HDH holds second largest sale of all time

US fine wine auctioneer Hart Davis Hart has held its final sale at the TRU restaurant in Chicago – parting ways with a sale that exceeded US$9 million – its second largest auction ever.

The three-day sale began the house’s autumn season and featured over 3,000 lots of fine wine that attracted an audience of some 1,200 bidders. The sale made $9.6m in total with 60% of lots selling above their high estimates.

One of the highlights of the sale was a large consignment of first growth claret, top Californian wines and rare spirits, referred to as the ‘Semersky Collection’.

Another was the ‘Paul Chiu Collection’, which featured some of the most sought-after producers in Burgundy. Together the two collections realised almost $2m.

Burgundy dominated the sale’s best-selling lots, with a 12-bottle case of Armand Rousseau’s 2005 Chambertin making $45,410.

Also selling-well were three-bottle cases of Domaine de la Romanée-Conti’s Romanée-Conti from the 2009, 1991, 2007, 2011 and 2014 vintages, the first three of which all went for $41,825 apiece.

Also in the top lots were a Lalique decanter of 60 year-old Macallan which sold for $41,825 and two case of 1982 Château Lafite, one which realised $38,240 the other $35,850.

Meanwhile, a single bottle of 1865 Château Latour made $23,900.

The sale marked the end of the auction house’s decade-long partnership with the TRU restaurant as well. From now on sales will be held at Spiaggia, with the first taking place from 2-3 November.