Black Pearl Cognac to go under hammer

A rare bottle of Rémy Martin Black Pearl Cognac is up for sale at auction in London next week after years on the shelves of a cruise ship.

The Black Pearl Cognac, which is bottled in a limited edition black crystal decanter, is estimated to fetch between £5,000-7,000 at Bonhams Fine & Rare wines sale on 13 September.

The Cognac is part of Rémy Martin’s Louis XIII range, and only 800 bottles are released each year. Black Pearl is made using a blend of 1200 eaux de vie, between 40 and 100 years old and is aged in ancient oak barrels. It is produced from grapes grown in the Grande Champagne area of the Cognac region.

Richard Harvey, international director of Bonhams wine department said: “Black Pearl is a highly sought after de-luxe Cognac and it is incredibly rare to see something like this come up at auction.”

This bottle was bought in the on-board shop of a cruise liner by an eagle-eyed South African bar manager, who sent it from Greece to South Africa for safe-keeping. The Cognac is believed to have been on the cruise liner’s shelves for several years as it crossed the world.

Other rare Cognac in the same sale includes two bottles that are over 200 years old. A bottle of Pierre Ferrand Cognac, Réserve Marie Domain from 1806 is estimated to achieve £1,800-2,200, and a bottle of Napoléon Grande Fine Champagne Cognac is estimated at £1,000-1,500.

The sale also features a strong collection of Burgundy, with Sotheby’s also showing a strong range of Burgundian and Italian lots in their sale to be held the day before, on 12 September.