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CHRISTIE'S GLOBAL WINE SALES TO EXCEED £57 MILLION (US$90 MILLION) IN 2012
WINE SALES TOP $90 MILLION MARK FOR THE SECOND YEAR IN A ROW, CONFIRMING CHRISTIE’S POSITION AS THE LEADING GLOBAL AUCTION HOUSE FOR WINE
New York/London/Hong Kong – Christie’s Global Wine Department is on track to finish the year 2012 with auction sales exceeding £57 million (US$90 million), confirming Christie’s position as the leading international auction house in global wine sales. The 2012 total -- which includes live saleroom auctions as well as online-only sales -- marks the second year in a row that Christie’s is poised to surpass the $90 million mark in wine sales. The final annual total, which will also include private sales of wine, will be announced as part of Christie's annual corporate figures announcement in January.
In 2012, Hong Kong again emerged as the leading sales site for wine at Christies, with over £23.4million (US$37 million) in sales, with London following at £11 million (US$17 million) and New York at £7.5 million (US$12million), including three online-only wine auctions. In addition to its three major sale sites, Christie’s holds regular wine auctions in Geneva, Paris, and Amsterdam, as well as the annual Hospices de Beaune barrel auction in Burgundy, which reached a new record total of €5,909,276 (US$ 7.6 million) this year.
Among the many high points of 2012 for Christie’s was its February sale of Fine and Rare Wines From the Private Cellar of Henri Jayer, the legendary master of Burgundy. Estimated to achieve US$2.5 million in total, the sale went on to realize £5,388,024 (US$ 8,511,228) with sell-through rates of 100% and 17 lots selling for over HK$1 million. Over the summer, Christie’s launched its inaugural calendar of Online-Only wine sales to great fanfare, welcoming in new clients from 29 different countries around the world. Two more successful Online-Only sales followed, including an Online-Only sale of rare wines and large formats direct from the cellar of legendary Chicago restaurant Charlie Trotter’s.
To close the year, Christie’s London delivered its most valuable various-owners Wine sale yet, realizing £4,157,901 ($6,702,536) from its sale of Finest & Rarest Wines and Spirits, including Historic Cognacs from the Private Cellars of La Tour d’Argent and Finest Wines from Two Exceptional Private Collections. The top lot of the sale was a case of 12 bottles of Château Cheval-Blanc 1947 which sold for £126,500 ($203,918) – the top price ever achieved at Christie’s London for a case of standard-sized bottles.
“From start to finish, this has been a stellar year for wine sales at Christie’s globally. Our dedicated team of specialists worked hard to deliver strong, consistent results for our clients across the board, and we are delighted to finish the year ahead of all other competitors, with more than $90 million in auction sales,” noted David Elswood, International Head of Wine at Christie’s. “We look forward to all that 2013 will bring, as we continue to welcome in both new and established wine collectors worldwide through auction sales, private sales, and now an expanded roster of online-only wine sales.”
|
Sale |
Lot |
Description |
Estimate ($) |
Price Realized |
|
Sale 2900 Hong Kong |
62 |
Vosne-Romanée Premier Cru « Cros Parantoux »—Vintage 1985 12 Bottles Fine and Rare Wines: From the Private Cellar of Henri Jayer - Hong Kong, 10 February 2012 |
HK$800,000 - 1,000,000 |
HK$ 2,057,000 US$ 265,147 £ 167,851 € 199,735 |
|
Sale 1392 Geneva |
151 |
Château d'Yquem 1900-2000 Sauternes, 1er grand cru classé 92 bottles Fine Wines - Geneva, 14 November 2012 |
SFr150,000 - 200,000
|
SFr230,000 US$ 243,828 £ 151,173 € 182,871 |
|
Sale 2900 Hong Kong |
57 |
Vosne-Romanée Premier Cru « Cros Parantoux »—Vintage 1989 12 Bottles Fine and Rare Wines: From the Private Cellar of Henri Jayer - Hong Kong, 10 February 2012 |
HK$380,000 – 480,000 |
HK$ 1,815,000 US$ 233,954 £ 148,104 € 176,237 |
|
Sale 2900 Hong Kong |
96 |
Richebourg Grand Cru—Vintage 1979 12 Bottles Fine and Rare Wines: From the Private Cellar of Henri Jayer - Hong Kong, 10 February 2012 |
HK$600,000 – 800,000 |
HK$ 1,815,000 US$ 233,954 £ 148,104 € 176,237 |
|
Sale 2970 Hong Kong |
3646 |
Romanée-Conti – Vintage 2005 Domaine de la Romanée-Conti 12 bottles Fine and Rare Wines: Vintage Burgundy Treasures from Europe - Hong Kong, 24 November 2012 |
HK$1,200,000-1,400,000 |
HK$ 1,694,000 US$ 219,712 £ 137,722 € 170,078 |
|
Sale 2900 Hong Kong |
91 |
Richebourg Grand Cru—Vintage 1985 2 Magnums Fine and Rare Wines: From the Private Cellar of Henri Jayer - Hong Kong, 10 February 2012 |
HK$500,000 – 700,000 |
HK$ 1,694,000 US$ 218,357 £ 138,230 € 164,487 |
|
Sale 5963 London |
206 |
Château Cheval-Blanc 1947 12 bottles CHRISTIE'S RECORD PRICE FOR A CASE OF STANDARD-SIZED BOTTLES Finest & Rarest Wines & Spirits - London, 13-14 December 2012 |
£75,000 – 125,000 |
£ 126,500 US$ 203,918 € 155,468 |
|
Sale 2900 Hong Kong |
50 |
Vosne-Romanée Premier Cru « Cros Parantoux »—Vintage 1997 6 Magnums Fine and Rare Wines: From the Private Cellar of Henri Jayer - Hong Kong, 10 February 2012 |
HK$300,000 – 400,000 |
HK$ 1,573,000 US$ 202,760 £ 128,357 €152,738 |
|
Sale 2900 Hong Kong |
98 |
Richebourg Grand Cru—Vintage 1978 3 Bottles Fine and Rare Wines: From the Private Cellar of Henri Jayer - Hong Kong, 10 February 2012 |
HK$400,000 – 500,000 |
HK$ 1,573,000 US$ 202,760 £ 128,357 €152,738 |
|
Sale 2900 Hong Kong
|
53-53A |
Vosne-Romanée Premier Cru « Cros Parantoux »—Vintage 1993 12 Bottles Fine and Rare Wines: From the Private Cellar of Henri Jayer - Hong Kong, 10 February 2012 |
HK$350,000 – 450,000 |
HK$ 1,452,000 US$ 187,163 £ 118,483 € 140,989 |
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Christie’s, the world's leading art business, had global auction and private sales in 2011 that totaled £3.6 billion/$5.7 billion. Christie’s is a name and place that speaks of extraordinary art, unparalleled service and expertise, as well as international glamour. Founded in 1766 by James Christie, Christie's has since conducted the greatest and most celebrated auctions through the centuries providing a popular showcase for the unique and the beautiful. Christie’s offers over 450 auctions annually in over 80 categories, including all areas of fine and decorative arts, jewellery, photographs, collectibles, wine, and more. Prices range from $200 to over $100 million. Christie's also has a long and successful history conducting private sales for its clients in all categories, with emphasis on Post-War and Contemporary, Impressionist and Modern, Old Masters and Jewellery. Private sales totaled £502 million / $808.6m in 2011, an increase of 44% on the previous year.
Christie’s has a global presence with 53 offices in 32 countries and 10 salerooms around the world including in London, New York, Paris, Geneva, Milan, Amsterdam, Dubai, Zürich, and Hong Kong. More recently, Christie’s has led the market with expanded initiatives in growth markets such as Russia, China, India and the United Arab Emirates, with successful sales and exhibitions in Beijing, Mumbai and Dubai.
*Estimates do not include buyer’s premium. Sales totals are hammer price plus buyer’s premium and do not reflect costs, financing fees or application of buyer’s or seller’s credits.
Complete catalogue available online at www.christies.com or via Christie’s Mobile, iPhone, iPad and Android apps.