Champagne costs! Rare bottles on the market at Sotheby’s particular public sale

Some of the world’s rarest bottles of champagne will go under the hammer next week, as Sotheby’s holds the first ever auction dedicated solely to the famous French sparkling wine. 

On 20 June, approximately 1,500 bottles of champagne will go up for auction via Sotheby’s, with some dating from the 50s, 60s, 70s, 80s and 90s. 

The champagne going up for auction is part of a wine collection amassed over decades by Taiwanese billionaire entrepreneur Pierre Chen.

In November, the first offering of wines from Mr Chen’s cellar made $16.8million in a two-day auction at Hong Kong’s Mandarin Oriental hotel. 

Entrepreneur: Part of Pierre Chen’s colossal wine collection is going up for auction 

One of the lots going up for auction in Paris is five bottles of 1971 Salon Le Mesnil, Blanc De Blancs Champagne, with an estimated guide price of between €14,000 to €18,000. 

Also on offer is a 1966 Dom Pérignon bottle, with an estimated price tag of between €7,500 to €9,500. 

Other deep-pocketed bidders may wish to plump for the 1996 Krug Clos Du Mesnil magnum, with a guide price of between €5,000 to €6,500. 

Dating from 1990, a Louis Roederer Cristal bottle of Champagne is also on offer, and is expected to fetch between €4,500 to €6,000. 

According to Sotheby’s: ‘The 1990 Louis Roederer Cristal is a Champagne of exceptional quality from an outstanding vintage. 

‘It features ripe orchard fruit, bright citrus, toasted almond, and brioche aromas. The palate is rich and fullbodied with a creamy texture and crisp acidity, leading to a lingering, luxurious finish.’

The second of two special auctions being held by Sotheby’s will take place a fortnight later, as it sells some of Mr Chen’s Burgundy wine collection, with bottles there expected to fetch much more.

On 2 July at Couvent des Cordeliers in Beaune, the ‘crème de la crème’ of Burgundy wines will be up for grabs, Sotheby’s said. 

Stemming again from the collection of Mr Chen, the Burgundy wines on offer include bottles from brands like Domaine de la Romanée-Conti, Domaines Leroy and d’Auvenay, Coche-Dury, Leflaive, Dujac, Rousseau and Ponsot. 

For investors with deep pockets, there are 12 bottles of Domaine de la Romanée-Conti wine going under the hammer on 2 July, with an estimated price of between €60,000 to €90,000. 

Bubbling up: There are five bottle of Salon Le Mesnil, Blanc de Blancs 1971 Champagne going up for auction, with an estimated price tag of between €14,000 to €18,000

Simply red: There are 12 bottles of Domaine de la Romanée-Conti wine going under the hammer on 2 July, with an estimated price of between €60,000 to €90,000

Notably, the auction also includes a vertical of magnums of Faiveley Musigny, bottled by Faiveley exclusively for Mr Chen, comprising every vintage since Mr Chen’s purchase of a parcel of the Grand Cru vineyard. 

Sotheby’s claimed these bottles cannot be found elsewhere. 

The upcoming auctions will be the second in ‘The Epicurean’s Atlas,’ the series of five auctions that will liquidate Mr Chen’s bottles. 

The investor base for fine wine has grown significantly in recent years, thanks to the growing affluence of consumers in previously unreached corners of the world, the emergence of user-friendly trading platforms, and a fall in the minimum cost of investment. It’s also a physical, tangible asset, like property or gold. 

However, investing is wine is not for the faint of heart. Provenance is crucial and additional costs and taxes may need to be factored in.