DALLAS, TX.- Two bottles of 1995 Romanee Conti and three bottles of the legendary 1945 Chateau Mouton Rothschild each sold for $35,670 to help Heritage Auctions' Fine & Rare Wine Auction soar past pre-auction estimates to reach $2,369,211 in total sales March 12 in Beverly Hills.

The event, which marked the return of multi-vendor Platinum Session with nearly 650 bidders, boasted spectacular sell-through rates of 99.9% by value and 99.9% by lots sold.

"A return to the classics of Bordeaux has been long awaited, and we are finally seeing it," Heritage Auctions Fine & Rare Wine Senior Director Frank Martell said. "Scandals of years past have left the wine community a bit fearful of old and important Bordeaux, but the provenance on offer in this sale spoke for itself and hopefully this is a return to the pursuit and love of mature claret."

Sharing the top result were Romanee Conti 1995 Domaine de la Romanee Conti Bottle (2), an immaculate and perfectly stored collection of the ne plus ultra of Burgundy and Bordeaux from a California collector, and Chateau Mouton Rothschild 1945 Pauillac Bottle (3), often a 100-point wine, and one of the top wine offerings of the century, easily identifiable to the discerning collector.

Chateau Latour a Pomerol 1961 Pomerol Bottle (3), which realized $34,440, came from the Cellar of Brotherly Love, a collection that has remained in one location for its entire life and was stored in a deep, ice-cold temperature-controlled cellar.

Two lots of Chateau Haut Brion 1989 Pessac-Leognan Bottle (12) enjoyed similarly strong results, each prompting nine bids. One drew a winning bid of $28,290, and the other $27,060.

Many lots drew final prices well above their pre-auction estimates.

Some of the lots that soared past their expectations included, but were not limited to:

• $34,440: Chateau Latour a Pomerol 1961 Pomerol Bottle (3) - exceeding low estimate by 115%

• $7,995: Chateau Mouton Rothschild 1982 Pauillac Bottle (5) - exceeding low estimate by 73%

• $7,687.50: Chambolle Musigny 1985 Les Amoureuses, J. Drouhin Bottle (3) - exceeding low estimate by 79%

• $6,150: Chateauneuf du Pape 1984 Reserve, Chateau Rayas Bottle (4) - exceeding low estimate by 317%

• $5,412: Sine Qua Non Grenache 2010 Stockholm Syndrome 3 of 6 owc Bottle (3) Sine Qua Non Syrah 2010 Stockholm Syndrome 3 of 6 owc Bottle (3) - exceeding low estimate by 69%




• $5,412: Kongsgaard Chardonnay 2013 The Judge Bottle (6) - exceeding low estimate by 100%

• $4,305: Chateau Latour 1964 Pauillac Bottle (5) - exceeding low estimate by 75%

• $4,182: Schrader Cabernet Sauvignon 2014 Old Sparky Magnum (3) - exceeding low estimate by 113%

• $3,813: Harlan Estate Cabernet Sauvignon 1994 Magnum (1) - exceeding low estimate by 73%

• $3,690: Harlan Estate Cabernet Sauvignon 1990 Magnum (1) - exceeding low estimate by 100%

"I've spent 24 years telling people not to expect a high estimate result, and yet here we are," Martell said. "We work hard to make sure our estimates are accurate, so there seldom any real surprises, but our estimates were spot-on for this sale … and the prices simply crushed expectations."

Other top lots included, but were not limited to:

• Chateau Lafite Rothschild 1982 Pauillac Imperial (1): $24,600

• Chateau Lafite Rothschild 1982 Pauillac Imperial (1): $23,370

• Chateau Latour 1982 Pauillac Bottle (12): $19,065

• Chateau Latour 1961 Pauillac Bottle (6): $18,450

• Chateau Latour 1982 Pauillac Imperial (1): $18,450

• Chateau Lafleur 1982 Pomerol Bottle (4): $18,450

• Richebourg 2003 Domaine de la Romanee Conti Bottle (6): $18,450