Burgundy Records Drive $14.5 Million H.K. Sale, Year’s Biggest
Bottles of Romanee Conti and Henri Jayer vintages sold for records in Hong Kong as Acker, Merrall & Condit said last night that it raised $14.5 million, the highest tally for a wine auction this year.
A two-day sale by the New York company, totaling $HK112.8 million in local currency, underscores the resilience of Chinese demand in the face of global concern about sovereign debts.
The event featured top vintages offered by Don Stott, a U.S. collector whose cellars are known for their stock of Burgundies. Acker said 145 auction records were set.
“This provenance is impeccable,” said Hong Kong collector Paul Dunn, who paid HK$732,000 ($94,300) including commission for the most expensive lot, a 12-bottle case of a 1990 Vosne Romanee Cros Parantoux Henri Jayer.
The strength of bidding, with 98 percent of lots sold, highlighted how Asian buyers of rare French wines are diversifying beyond Bordeaux first growths to embrace top Burgundies including Romanee-Conti, Montrachet and Richebourg.
Hong Kong has become the world’s premier wine market, with $165 million in sales in 2010, according to the Wine Spectator magazine, with robust buying by mainland Chinese collectors.
Eight of Burgundy’s top wine producers were on hand for Acker’s sale, including Chateau de la Tour, Maison Louis Jadot and Domaine Armand Rousseau.
“It’s amazing here the interest of people,” said Sylvain Pitiot, who runs the 10-century old Clos de Tart vineyard which recently began selling its wines in China.
Petrus, Lafite
Acker also offered lots of Bordeaux, including a case of 1982 Chateau Petrus which sold for $HK488,000 and two cases of 1982 Chateau Lafite which fetched $HK439,000 each.
Acker, the world’s largest specialist wine auction house, raised HK$91.87 million in September at its previous Hong Kong event, boosted by the recording-setting price of HK$2.32 million ($297,400) paid for a case of Romanee-Conti 1990 Domaine de la Romanee-Conti Burgundy.
Leading Burgundies are produced in much lower volumes, and so can command higher prices per bottle for the best vintages.
The Liv-ex 100 Index of Fine Wines has fallen 15.5 percent from its July high, and down 8.4 percent since the beginning of the year.
That hasn’t deterred Dunn, who started collecting two years ago and ended up spending 50 percent more than the $1 million he planned at the Acker sale.
“Now value is holding much better for Burgundy than Bordeaux,” he said in an interview.
Acker will hold its fourth and final Hong Kong auction of 2011 on Dec. 9 and 10. The company charges a buyer’s premium of 22 percent on top of the hammer price.
To contact the writer on this story: Frederik Balfour in Hong Kong at Fbalfour@bloomberg.net
To contact the editors responsible for this story: Bret Okeson at bokeson@bloomberg.net; Manuela Hoelterhoff at mhoelterhoff@bloomberg.net.
John Kapon of Acker Merrall & Condit
Acker Merrall & Condit via Bloomberg.
John Kapon of Acker Merrall & Condit conducts an auction in Hong Kong. The November auction, run by Kapon, Acker's chief executive, raised $14.5 million.
John Kapon of Acker Merrall & Condit conducts an auction in Hong Kong. The November auction, run by Kapon, Acker's chief executive, raised $14.5 million. Source: Acker Merrall & Condit via Bloomberg.
Vosne Romanee Cros Parantoux Henri Jayer
Acker, Merrall & Condit via Bloomberg.
Bottles from a case of a 1990 Vosne Romanee Cros Parantoux Henri Jayer. The 12-bottle case was bought by Hong Kong collector Paul Dunn for HK$732,000 ($94,300) including commission in an auction that raised $14.5 million, the highest tally so far in 2011.
Bottles from a case of a 1990 Vosne Romanee Cros Parantoux Henri Jayer. The 12-bottle case was bought by Hong Kong collector Paul Dunn for HK$732,000 ($94,300) including commission in an auction that raised $14.5 million, the highest tally so far in 2011. Source: Acker, Merrall & Condit via Bloomberg.
Hong Kong Wine Auction
Acker Merrall & Condit via Bloomberg.
The scene during the Hong Kong wine sale held by Acker Merrall & Condit in November 2011. The event set 145 records, accoind to the New York-based auction house.
The scene during the Hong Kong wine sale held by Acker Merrall & Condit in November 2011. The event set 145 records, accoind to the New York-based auction house. Source: Acker Merrall & Condit via Bloomberg.
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