In a gathering of the world’s most remarkable wines, connoisseurs with deep pockets are poised to embark on an unprecedented opportunity as the largest and most valuable collection of rare wines ever assembled enters the market. This remarkable assembly, owned by Taiwanese billionaire Pierre Chen, consists of 25,000 bottles of wine, featuring an array of mythical vintages and prestigious labels, and is projected to command prices of nearly $200,000 (£165,000) per bottle.
This extraordinary collection, set to dazzle wine enthusiasts and collectors alike, is scheduled to go under the hammer in separate auctions hosted by Sotheby’s in prominent cities including Paris, London, New York, Hong Kong, and Beaune, the revered wine capital of the Burgundy region.
Nick Pegna, the global head of wine and spirits at Sotheby’s, who is overseeing the sale, expressed, “This is the ultimate wine collection, which comes to the market at a time when global interest in fine wine has arguably never been greater. This is a cellar in which every bottle has a story, and in which every wine is the best you could wish to own and enjoy.”
The auction house has hailed Chen’s collection, meticulously cultivated over four decades, as “the most broad-ranging, valuable cellar ever formed.”
Among the star lots within this treasure trove are two colossal six-liter Methuselahs of Domaine de la Romanée-Conti La Tâche from the revered 1985 vintage, each commanding an estimated price of up to $190,000 (£156,000). An additional Methuselah from the 1999 vintage is expected to fetch around $130,000. Furthermore, a three-liter Jeroboam from 1971, filled with the same iconic red Burgundy, is valued at $140,000.
The offerings continue to entice with two magnums of 1985 Domaine Armand Rousseau Chambertin, with anticipated bids of up to $32,000 per bottle. Notably, six magnums of the 2001 Vosne-Romanée Cros Parantoux 1er Cru, produced by the esteemed Henri Jayer, often referred to as the “Godfather of Burgundy,” are poised to command prices of up to $70,000 each.
In the realm of white Burgundies, 12 bottles of the 2014 Bâtard-Montrachet are estimated to reach prices of up to $22,000 per bottle. Among the red Bordeaux offerings, the collection boasts a 1959 Château Lafite Rothschild, a 1961 Château Latour, and the seminal 1947 Château Cheval Blanc.
As this unparalleled wine collection takes center stage, collectors and wine enthusiasts eagerly await the opportunity to acquire some of the most coveted and exceptional wines ever assembled, with the potential to redefine the landscape of fine wine auctions.
