Sotheby’s last fine wine auction of the year in New York realised an impressive $3.8m thanks largely to rare Champagne and Burgundy.
Highlights of the Bollinger consignment included a bottle of the 1914 and a visit to the estate, which went for $12,250; a Jeroboam of 1979 RD for $6,738; and three bottles of 1973 ‘Année Rare’, which sold for $5,145.
Jerome Philipon, president of Champagne Bollinger, stated: “I am absolutely thrilled with the results from our first-ever US auction – and in fact our first auction in the world. The main takeaway for me is that all of the wines – from the non-vintage to the vintage to the historic vintages – surpassed estimations. This shows the strength of the Bollinger brand across all Champagne cuvée categories.”
The best-selling lot of the night was a 12-bottle case of 1966 Chambertin from Armand Rousseau which realised $58,800 (against a high estimate of $35,000); another full case of 1965 Romanee-Conti from Domaine de la Romanee-Conti made $42,875 while a six-bottle case of 1999 La Tache went for $26,950. A magnum of Henri Jayer 1985 Vosne Romanée Cros Parantoux sold for $21,000.
The auction has pushed Sotheby’s New York sales total for the year to $34m – the second highest figure in the house’s history in the city.
