Two Outstanding Domaines
Following on from our highly successful Domaine Leroy auction last year, I am pleased to announce that in this auction we are offering outstanding verticals of two of the greatest Burgundy vineyards, namely La Romanée, Grand Cru from Domaine du Comtes Liger-Belair and Vosne-Romanée, 1er Cru Cros Parantoux from Emmanuel Rouget. Given the range of vintages covered in each of these flights, and the fact that they comprise rare original cases, it would be very tricky, if not impossible, to assemble such collections today, particularly given the demand for the greatest examples of Burgundy.
The collection of La Romanée starts in 2002, the year when the Liger-Belair family took back control of the La Romanée vineyard and runs all the way up to include the 2017 vintage – it contains six bottles of each vintage. The collection of Cros Parantoux is equally as extensive, starting with the outstanding 2005 vintage, with twelve bottles of each vintage all the way up to 2019. There is no doubt about it – these are highly unusual and highly desirable lots, which will be auctioned in their entirety. Each collection is being sold by one Atlas client, and all the wines included were sourced by Atlas. While Atlas took considerable care in sourcing and assessing the stocks, we commissioned a renowned specialist wine authentication company to assess each of the cases to give absolute confidence to any prospective buyer and consequently, the authenticity of all wines included in this auction has been approved.
Atlas prides itself on the collections we have built for our clients, many of which are extensive, encompassing numerous increasingly rare wines. By stepping into the auction arena, we can engage with prospective buyers, dispense with unnecessary buyer’s premiums and simply take our commission from the vendor as would be the case with a normal broking transaction, ensuring the vendor maximises the value of a rare collection. There is little doubt that the transparency of such a model and Atlas’ success in reaching the right buyers holds appeal for both the vendor, who wishes to reach the widest possible audience for their prized collection, and the purchaser, who can avoid hefty additional fees. Such transparency also ties in with our ethos at Atlas.
Our inaugural online auction, The Great Domaine Leroy Auction, which took place in November 2021, was highly successful. Every lot sold, grossing an impressive £1.6 million compared to a total reserve value of £1.2 million. From the volume of clients who registered for that auction, both trade and private, from the UK and overseas, we have proven that we can succeed in the online auction world and provide an alternative channel to the traditional route for rare fine wines.
The ‘Two Great Domaines’ auction commences on the 17th October 2022 and concludes on the 3rd November at 15:00 (GMT). It consists of two lots: La Romanée, Grand Cru, Domaine du Comtes Liger-Belair (6 bottles of each vintage spanning 2002 to 2017 inclusive) and Vosne-Romanée, 1er Cru Cros Parantoux, Domaine Emmanuel Rouget (12 bottles of each vintage spanning 2005 to 2019 inclusive). We are delighted to have included special overviews for each of these great wines written by fellow MW, Jasper Morris, who I regard as the leading authority on Burgundy. (Click here to read overviews by Jasper Morris MW) For all stocks, we have an extensive range of high-resolution images on our auction site – further, more specific images can be requested directly. (Click here to see an example of additional high resolution images). Our auction pages reveal detailed condition notes on each individual wine, covering labels, foils, fill levels as well as case condition. (Click here to view condition notes table for both wines) All the stocks are currently stored in Atlas’ dedicated reserves area at LCB Eton Park and for all stocks purchased, we can assist in arranging prompt worldwide shipping – quotations can be supplied on request.
Our second auction highlights the services we at Atlas can provide, not only in assembling remarkable collections in the first place, but also in marketing them efficiently to worldwide collectors, should the client be inclined to sell. I hope you find these incredibly rare auction lots to be of interest and, as you will have gathered, we have worked tirelessly to provide all the detail that you may require to purchase with confidence.
Happy bidding!
All the best,
Simon Larkin MW
Managing Director