LONDON, 16 November 2016 – Stephen Mould, Head of Sotheby’s Wine, Europe, commented: “The fantastic sale result for ‘The Treasured Collection of a Connoisseur’ is testimony to both the outstanding quality of the owner’s wine and a reflection of his exquisite taste. The depth and breadth of the collection were breathtaking, resulting in 78% of lots selling above the high estimate. Buyers came from 21 different countries and they competed energetically for the most coveted lots, with a high proportion selling to telephone bidders and 35% to online bidders. It is difficult to single out highlights, as there were so many, but special mention should be made of the two lots of Montrachet which were the highest sold lots in the sale. All the large formats were snapped up including no less than 35 6-litre Imperials of Bordeaux from the outstanding 1982 vintage, the highest price going to Château Lafleur 1982 at £25,850.”

One of the most exciting private collections of wine to come to auction in years, The Treasured Collection of a Connoisseur far exceeded its pre-sale low estimate of £1.7 million to bring a total of £2,667,426 ($3,334,283). This treasure trove glittered with a multitude of gems from some of the starriest of vintages, estates and domains – from the grandest Bordeaux crus classés and stunning white Burgundy to show-stopping Champagne. The auction was led by magnificent white Burgundy, with a ten-bottle offering of Montrachet DRC 1986 and a 12-bottle lot of Montrachet 1992 from Domaine Ramonet each sharing the top price of £54,050.

A Unique Crystal Magnum Decanter of Special Louis XIII Cognac – European Edition

In a special 1-lot sale, Sotheby’s presented the European edition of L’Odyssée d’un Roi, following the offering at Sotheby’s in New York and Hong Kong earlier this autumn of two unique versions commissioned especially for The Americas and Asia. Each of these one-of-a-kind masterpieces, created as a result of a collaboration inspired by the first shipments of LOUIS XIII, one of the most luxurious spirits in the world, commanded prices well in excess of their starting bids. Cognac enthusiasts drove the final sale price for the European edition to £188,000 ($235,000), more than double the starting bid of £70,000. This brings a combined total of over US$558,000 for all three distinct versions. Proceeds from the sales benefit The Film Foundation, a non-profit organisation founded by Martin Scorsese and other leading filmmakers with the goal of preserving and restoring classic films.

Jamie Ritchie, Worldwide Head of Wine at Sotheby’s, commented: “The final result is testament to the passion and appreciation for Louis XIII from collectors all over the world, not only for the sublime drinking experience this Cognac affords, but also for the highly-skilled artisanal work that goes into making Louis XIII. Even more special is that funds are going to The Film Foundation’s cinematic heritage preservation efforts.”

Ludovic du Plessis, LOUIS XIII Global Executive Director, said, “We are very happy with the final result and all the excitement Louis XIII Cognac has generated around the world. It has been an honour to support the Film Foundation’s efforts to raise funds.”

LOUIS XIII collaborated with French luxury houses Hermès, Puiforcat and Saint-Louis to create L’Odyssée d’un Roi (Journey of a King), at the heart of which was an exclusive blend of LOUIS XIII Cognac, specially crafted by Cellar Master Baptiste Loiseau in tribute to the Cognac’s heritage of adventure and discovery. More than 50 individual artisans devoted over 1,000 hours to produce these bespoke creations, their design and content inspired by the continent for which they were destined for sale. The tailor-made offering included a bespoke trunk hand-stitched by Hermès, a white gold pipette forged by the Art Deco silversmith Puiforcat, and a sublime custom crystal decanter and four elegant serving glasses made by the royal cristallerie Saint-Louis, each decanter etched with either a 19th-century map of Europe, Asia or the Americas.

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