A return to form for Bordeaux 1982 led the line as fine wine buyers bought all lots offered in Hart Davis Hart's Bordeaux-only auction in Chicago.
A view inside the Hart Davis Hart auction room. Image credit: HDH
Many of the best selling lots failed to beat their pre-sale high estimates, which served as a warning to those who would proclaim Bordeaux‘s resurgence on the fine wine scene too boisterously.
Yet, Hart Davis Hart‘s (HDH) first Bordeaux-only auction was 100% sold, fetching a total $5.02m versus a pre-sale estimated range of $3.7m and $5.5m.
Its result added fuel to those who see Bordeaux returning to favour among fine wine collectors, as discussed in the Market Watch section of Decanter magazine’s December issue, out tomorrow (5 November).
‘Bordeaux sales have been on the rise in the US,’ said HDH’s chief executive, Paul Hart. ‘What we’ve seen in Chicago this weekend bodes well for the Bordeaux market’s future.’
Several lots of the acclaimed 1982 vintage sold particularly well at the HDH auction, having seen prices on the open market fall significantly in recent years due to broader buyer disillusionment with the value offered by Bordeaux’s best vintages.
Top lot at HDH was a 12-bottle cache of Chateau Petrus 1982, which sold for $53,775 – including 19.5% buyer’s premium – against a pre-sale high estimate of $60,000.
Also among the top 10 single lots by price, a six-bottle haul of Lafleur 1982 fetched $26,290 versus a high estimate of $18,000, while 12 bottles of Latour 1982 sold for $21,510 against a high estimate of $28,000. In total, HDH sold 39 lots of 1982 vintage Bordeaux for $440,059.
Other highlights included three magnums of Montrose 1982, which fetched $2,390 versus a high estimate of $1,500. D’Yquem’s 1990 vintage stood up well in a difficult market for Sauternes in general. A dozen half bottles of the 1990 sold for $3,107 versus a high estimate of $2,200.
HDH also cited a single bottle of 1959 Cheval Blanc, which sold for $3,107 against a pre-sale top estimate of $2,800.
Alongside 1982, the HDH sale focused strongly on 2009 and 2010, selling 339 and 91 lots of these vintages for $1.3m and $413,291 respectively.
Written by Chris Mercer
