HONG KONG.- Continuing the success of the two-day Spring sales of wine in April which totalled HK$100 million / US$13 million, Sotheby’s Hong Kong Evening Sale titled A Celebration Of Year Of The Horse: Cheval Blanc Direct From The Château and An Important European Cellar yesterday soared above high estimate to achieve HK$24.4 million / U$3.1 million in the vibrant saleroom at Sotheby’s Hong Kong Gallery. All 600 lots found buyers. The 220 lots of large-format bottles from magnum to melchior direct from Château Cheval Blanc achieved a remarkable HK$11.3 million / US$1.5 million against a high estimate of HK$9.5 million / US$1.2 million. Wine lovers competed with enthusiasm for mature vintages of perfect provenance and pristine condition, sending more than 70% of the offerings from the Château over their high estimates. The top lot of the sale, a nebuchadnezzar of Château Cheval Blanc 1998, sold for HK$269,500 / US$34,551, the equivalent of 20 bottles at HK$13,475 each or 140 glasses at HK$1,925 each.

Perfect provenance continued to play an important part in the offers from An Important European Cellar, all of them purchased on release and impeccably stored before being shipped direct to Hong Kong via temperature controlled ocean freight. First Growth left bank wines from top vintages such as Mouton 2000 did particularly well, while top left bank wines in large formats sold above high estimates.

Commenting on the sale yesterday, Serena Sutcliffe, Master of Wine (M.W.), International Head of Sotheby’s Wine, said, “Direct from the Château provenance cannot be beaten and Asian collectors demonstrated their knowledge and passion for great wines with their enthusiastic pursuit of these historic bottles of Cheval Blanc.”

Robert Sleigh, Head of Sotheby’s Wine, Asia, commented, “The rarity of the monumental 9 to 18 litre bottles from Cheval Blanc ignited the bidding in the room, on the phones and online. With an average of fewer than 10 of these large format bottles made per vintage the opportunity was too good to miss!”

Highlights of the sale:

Cheval Blanc Direct From The Château:
Château Cheval Blanc 1936 (1 mag)
Sold for HK$79,625 / US$10,208 (Est. HK$12,000 – 20,000 / US$1,538 – 2,564)

Château Cheval Blanc 1974 (2 d.mag - 3 litres)
Sold for HK$61,250 / US$7,852 (Est. HK$12,000 – 20,000 / US$1,538 – 2,564)

Château Cheval Blanc 2004 (1 melchior - 18 litres)
Sold for HK$85,750 / US$10,993 (Est. HK$46,000 – 80,000 / US$5,897 – 10,256)

An Important European Cellar: Château Mouton Rothschild 2000 (12 bts)
Sold for HK$134,750 / US$17,276 (Est. HK$60,000 – 80,000 / US$7,792 – 10,256)

Château Lynch Bages 2003 (1 imperial - 6 litres)
Sold for HK$11,025 / US$1,413 (Est. HK$5,000 – 7,000 / US$461 - 897)

Château Gruaud Larose 2004 (1 imperial - 6 litres)
Sold for HK$6,125 / US$785 (Est. HK$3,000 – 4,000 / US$385 - 513)

Château Palmer 2004 (2 d.mag - 3 litres)
Sold for HK$9,800 / US$1,256 (Est. HK$6,000 – 8,000 / US$769 – 1,026)