Sotheby’s hosts huge NYC sale

Auction house Sotheby’s has hailed its largest New York wine sale for 15 years, with the “Don Stott Cellar” making over US$8 million.

Taking place over two days from 8-9 May, the sale saw 8,426 bottles sold – over half of them Burgundy – with an average bottle price of $994, rising to an average of $1,259 for a bottle of Burgundy, the sale made $8.4m in total.

Roumier, Rousseau and Domaine de la Romanée-Conti were at the centre of the sale and the auction’s highest selling case was a 1973 Montrachet from DRC which went for $58,188 to an Asian collector.

Other high-selling lots included 12 bottles of 1971 Bonnes Mares from Roumier which made $55,125, three bottles of 1990 Henri Jayer Cros Parantoux for $45,938 and 10 bottles of Rousseau’s 1985 Chambertin Clos de Bèze for $33,688.

Stott, a financier and philanthropist, has been collecting for over 50 years and described himself as “ecstatic” about the results and commended Sotheby’s for conducting the sale, “in a manner embodying the finest Burgundian traditions of sharing and camaraderie.”

Duncan Sterling, Sotheby’s head of New York Wine Auctions, added: “We thank Don Stott for giving us the opportunity to offer his extraordinary collection in a special two day single-owner auction.

“The sale was the largest undertaking by Sotheby’s Wine in the past 15 years and brought the highest total for one of our auctions in this period. Its success was made possible by the teamwork and professionalism of both Sotheby’s Wine specialists and our regional offices worldwide – particularly in Asia, Brazil and Mexico. Clients flew in from Hong Kong, Brazil, Mexico, Canada and both coasts of the United States to take part in this unique sale of incredibly rare Burgundy.

“American collectors were the driving force, buying 83% of the sale through spirited bidding in the auction room, on the telephones and online. This is the first single owner sale this year in New York and the third for Sotheby’s Wine overall in 2015. We are delighted to have delivered such an exceptional result, 22% over the high estimate, for this esteemed collector.”