Chambertin to Feature With DRC, Latour at Sotheby’s Sale

Leading wines of Burgundy producer Domaine Armand Rousseau will go on sale with Domaine de la Romanee-Conti and Domaine Comte Georges de Vogue at Sotheby’s (BID) in London this month.

Top lots at the Jan. 30 sale include a case of Chambertin 1999 Rousseau carrying an estimate of as much as 12,000 pounds ($19,300) and 12 bottles of Chambertin Clos de Beze 2005 Rousseau estimated to fetch as much as 10,500 pounds, according to the auction house’s website.

Wine sales by the biggest auction houses fell 19 percent last year and the Liv-ex Fine Wine 50 Index fell 9.7 percent, its second straight annual decline, as buying from China, the main driver for investment wines, was sluggish in the first three quarters. The index fell 14 percent in the four months to Aug. 1 before stabilizing and starting to recoup losses.

The market “feels a bit more positive,” Chris Smith, investment manager at The Wine Investment Fund in London, said. “Demand has been fairly consistent over the past six months.” The fund, which has $73 million under management, is predicting a 14 percent increase in the Bordeaux-dominated Liv-ex 100 wine index this year.

The Sotheby’s auction this month also includes a 12-bottle Domaine de la Romanee-Conti 1999 assortment estimated at as much as 34,000 pounds and Chateau Latour 1996 priced as much as 5,500 pounds a case, as well as Krug Champagne.

New York-based Acker Merrall & Condit also has a two-day auction scheduled to start in Hong Kong on Jan. 25, while Zachys was due to complete its Hong Kong New-Year sale today.

Following is a list of global wine sales scheduled so far this year. Dates may be subject to revision, and links are to auction house sale catalogs and websites.

JANUARY:

Jan. 11/12:     Zachys, Hong Kong
Jan. 25/26:     Acker, Merrall & Condit, Hong Kong
Jan. 30:        Sotheby’s, London

FEBRUARY:

Feb. 2:         Hart Davis Hart, Chicago
Feb. 21:        Christie’s, London
Feb. 23:        Acker, Merrall & Condit, New York
Feb. 23:        Sotheby’s, New York
Feb. 27:        Sotheby’s, London

MARCH:

Mar. 1:         Christie’s, New York
Mar. 7/8:       Zachys, New York
Mar. 20:        Sotheby’s, London
Mar. 21:        Christie’s, London
Mar. 22/23:     Acker, Merrall & Condit, Hong Kong
Mar. 23:        Hart Davis Hart, Chicago
Mar. 27:        Acker, Merrall & Condit, New York

APRIL:

Apr. 3:         Sotheby’s, Hong Kong
Apr. 12:        Christie’s, New York
Apr. 17:        Sotheby’s, London
Apr. 23:        Christie’s, Amsterdam
Apr. 26/27:     Sotheby’s, New York
Apr. 27:        Acker, Merrall & Condit, New York

MAY:

May 2:          Christie’s, London
May 11:         Hart Davis Hart, Chicago
May 15:         Sotheby’s, London
May 23:         Bonhams, Hong Kong
May 24:         Christie’s, New York
May 24/25:      Acker, Merrall & Condit, Hong Kong
May 29:         Acker, Merrall & Condit, New York

JUNE:

Jun. 4:         Christie’s, Amsterdam
Jun. 6:         Christie’s, London
Jun. 8:         Sotheby’s, New York
Jun. 12:        Sotheby’s, London
Jun. 29:        Acker, Merrall & Condit, New York
Jun. 29:        Hart Davis Hart, Chicago

SEPTEMBER:

Sept. 7:        Acker, Merrall & Condit, New York
Sept. 21:       Hart Davis Hart, Chicago
Sept. 27/28:    Acker, Merrall & Condit, Hong Kong

OCTOBER:

Oct. 26:        Hart Davis Hart, Chicago

NOVEMBER:

Nov. 20/22:     Bonhams, Hong Kong

DECEMBER:

Dec. 7:         Hart Davis Hart, Chicago

To contact the reporter on the story: Guy Collins in London on guycollins@bloomberg.net

To contact the editor responsible for this story: Mark Beech at mbeech@bloomberg.net