Sotheby’s Opus One sold to China for £101k

Sotheby’s Wine Retail announced that the Opus One Collection sold for $165,000 (£101,300) to a buyer in Mainland China, according to Reuters.

The 100 original wooden cases of the Californian wine collection was offered for a limited time as a complete package and received multiple offers before being sold to a buyer in Mainland China.

This unprecedented 100 case offering is believed to have been the largest group of Opus One to appear on the market spanning from 1997 to 2005. It was offered for sale for five days from 11 November through to 15 November.

Jamie Ritchie, Sotheby’s head of wines in North America told Reuters that the idea came from an unnamed seller who came into auction house’s wine store and asked if it was interested in selling the Bordeaux-style blend, the result of a 1979 joint venture between California’s Robert Mondavi and France’s Baroness Philippine de Rothschild.

Ritchie believes that the collection could easily arrive in time for the Chinese New Year, which is on 31 January.

In addition to the wine, the Chinese buyer also received an invitation to enjoy an exclusive reception, tour and dinner for six people at the Opus One winery in Napa Valley.