Sotheby’s last sale of the season saw lots of fine Burgundy and Bordeaux realise a total of £1.5m, as bidders competed fiercely to get their hands on sought-after wines.
Leading the sale were 10 bottles of Armand Rousseau’s 1990 Chambertin, and 10 bottles of 1982 Petrus, both of which went for £33,880.
Other top lots included 12 bottles of Rousseau’s 2005 Clos de Beze and 2002 Chambertin, as well as half cases of 1996 and 2001 La Tache, 1998 Haut Brion, 2000 Mouton Rothschild and 1982 Lafite.
Meanwhile, Domaine Leflaive's 1996 Batard Montrachet had been given a high pre-sale estimate of £5,500 but was eventually sold for £16,940.
Stephen Mould, head of Sotheby’s Wine, Europe, said: “The final London wine sale before the summer break, with temperatures hitting record levels, saw thirsty buyers frantic for white Burgundy. Batard-Montrachet 1996 Domaine Leflaive sold for a mouth-watering £16,940 against an estimate of £4,200-£5,500 and other Grands Crus from this ever-popular producer also soared over their high estimates.
“Red Burgundy from Domaine de la Romanee-Conti and Armand Rousseau were flying high, whilst fine collections of other top Burgundy producers, Bordeaux and Champagne were equally in strong demand, taking the overall total to a figure well over the high estimate. We now look forward to a sequence of excellent sales in London, New York and Hong Kong this September.”
