Rare Port breaks records with HK$1m sale

The second of five Lalique decanters containing an 1863 Port from the Niepoort family has set a new world record for the fortified wine at a Hong Kong auction.

The limited edition decanter and its 156 year-old contents were bought for HK$1,054,000 (US$134,000/£102,000) at The Nature Conservancy’s charity auction at Hong Kong’s Grand Hyatt Hotel on 22 March.

All proceeds will to The Nature Conservancy, an organisation that funds global partnerships and projects to tackle issues surrounding conservation of the natural world, to support its efforts in Asia-Pacific.

The price of this decanter, builds on the record set by the sale of the first (also in Hong Kong) last year.

US auctioneer Acker Merrall & Condit sold the first (dedicated to Franciscus Marius von der Niepoort the founder of the company), in November last year for HK$992,000 (US$128,000/£96,100) – itself also a record for Port sold at auction.

Current owner of Niepoort, Dirk van der Niepoort, said: “We are thrilled to achieve another landmark price for what is the oldest Port we have ever bottled, commemorating our remarkable journey over five generations.”

The Nature Conservancy sale was hosted by Sotheby’s and featured 35 luxury lots of fine wine (there was some large format 1982 Château Lafite, 1989 Haut-Brion and Opus One as well), fine art, ‘once-in-a-lifetime’ experiences and other collectables.

In total US$8.4 million was raised during the event.