It’s a battle for supremacy.
Bordeaux and Burgundy fine wines, topping the auctions from the beginning of the fall season, prove that the world’s thirst for the best French fine wines has not changed.
Sotheby’s New York auction has opened the fall season on September 20 with the sales that attained 2 million dollars and surpassed all the expectations as well as the estimations (between 1,4 and 1,9 million dollars). 93% of the auction were lot sales.
The legendary Bordeaux vintages, such as 1982 or even 1989 (which are ready to be enjoyed, by the way) were strongly desired after multiple biddings for great Burgundy wines.
A case of Château Lafite 1982 sold US$ 43750, 24 half-bottles of Château Haut Brion 1989 attained US$ 25000, 3 bottles of Romanée Conti 2011 for US$ 34375, and finally 8 bottles of DRC La Tache 1988 awarded of US$ 16250.
The prices for mature Burgundy wines continue to rise and are exceptionally high for a collection of recent wines of Remoissenet, Bouchard and Camille Giroud. These are just ready to be enjoyed at a lunch or a dinner this autumn.
The great Bordeaux vintages have fetched extremely high prices, especially Haut Brion, Mouton Rothschild and Lafleur.

Meanwhile, the first London Sotheby’s wine auction on September 17 and 18, yielded the sum of £1,65 million after an estimation between £1,3 and £1,6 million.
The most exceptional lot was a lot of two Pétrus 1945 magnums, sold £47000, considerably above its estimation: £18000 – 24000.
The second one was a lot of 5 La Tache magnums, sold at one hell of a price – £44650, or three times the estimate (£12000 – 15000).

In Hong Kong, the Acker Merall auction proves one more time the desire of Chinese and Hong Kong collectors to own the best wines in the world – French Grand Crus.

 (source picture: copyright Sotheby’s)