1996 Chateau Petrus achieves $18,000 at Heritage Auctions
Two cases of 1996 Chateau Petrus saw strong competition from Burgundy
A case of the 1996 vintage from Chateau Petrus has topped Heritage Auctions' Fine and Rare Wine Signature Auction, which was held September 28-29 in Beverly Hills.
A wine that requires patience...
The champion Bordeaux came close to beating its $14,000-18,000 high estimate, selling for $17,925. Another case of 12 from the same year which held an identical estimate sold for $16,730.
Leading wine critic Robert Parker described Petrus' 1996 vintage as "a big, monolithic, foursquare wine with an impressively opaque purple color, and sweet berry fruit intermixed with earth, pain grille, and coffee scents. Full-bodied and muscular, with high levels of tannin, and a backward style, this wine will require patience. It is a mammoth example."
Acase of La Tache's 1969 vintage, which again held a $14,000-18,000 estimate, also performed well. Currently enjoying its prime drinking years, the fine Burgundy sold for $16,730. Also from Burgundy was a single bottle of 2009 Romanee-Conti, which is widely regarded as thebest wine of the DRC 2009vintage. A highly coveted bottle, it sold for an impressive $10,755.
California's offerings were represented by a lot of six bottles from the cult winery Sine Qua Non. One bottle of "The Inaugural" Grenache and five of the Syrah, both from 2003, achieved $5,078. Following this were more of its elaborately titled bottles; a lot of six magnums - two of2000's "Incognito" and four "In Flagrante" - brought $4,481.
