Date: Fri 09-Jul-1999

Publication: Ant

Author: CAROLL

Quick Words:

wine-Sotheby's

Full Text:

Sotheby's Chicago Wine Sale

CHICAGO, ILL. -- The wine auction market surged ahead on June 12 as Sotheby's

conducted another successful sale. Over 1,500 lots attracted bidders from all

over the world, and prices were firm. The auction tallied $1.7 million,

representing 96 percent of the value of the sale. Sotheby's North American

Wine Department has now posted nearly $11 million in sales this year, 220

percent above figures for the firm one year ago.

Intense competition erupted for finest Burgundies, especially for those of the

esteemed Domaine de la Romanee-Conti. An American collector was the top bidder

for a case of magnums of La Tache 1990 (est $6/7,500) which commanded $12,650.

A three-bottle offering of Romanee-Conti 1985 (est $7,5/10,000) fetched

$14,950, while a pair of bottles of the 1990 vintage (est $3,5/4,500) brought

$6,900.

Prices were firm for Bordeaux as well, such as a case of Chateau Haut-Brion

1989 (est $4/5,000) which sold for $6,612, and a case of Chateau Petrus 1995

(est $9/12,000) brought $14,950. A single magnum of Chateau Petrus 1964 (est

$1,5/2,000) sold for $3,750, and a case of Chateau Pichon, Baron 1989 (est

$1/1,400) commanded $2,185. A cellar from Los Angeles which featured 29

vintages of Chateau Latour also attracted strong interest.

California wines included a case of Araujo Estate, Eisele Vineyard 1994 (est

$3,250/3,750) for $4,887, and a three-bottle lot of Screaming Eagle 1994

($1,3/1,700), $3,335.

Sotheby's has scheduled four wine auctions for the fall. Sherry-Lehmann with

Sotheby's will hold auctions in New York on September 18 and November 20. The

Chicago schedule resumes with a sale on October 9, which will include a

special session devoted exclusively to California wines. This will be followed

by a pre-holiday auction on December 11, which will feature a special session

comprised of wine collectibles, humidors, vintage ports and cognacs.