|
|
Sotheby's is auctioning off what is probably the most valuable wine collection in the world. It belongs to the Taiwanese entrepreneur Pierre Chen and is worth an estimated 50 million dollars. The auction house described it as "the largest, most important and by far the most valuable wine collection ever to come to market". It includes a huge selection of rare wines, including two Methuselah bottles (6l) of Romaneé-Conti La Tâche 1985 with an estimated price of up to $190,000 each. In total, there are around 25,000 wines that Chen has collected over a period of 40 years. Other highlights include six magnums of Henri Jayer Vosne Romanée Cros Parantoux 1er Cru 2001, the last wine Henri Jayer, considered the "Godfather of Burgundy"", produced before his retirement. The estimate for each magnum is $50,000 to $70,000. The auction will also feature an Imperial Petrus 1982, a magnum of Château Latour 1961 and three magnums of Salon Champagne House's Le Mesnil Blanc de Blancs 1971.
The first wines of the collection will go under the hammer in Hong Kong in November. The auction is scheduled to run until autumn 2024, with further auctions in Beaune and New York.
Chen is the founder and chairman of Yageo Corporation, which makes digital components for mobile phones, computers and cars. He is ranked 446th in the 2023 Forbes Billionaires List with an estimated fortune of $5.5 billion.
(ru / Decanter)