Decanter World Wine AwardsBurgundy 'sizzles' in Hong Kong as top Bordeaux falls below estimates
- Thursday 10 November 2011
DRC: Burgundy 'sizzling'
Acker, Merrall and Condit's sale of US collector Don Stott's cellar sold a number of Bordeaux lots last weekend, including Lafite-Rothschild 1982, which was estimated to sell at HK$320,000-HK$480,000 (£25,000-38,500).
Bidders picked it up for a much lower HK$260,000 (£20,800), and other first growth prices were similarly subdued.
John Kapon, CEO of Acker, Merrall and Condit, told Decanter.com, 'I think the Bordeaux market got a little overheated. It's been so strong for the past couple of years,'
'There perhaps has been a bit of an oversupply, he said. 'There's also some resentment after the aggressive 2010 campaign.'
Yet the auction seems to suggest interest in top Burgundy is rising among Hong Kong and Chinese collectors.
Over two days, 145 world auction records were set, raising a total of HK$112.7m (£9m) with a single jeroboam of 1999 Romanée Conti from Domaine de La Romanée Conti selling for more than £47,000.
Kapon added, ‘Burgundy is sizzling at the moment. China is waking up to the fact that Burgundy can make some of the world's greatest wines.’
Have your say!
James Swann, Ditton Wine Traders
November 11 17:43
Not so fast.
Bordeaux's dominant position in wine investment markets is, of course, due to the fact that it produces comparatively large volumes of high priced, high quality wine. It provides, in other words, tradability.
Burgundy cannot do so. This, in part, supports the dominance of DRC among Burgundy growers in this market.
The Domaine has one of the larger quantities available by dint of owning more hectares; this is of course relative to Burgundy. Thus, DRC can be profitably traded in a way similar to, for example, Cheval Blanc.
However, in the current market dynamic, it is the Left Bank, with its higher production levels that sees significant and sustained price rises.
Unwined.TV
November 11 12:08
Finally! It's incredible that Bordeaux still occupies about 90% of the fine wine investment market. Burgundy, Sauternes, Barolo etc to explore in the coming 2-3 years?
Ben
November 11 11:46
Not good will only push up prises further now but to be expected.