Spectacular DRC collection up for auction

One of the rarest and most spectacular collections of Domaine de la Romanée-Conti wines ever to come to auction goes under the hammer at Zachys on 3 December.

A highlight of the New York auction season, the 136-lot consignment from an unidentified ‘longtime friend of the Domaine’ in France, consists of low-numbered bottles.

Fritz Hatton, a Zachys auctioneer, explains in the catalogue that many of these super-gilded collectibles, long held in professional storage, are numbered bottles that begin with 1.

‘The Domaine began printing unique sequential bottle numbers on labels beginning with the 1953 vintage in order to track worldwide distribution,’ Hatton said. ‘For a number of years the Domaine has honored the consignor’s request to supply the lowest numbered bottles in a range of sizes.’

The consignment includes numerous cases of bottles numbered 1-12; large formats from all six red DRC vineyards from 1995 through 2001 with bottle number 1; and cases of three and six magnums with bottles 1-3 and 1-6.

A consignment of 1999’s consisting of 12 regular bottles, 6 magnums, a Jeroboam and a Methuselah, all starting with 1, is estimated at US$100,000-$200,000.

Seven 2001 Jeroboams – one from each vineyard, including white Montrachet, and all number 1’s – is put at US$50,000 – $100,000.

‘If there is a Holy Grail for collectors of Burgundy, this is it,’ Hatton wrote.

Written by Howard G Goldberg in New York