Sotheby’s London has sold a 12-bottle case of 1967 Domaine de la Romanée-Conti for £58,650 ($119,259), making it the most expensive case of wine ever sold in this saleroom.
The case, which had a high estimate of £22,000, was sold to an American private collector. It was part of sale of fine and rare wines, spirits and vintage Port which took place on October 10, and achieved £594,401 ($1,206,634).
To date, the most expensive case sold at Sotheby’s in London was a 12-bottle case of Château Cheval Blanc 1947, which fetched £71,300 ($146,071) in July 2007. In fact the lot contained two cases, both sold for the same price, both sold to the same buyer in Asia.
Stephen Mould, head of Sotheby’s European wine department, told decanter.com, that it was also the first time Sotheby’s London has sold this particular vintage of Romanée Conti.
He confirmed that the turmoil in the financial markets doesn’t seem to have dampened sales.
‘As we have witnessed in Wednesday’s sale, buyers of top end wines are still prepared to pay the price for the best,’ said Mould.
‘There is relative stability in the fine wine market – confidence among private buyers seems unmoved.’
He said that among Burgundies, DRC is in ‘a league of its own’ but that Henri Jayer wines are also very much in demand.
Written by Maggie Rosen
