HDH first sale brings in US$8m

US auction house Hart Davis Hart’s first fine wine sale of 2019 got off to a flying start making US$8 million, nearly US$1m over the pre-sale high estimate.

Held in Chicago, the two day sale featured wines from the cellar of a noted collector, David Utterberg, which realised US$1.6m of the total result.

Over 1,000 bidders from all over the world drove over 60% of the lots to final prices that exceeded their pre-sale estimates.

From the Utterberg collection there was strong bidding for Domaine de la Romanée-Conti, Domaine Ponsot, Henri Jayer and Méo-Camuzet.

Another collection from Johnson Ho & The Pantheon Wine Shoppe was slightly more claret focused with cases of Petrus and Cheval Blanc leading the way as well as Chambolle-Musigny from Georges Roumier.

The rest of the sale featured blue chip wines from Burgundy, California, Bordeaux, Italy and Champagne. There was a sizeable line-up of wines from Bruno Giacosa dating back to the 1970s that was strongly bid after.

The sale’s top lot was a 12 bottle case of 1990 La Tâche which went for $101,575, closely followed by a dozen of Domaine Ponsot’s 1985 Clos de la Roche at $95,600.