Sales Continental Europe commented: “Since 2015 the sales have attracted more and more buyers, the offering grew to over 760 lots and each sale result has achieved sell-through rates at above 90%. This spring, the sale represents the highest total for any Christie’s wine auction in Switzerland at CHF 4,320,960. The sale was appreciated by registrants from 24 countries, resulting in final prices often doubling or tripling their pre-sale estimates. Again, online participation was very strong and occurred in 45% of all 702 lots offered. The Swiss Rare Wine market is very active and vibrant and we are playing a significant role in developing this market, including to attract more private buyers, which grew to over 45% to today. ”
The top lot of the sale was a case of 12 bottles of Château Latour 1945, selling for CHF120,000 / $120,178, the highest price for a single lot achieved since 2015 and most probable the new world auction record for any original wooden case of 12 bottles of Chateau Latour. It is one of the best Château Latour, with a distinct flavor, the wine encompasses thirty notes made over five decades. This lot was followed by a case of 12 bottles of Domaine de la Romanée-Conti, Assortiment 1990, one of the world’s greatest wine producers, achieving CHF72,000 / $72,107, doubling its pre-sale
estimate. Throughout the sale we saw continuously strong bidding for Burgundy wines, mainly for Domaine de laRomanée-Conti and Armand Rousseau, such as lot 124, three magnums from 1999 selling for CHF48,000 / $48,071 against a pre-sale estimate of CHF8-10,000.
At Christie’s we have developed a specialty in offering the rarest Madeira’s and collectors from across the world arefollowing us to discover what we offer in this specific segment. Hence, the 1715 JCA & C, Terrantez Madeira, one of the oldest Madeira to have been offered on the market, sold for CHF22,800 / $22,822 against a pre-sale estimate ofCHF5,000-8,000.
We are now looking forward to our Finest & Rarest Wines auctions in Hong Kong, taking place on 25 and 26 May,especially the single owner sale Direct from the Cellars of the Historic Domaine Comte Georges de Vogüé.