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France
Centenarian wines on the auction block
Article published on the 2008-11-28 Latest update 2008-11-29 08:13 TU
A collection of Château d'Yquem
(Photo: Manuel Zublena)
Three centuries of wine are to be auctioned off on in Paris in December. Of the 1,500 items on offer, one is a set of the prestigious Château Yquem with three bottles, from 1800, 1900 and 2000. The three together are worth 65,000 euros.
"This year is exceptional, because of the Château d'Yquem set and the Yquem bottle from 1811,” said Claude Maratier, the wine expert who puts together twice-yearly sales of prestigious wines.
The 1811 Yquem is worth an estimated 35,000 euros.
Château d'Yquem, a sweet white Sauternes wine from the Bordeaux region, is one of the most prestigious in the world.
Maratier says the three centuries in one set is “the most extraordinary and surprising thing I have seen in my whole career”, as Yquem from the 19th century has become impossible to find.
Also to be auctioned will be six bottles of Château Pétrus, arguably the most prestigious Bordeaux red, from 1982, worth 15,000 euros, bottles of another great red Bordeaux, Château Margaux, from 1982 and 1983, as well as Burgundy grands crus.
The 1,500 items are worth an estimated 1.5 million euros.
The most prestigious bottles will be sold at the Lombrail-Teucquam auction house in Paris on 13 December, and the others will be sold the day before in La Varenne Saint Hilaire, 20 kilometres southeast of Paris.
