HDH Finishes Year With Record Shattering Two-Day Auction Featuring The Personal Estate of Joseph Phelps

Hart Davis Hart Wine Co., the #1 wine auction house in the U.S., finished the year with an outstanding two-day Auction of Finest & Rarest Wines showcasing The Personal Estate of Joseph Phelps. The auction was 100% sold and brought in a total of $10.4 million against a pre-sale estimate of $5.8-8.8 million. Bidders from around the world brought 82% of lots to sell above their high estimates.

Friday’s session opened with The Personal Estate of Joseph Phelps (lots 1-501) which realized an impressive $2.2 million against a pre-sale estimate of $922,000-1,374,000. Fierce bidding on the group drove over 92% of the lots to sell above their high estimates, proving wines offered in the context of a collection of this magnitude have tremendous upside potential. Joe built a remarkable cellar and focused on provenance and storage, curating a remarkable selection from top producers.

Bordeaux collectors jumped at the chance to own a single bottle of 1865 Château Lafite Rothschild which sold for a high $31,070 (lot 1, est. $11,000-17,000); a full case of 1948 Château Lafite Rothschild which garnered $31,070 (lot 26, est. $7,000-10,000); 11 bottles of 1959 Château Latour which brought in the record price of $77,675 (lot 59, est. $30,000-45,000); and 12 bottles of 1962 Château Latour which sold for $23,900 (lot 74, est. $6,500-9,500).

Those searching for mature Burgundy drove prices high with 6 bottles of 1966 Chambertin, Clos de Bèze, Clair-Daü garnering $19,120 (lot 265, est. $7,000-10,000); 6 bottles of 1969 Gevrey-Chambertin, Clos St-Jacques, Armand Rousseau selling for a high $16,730 (lot 258, est. $2,600-3,800); and 4 bottles of 1980 Echézeaux, Henri Jayer bringing in $33,460 (lot 247, est. $15,000-22,000).

Of course, California wines performed exceptionally. 2 bottles of 1971 Ridge Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon Eisele Vineyard sold for a record $20,315 (lot 423, est. $4,000-6,000); 6 bottles of 1974 Heitz Cellar Cabernet Sauvignon, Martha’s Vineyard brought in $23,900 (lot 386, est. $7,000-10,000); 12 bottles of 1978 Joseph Phelps Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon, Eisele Vineyard garnered $20,315 (lot 338, est. $4,200-6,500); and a full case of 1978 Joseph Phelps Vineyards Red Wine, Insignia sold for a historic $15,535 (lot 345, est. $3,000-4,500).

As if the first 501 lots were not enough excitement for the weekend, an additional 2,492 lots were offered. Saturday offered A Pristine Cellar of Benchmarks (lots 1794-2137) which garnered $1.3 million against a pre-sale estimate of $825,000-1,260,000. Individual highlights included 1 bottle of 1961 Château La Mission Haut-Brion which sold for $6,537 (lot 1797, est. $2,200-3,200); 6 bottles of 2010 Chambertin, Armand Rousseau which brought in $22,705 (lot 1936, est. $12,000-18,000); and 3 magnums of 2011 Echézeaux, Comte Liger-Belair which garnered $10,755 (lot 1954, est. $5,000-7,500).

Additional highlights from the auction included 3 bottles of 1990 Romanée-Conti, Domaine de la Romanée-Conti which sold for $77,675 (lot 1601, est. $40,000-60,000); 3 bottles of 2009 Musigny, Domaine Leroy which garnered $71,700 (lot 1609, est. $35,000-55,000); and 12 bottles of 2000 Château Latour which brought in $15,535 (lot 2110, est. $7,500-11,000).

Over the course of the year, HDH has continued to be a leader in the U.S. market, consistently realizing strong prices in a challenging market. The wine auction house continues to push boundaries and raise the market standard. Over the course of 9 Finest & Rarest Auctions held this year, HDH garnered $59.1 million in sales.

Paul Hart commented, "2020 has been a year unlike any other and we are incredibly grateful to our bidders and consignors who have continued to support HDH. We remain to be the top choice for collectors to represent cellars of incredible quality. HDH continues to be innovative to support the global demand for fine and rare wine, and we are pleased to bring superior collections to market."

As the leading wine auction house in the U.S., HDH has a proven track record of excellence, and continues to exceed its competition in terms of market share, technology and sell-through rate. HDH’s next sale will be held on January 28th & 29th and will feature an exceptional selection of wine.

Consignments are still being accepting for HDH’s February Auction of Finest & Rarest Wines. If you are looking to make room in your cellar or to capitalize on the current strength of the wine market by consigning a portion of your collection, please contact HDH's expert consignment team at consignments@hdhwine.com for a complimentary appraisal.

Top Lots by Price (inclusive of 19.5% buyer’s premium):

Lot 59: 1959 Château Latour (11 bs) (est. $30,000-45,000) $77,675
Lot 1601: 1990 Romanée-Conti, Domaine de la Romanée-Conti (3 bs) (est. $40,000-60,000) $77,675
Lot 1609: 2009 Musigny, Domaine Leroy (3 bs) (est. $35,000-55,000) $71,700
Lot 1622: 2009 La Romanée, Comte Liger-Belair (12 bs) (est. $45,000-65,000) $59,750
Lot 1606: 2009 Romanée-Conti, Domaine de la Romanée-Conti (3 bs) (est. $35,000-55,000) $53,775
Lot 546: 1990 La Tâche, Domaine de la Romanée-Conti (1 jeroboam (3L)) (est. $35,000-55,000) $47,800
Lot 1603: 2008 Romanée-Conti, Domaine de la Romanée-Conti (3 bs) (est. $30,000-45,000) $47,800
Lot 2145: 2001 Domaine de la Romanée-Conti Assortment (12 bs) (est. $35,000-55,000) $47,800
Lot 2221: 2011 Romanée-Conti, Domaine de la Romanée-Conti (3 bs) (est. $32,000-48,000) $45,410
Lot 2222: 2011 Romanée-Conti, Domaine de la Romanée-Conti (3 bs) (est. $32,000-48,000) $45,410
Lot 2317: 1999 La Tâche, Domaine de la Romanée-Conti (6 bs) (est. $30,000-45,000) $45,410

Top Lots to Exceed Estimates (inclusive of 19.5% buyer’s premium):

Lot 59: 1959 Château Latour (11 bs) (est. $30,000-45,000) $77,675
Lot 26: 1948 Château Lafite Rothschild (12 bs) (est. $7,000-10,000) $31,070
Lot 1601: 1990 Romanée-Conti, Domaine de la Romanée-Conti (3 bs) (est. $40,000-60,000) $77,675
Lot 1609: 2009 Musigny, Domaine Leroy (3 bs) (est. $35,000-55,000) $71,700
Lot 296: 1976 Hermitage, Jean-Louis Chave (9 bs) (est. $5,000-7,500) $23,900
Lot 74: 1962 Château Latour (12 bs) (est. $6,500-9,500) $23,900
Lot 423: 1971 Ridge Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon, Eisele Vineyard (2 bs) (est. $4,000-6,000) $20,315
Lot 1: 1865 Château Lafite Rothschild (1 b) (est. $11,000-17,000) $31,070
Lot 386: 1974 Heitz Cellar Cabernet Sauvignon, Martha's Vineyard (6 bs) (est. $7,000-10,000) $23,900
Lot 338: 1978 Joseph Phelps Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon, Eisele Vineyard (12 bs) (est. $4,200-6,500) $20,315
Lot 258: 1969 Gevrey-Chambertin, Clos St-Jacques, Armand Rousseau (6 bs) (est. $2,600-3,800) $16,730