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Two Magnum bottles of Château Lafite Rothschild 1870 achieved two new records at Sotheby’s in New York. One was auctioned for the equivalent of 171,000 Euros, exceeding its estimate by four times. The special feature of the bottle is that it has never been re-corked or restored and is therefore in its original condition. A second Magnum Lafite 1870 fetched around 91,000 Euros. Both had been in the cellar of the Scottish castle Glamis Castle, the residence of the Earls of Strathmore, for almost 100 years. The purchase and storage of 48 Magnums Lafite from the 1870 vintage was recorded in the “Cellar Book 1885 – 1894” in 1878. The collection was auctioned for the first time in 1971.
The third highlight of the auction was a bottle of Château Lafite Rothschild 1865, which was auctioned for 34,000 Euros. It is one of the oldest wines ever offered at Sotheby’s and dates back to before the phylloxera plague. Other large bottles also significantly exceeded their estimates: An Impériale (6 liters) Lafite 1959 fetched almost 70,000 Euros, two Magnums Château Trotanoy 1961 nearly 59,000 Euros, a Double Magnum Château Lafite 1959 and a Double Magnum Château Palmer 1961 each around 54,000 Euros. Two Magnums Château Latour 1961 were sold for 37,500 Euros, four Magnums Lafite 1959 for more than 66,000 Euros.
The wines achieved more than double the pre-sale estimate with 1.8 million Euros. All lots were sold (“White-Glove Auction”), with 92 percent of the lots exceeding their upper estimate. According to Sotheby’s, this collection is among the most successful ever auctioned there.
(al; Image: Sotheby’s)
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