21 Club collection up for auction

Autumn’s auction season opens 12 September at Christie’s New York with a selection from the cellars of the 21 Club, one of New York’s most famous restaurants.

The total sale, which includes over 670 lots sourced from several prominent collections, is expected to raise in excess of US$1.9 million.

Among the lots is a brace of rare Bordeaux and Burgundy from a private collection. More than a dozen lots from this cellar are valued above the $20,000 mark, led by three magnums of 1947 Cheval Blanc (estimate: $40,000-60,000), two magnums of 1990 Romanée-Conti (estimate: $40,000-50,000), five bottles of 1962 Romanée-Conti (estimate: $35,000-50,000), and a case of 1945 Château La Mission Haut-Brion (estimate: $30,000-50,000).

For collectors drawn to large-format bottles, highlights include: methuselahs of 1985 and 1988 La Tâche and 1988 Montrachet, jeroboams of 1949, 1959 and 1961 Château Latour, and magnums of 1949 Cheval Blanc, 1971 and 1990 La Tâche, and the 1962, 1969, 1971 and 1976 vintages of Romanée-Conti.

The ‘21’ Club collection includes array of red Burgundies, California stand-outs, and a few Italian greats, among others. Pressed for storage space, the restaurant wine director has culled 630 bottles from the cellar’s overflow stock.

Capital raised from the auction of these lots will be used to further expand the restaurant’s wine list.

Among the highlights are 6 bottles of 1999 Musigny, Vieilles Vignes from the estate of Comte Georges De Vogüé, packed in the original wooden case (estimate: $2,200-3,000); and 3 bottles of newly-released Domaine de la Romanée-Conti’s La Tâche – Vintage 2006 (estimate: $1,500-2,000).

“We are eager to welcome collectors back from the summer break with a sale that is jam-packed with rare and exciting consignments from top-quality private cellars,” said Charles Curtis, head of wine sales, Christie’s Americas.

“Auction prices for fine and rare wines have continued to rebound from last winter’s low, inspiring renewed interest from buyers eager to find new treasures for their collections. To that end, we have assembled a superlative offering of the finest mature vintages from Bordeaux and Burgundy, along with a great variety of more recent vintages suitable for laying down.”

Patrick Schmitt, 13.08.2009