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Lafite price comparison: Trade vs Auction

We had a feeling they were going to be big - but the numbers coming out of Hong Kong today would have raised even the most reserved of eyebrows.

As prices started to trickle out, amid gasps and exclamation marks from the Twittersphere, the Decanter office tried make sense of the numbers. Can these be right, we wondered.

Why? Well, only two days ago, we were reporting Lafite 2008 rising 20% to an all time high of c.£10,500 a case, thanks to the promise of a symbolic addition to its bottles.

A mere 48 hours later and a case had just sold in Hong Kong for £21,500.

Vintage after vintage, the current market trading prices for Chateau Lafite Rothschild were blown away, with more than 14 examples of lots reaching double their last trade on Liv-ex.

The chart below shows a selection of Lafite case prices – and compares the latest traded figures [in £, courtesy of Liv-ex] against the price they reached at auction in Hong Kong today.

Take a deep breath.

Size Vintage Recent trade price [£] HK auction price [£] Difference [£] Difference [%]
12x75cl 2009 10,950 43,124 32,174 294%
12x75cl 2008 10,660 21,562 10,902 102%
12x75cl 2007 5,950 17,642 11,692 197%
12x75cl 2006 6,900 17,642 10,742 156%
12x75cl 2005 10,182 23,522 13,340 131%
12x75cl 2004 6,699 19,602 12,903 193%
12x75cl 2003 11,200 31,363 20,163 180%
12x75cl 2002 6,650 17,642 10,992 165%
12x75cl 2001 7,045 11,761 4,716 67%
12x75cl 2000 18,900 45,085 26,185 139%
12x75cl 1999 7,550 15,682 8,132 108%
12x75cl 1998 7,850 17,942 10,092 129%
12x75cl 1996 12,250 31,363 19,113 156%
12x75cl 1995 7,573 19,602 12,029 159%
12x75cl 1994 7,112 11,761 4,649 65%
12x75cl 1990 8,195 10,095 1,900 23%
12x75cl 1982 37,500 84,289 46,789 125%
Source: Liv-ex

[Prices are for single lots and include buyer premiums. Stock is ex-cellars Lafite in OWC]

USD quick conversion:
£1000 = US$1595.32 [Exchange rate: £1 = US$1.59532]

Written by John Abbott

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