1820 de Luze cognac among renowned bottles in two-part sale

An early example of de Luze cognac is to be sold from May 3, 2012

A two-part auction is to feature an early bottle of de Luze et Fils grand fine champagne cognac in both live and online sales. The live auction will take place in Boston on May 3, 2012, while the online auction will continue through to May 13, ensuring attention from bidders across the world.

1820 de Luze et Fils cognac

The bottle is dated 1820, two years before the de Luze company officially entered business. The cognac is thought to have been ngociant bottled in the 1840s. The hand-blown bottle is one of the earliest examples of the distinctive style of de Luze, which originates in Domaine Boinaud. An estimate of $2,000-3,000 has been set for the item, which will be joined by an 1850 example at $1,200-1,800. The highest bids in the auction will go to a horizontal lot of first growth Bordeaux from 2000. Featuring Chateau Lafite Rothschild and the Mouton Rothschild, the lot comprises 60 bottles from the five domains to achieve the coveted first growth status. This lot has an estimate of $45,000-65,000. The illustrious Romane-Conti will make a star appearance in the auction, with a single bottle of the 1999 vintage expected to reach $8,000-12,000. The wine is one of the most valuable and sought-after Burgundies in the world, achieving the highest price paid for any wine lot at auction in 2011. You can find more news from the world of wine collecting here. The wine market is particularly buoyant at the moment, stimulated by sales in China. Between 2005 and 2010, the Liv-ex 100 Wine Index showed a 31.8% yearly value increase on Bordeaux, while first growths are reportedly among the market's top performers.