1969 Salon steals the show at Zachys sale

Zachys’ New York sale on 16 April saw rare Madeira, 1969 Salon and cult Napa Cabernets dominate the bidding.

The sale was 100% sold and realised US$3 million in total. One of the highlights of the sale was a collection of old Madeira from the collection of Bob Dickinson.

Standout lots included two bottles of 1795 Terrantez Berbeito which realised $7,963 and another two bottles of Malmsey Quinta do Serrado 1830 which went for $4,165.

An “unprecedented” 50 bottles of Salon’s 1969 vintage, split over four lots of 12 bottles, was another high point of the sale and altogether went for $133,035 – at $31,850 a dozen they were the sale’s best-selling lots. Another six magnums of 1969 Krug went for $22,050.

Cult Napa Cabs from Harlan, Screaming Eagle, Diamond Creek and Sine Qua Non were likewise much in demand. Four bottles of Diamond Creek’s 1978 ‘Volcanic Hill Cabernet Sauvignon’ sold for $2,695 – 50% above the high estimate.

There was, naturally, strong bidding for Bordeaux and Burgundy as well with 1989 Haut-Brion, 2000 Mouton, 1993 Clos de Beze from Armand Rousseau and 1993 La Tâche from Domaine de la Romanée-Conti among the top-selling items.

Jeff Zacharia, Zachys’ president, commented: “Despite the sun, blue skies, and it feeling like the first ‘true’ spring day we’ve had this year, Smith & Wollensky was packed with close to 100 attendees over the course of the day.

“They came for the rare Champagne, the finest of Burgundy and Bordeaux, and the wonderful selection of California wines, and they left happy. At the turn of the new year, we weren’t planning on having an April auction…but we’re glad we did and so, apparently were our clients.”