Source Winesearcher (aujourd'hui) :
Top slots at auctions dominated by Henri Jayer and DRC.
By Rebecca Gibb | Posted Friday, 19-Jul-2013
The wines of Henri Jayer continue to smash pre-auction estimates, making it the only Burgundy producer that can match – or exceed – the current prices attained by Domaine de la Romanée-Conti.
Asian buyers dominated the highest-priced lots sold at Sotheby’s Finest and Rarest sale in London on July 17.
While magnums of 1976 Château Pétrus adorned the auction catalog’s front cover, it was Henri Jayer’s wines that made the headlines. Eleven bottles of his 1970 Richebourg, purchased direct from the producer by the father of the vendor, had a high estimate of 26,000 pounds ($39,500). On the day, it raised 72,850 pounds ($110,004).
Similarly, four bottles of Jayer’s 1990 Cros Parantoux and six bottles of the 1993 vintage fetched 37,600 pounds ($56,776), around twice the auction house’s estimate.
Stephen Mould, head of Sotheby’s European wine department, said: “Wines from Henri Jayer topped this star-studded auction with prices doubling or trebling their estimates. Telephone bidders competed with online bidders for these iconic wines, and also fought frantically to secure lots from the equally desirable Domaine de la Romanée-Conti and Château Pétrus.”
Indeed, Jayer didn’t have it all its own way, with DRC’s Romanée-Conti making two appearances in the 10 highest-priced lots at the Sotheby's auction, marginally exceeding their high estimates.
While DRC continues to hog the spotlight, high-end Bordeaux has not lost its allure. In June, six major wine auctions took place. A case of 1982 Lafite-Rothschild took the top slot at an auction held by Chicago’s Hart Davis Hart, raising $32,000. The same wine was one of the top sellers at an Acker Merrall sale earlier in the month, being knocked down for $34,440.
However, those prices represent a significant fall compared with three years ago when Lafite was on a seemingly endless upward curve. Two cases of the 1982 vintage direct from the cellar were each bought for $131,859 in October 2010.
Pétrus continues to perform well, with prices rising higher for lesser vintages such as 1996, 1997, 2002, 2004, 2006 and 2007, than for top vintages, Liv-ex data shows.