Bill Koch to auction half his wine collection

Sotheby’s is to hold a three-day sale in New York this May featuring some 20,000 bottles from the cellar of billionaire US collector and anti-fraud campaigner, Bill Koch.

Bill Koch’s cellar

Grouped together in 2,700 lots, the bottles are expected to fetch in the region of US$10.5 million to $15m, which will make it one of the highest totals ever achieved by a Sotheby’s fine wine sale.

As Sotheby’s US CEO, Jamie Ritchie, said, the sale includes “significant quantities” of very fine and rare wine from various regions – though Bordeaux and Burgundy most notably.

There are 125 lots of Château Latour, 100 of Lafite, 80 of Mouton Rothschild, 60 of Petrus, 200 of Domaine de la Romanée-Conti, 100 of Leroy, 45 of Guigal, 11 vintages from Harlan, seven vintages of Penfolds Grange and an extensive array of Piedmontese wines.

Ritchie continued: “Bill Koch has one of the greatest cellars in the world, packed full of legendary wines that all collectors want to try. Bill focused on the highest quality: the greatest producers from each region, together with the best vintages.

“As a very generous host, he purchased significant quantities, so he could enjoy them on multiple occasions, with many friends around the table. We are delighted to offer this wonderful selection from his very impressive cellar, in a special three-day single-owner auction, which will give collectors around the world the opportunity to buy and enjoy these wines. As you would expect, the wines have been stored impeccably and are in exceptional condition.”

Koch himself added: “My cellar is the result of nearly four decades of collecting. I aimed to assemble the very best Bordeaux and Burgundy where you could taste the love and the passion that the vintner had in making it.”

As for the reason why he was making some cellar space he explained: “With around 43,000 bottles, I could not possibly consume everything in my cellar so I am delighted to offer this selection to allow collectors all over the world to enjoy the glorious moments that come with these wines.”

A philanthropist and former America’s Cup-winning yachtsman (in 1992), Koch will be most familiar to those interested in wine through his embroilment with wine fraudsters Rudy Kurniawan and Hardy Rodenstock.

Koch bought one of the infamous ‘Jefferson’ bottles of Lafite “discovered” by Rodenstock in Paris and bought large amounts of wine from Acker Merrall & Condit later found to have been consigned by Kurniawan.

Koch testified at the trial of Kurniawan and was paid “substantial” damages by Acker.

Stressing the provenance of the wines being offered during the sale, Ritchie told the drinks business: “As we do for all our sales, our experienced team of specialists inspect every bottle, which is combined with research of the cellar records.

“When we have any doubts or concerns then they are put to one side, while we do additional research, including contacting the producers with specific requests for information or verification of provenance.”

Notable highlights from the sale include:

• 11 bottles of 1945 Latour – $24,000 – $35,000
• Six magnums of 1961 Latour – $42,000 – $60,000
• One imperial 1961 Latour – $28,000 – $40,000
• Six magnums 1953 Lafite – $24,000 – $35,000
• Six bottles 1918 Mouton Rothschild – $12,000 – $16,000
• Six bottles 1959 Haut-Brion – $8,500 – $11,000
• Six magnums 1983 Margaux – $4,200 – $6,500
• Two bottles 1921 Yquem – $6,000 – $8,000
• One imperial 1991 DRC, Romanée-Conti – $70,000 – $100,000
• Eight bottles 1961 Gaja, Barbaresco – $3,200 – $4,500
• 12 bottles 1985 Côte Rôtie, La Mouline, Guigal $9,000 – $12,000
• 12 bottles 1985 Côte Rôtie, La Turque, Guigal $9,000 – $12,000
• 12 bottles 1985 Côte Rôtie, La Landonne, Guigal $8,000 – $11,000
• Four bottles 1934 Taylor’s Port – $1,600 – $2,200
• Nine bottles 1945 Graham’s Port – $4,000 – $5,500

The sale will take place from 19-21 May in New York.