Bill Koch's World-Class Wine Collection Just Sold for a Record $28.8 Million at Auction
Cheers were in order at Christie's over the weekend.
Prized bottles from the cellar of billionaire businessman William Koch realized $28.8 million at auction, setting a new record as the largest and most expensive single-owner wine collection ever sold in North America.
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The three-day live auction, which took place at Christie's New York from Thursday, June 12 to Saturday, June 14, attracted bidders of all ages and nationalities. Nearly half of the registrants (42 percent) were new to wine auctions at Christie's, according to the auction house. All 1,500 lots were snapped up, with the sale achieving 154 percent of the low estimate ($15 million).
The epic haul included both the finest vintages from the world's best producers and an array of under-the-radar wines. Some 750 large-format bottles also went under the hammer.
The star of the auction was a Domaine de la Romanée-Conti 1999 Romanée-Conti. The Methuselah—described as 'the ultimate unicorn bottle' by Paul Tortora, vice president and international director of wine at Christie's—was originally expected to sell for between $100,000 and $150,000, but hammered down for a hefty $275,000. Three Magnums of the same wine also sold for double the pre-sale estimate, collectively achieving $237,500.
The wines of Domaine Georges Roumier were also an auction standout, with multiple lots shattering their pre-auction estimates. Six magnums of Domaine Georges Roumier 1985 Bonnes Mares sold for double the high estimate, collectively fetching $200,000.
Large-format bottles performed exceptionally well across the board, with outstanding results for Burgundy in particular. Lots of Bordeaux achieved exceptional prices, too, with six magnums of Château Latour 1961 Grand Vin hammering down for $187,500.
The sheer diversity of the collection is a testament to Koch's discerning taste. Interestingly, the oenophile's first foray into wine was sipping Portuguese rosé Lancers during grad school in the early 1960s. 'I remember it fondly because it came in a clay jug that you could use for a candle holder,' Koch told Robb Report in a recent interview. He soon graduated to Burgundy and Bordeaux, and then to California wines after the 1976 Judgment of Paris tasting highlighted the quality of Napa Cabernet Sauvignon. Koch spent the subsequent decades amassing what is one of the world's greatest wine collections.
'I hope these wines that I have spent years collecting and curating will bring joy and great memories to their new owners,' Koch said in a statement. 'Drink them in good health.'
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