February 2 will see an auction of Finest and Rarest Wines at the award-winning TRU restaurant in Chicago, with a case of Henri Jayer's Vosne Romanee Cros Parantoux expected as top lot.
 Production of just 3,500 bottles a year drives up prices at auction for Henri Jayer wines |
The 12 bottles will be offered with a $70,000-110,000 estimate, as Jayer's illustrious Burgundy competes with a "Private Library of Extraordinary Bordeaux", which comes from a west coast cellar.
Henri Jayer (1922-2006) was a legendary winemaker, famous for his transformation of the Cros Parantoux vineyard - a small area that adjoins the famous grand cru vineyard Richebourg.
His wines are sought after for both their distinctive taste and their rarity; Jayer opposed the use of harsh chemicals and pioneered new techniques in his winemaking, which led to a unique flavour and just 3,500 bottles being produced each year.
Bottles bearing Jayer's name always fare well at auction, with a 1986 bottle of Cros Parantoux selling with a 46.5% increase on estimate at Sotheby's in September 2012.
Leading among the Bordeaux offered in the sale will be a 12 bottle case of the 1982 Chateau Petrus, which is estimated at $35,000-55,000. A renowned year from the most outstanding wine in the Pomerol appellation, this lot is likely to see strong results when it goes under the hammer.
Prior to the sale, the auction house will host a horizontal tasting and dinner, featuring 10 1995 Bordeaux wines from the aforementioned "Private Library", at Chicago's Blackbird Restaurant.
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