Mouton ‘Versailles cases’ head to London

Sotheby’s next sale in London on 17 April will feature the second tranche of limited edition ‘Versailles’ cases from Château Mouton Rothschild.

The first tranche of 25 cases were sold in Hong Kong at the start of April for HK$7.1 million (£691,120) and the next 25 are now to be offered in London and the final set of 25 will be offered in New York on 4 May.

Featuring a bottle each of the 2005, 2007, 2009, 2010 and 2013 vintages, the starting bid per case is £9,000 but Sotheby’s noted that in Hong Kong, “each case quickly soared beyond the opening bid to sell for an average price of approximately HK$283,700/£27,640.

All proceeds from the sale of the 75 cases are going towards restoration projects at the Palace of Versailles.

As well as the five bottles, buyers of the cases will also be invited to a dinner at Château Mouton Rothschild on 21 September this year – an event at which the 1945 vintage (among others) will be served.

Serena Sutcliffe MW, honorary chairman of Sotheby’s Wine, said: “The glory of Versailles and the magnificence of Mouton are a symbol of France’s brilliance and talent. The link between art and wine is centuries old, illustrating the strength of creativity and devotion to excellence in both these fields, and it is the moment to celebrate this marriage of the senses.

“Mouton Rothschild has fostered art, both ancient and modern, throughout generations of the owning family, acquiring treasures for their museum at the Château and commissioning the greatest international artists of our time to design labels for each vintage. Mouton at the Palace, philanthropy and pleasure, this is French flair at its best and an extraordinary opportunity to spread Gallic splendour to all corners of the world.”

The sale will also feature more Bordeaux from the cellar of a Swiss collector, principally first growths and top Right Bank counterparts from the 1980s and 1990.

Burgundy will include bottles and magnums of Domaine Armand Rousseau’s wines from 1986-2003, including magnums of the 1990 Chambertin and 1995 Clos de Bèze. The collection as a whole is valued at £470,000.