A year at auction: the Top 50 most expensive bottles of 2017

2017 was a record year for the iDealwine auction platform. More than 111,000 bottles, originating from great vineyards all over the globe, were exchanged over the course of the year. We reflect on the 50 highest priced wines sold at auction last year.

With the 2018 iDealwine Barometer flying off the printing press next week (information to follow soon, watch this space!), we take a moment to consider the staggering rankings that emerged from auction in 2017.

2017 was a year of superlatives for the iDealwine auction platform that saw wines (but not just wines…) fetch some extraordinary prices. This is a trend that continues into 2018, as the recent sale of Jean Louis Chave’s Cuvée Cathelin and Egon Muller’s TBA will testify. Here’s a closer look at some of the highlights from an exciting year at auction.

Burgundy: everybody’s darling

Unsurprisingly, the great winemaking region of Burgundy dominated in 2017 and cinched the top spot for the highest priced bottle to sell at auction over the course of the year. In November 2017, a bottle of the eponymous grand cru from Domaine de la Romanée-Conti was sold for a staggering €17,146, an impressive result for a bottle from the somewhat un-extraordinary 2000 vintage. Indeed, scarcity plays a crucial factor in Burgundy these days (particularly for the illustrious grands crus of Domaine de la Romanée-Conti) and goes some way to explaining the inflated prices. The cuvées from this domain represented 23 of the Top 50 highest priced bottles of 2017, including the Grand Cru in 14 different vintages, two bottles of La Tâche, two of the Richebourg and two of the ultra-rare Montrachet.

Jaboulet flies the flag for the Rhône

In a similar vein to last year, the Rhône Valley features only once in the ranking of the Top 50 highest priced bottles of 2017. A lone bottle of Hermitage La Chappelle (1961) from Maison Jaboulet sold for €7,296, positioning it in 14^th place.

Petrus: veritable star of Bordeaux.

The Bordelais vineyards feature 15 times in the Top 50 rankings albeit in large format sizes (6 magnums and 1 imperial). In fact, the highest priced bottle from this region was a magnum of Petrus in the 1989 vintage. At €6,810, this claret pipped 16^th place just before the close of the year in December 2017. Petrus enjoys a healthy appearance in the rankings, accounting for no less than 12 of the 15 Bordeaux present in the Top 50 highest priced bottles! The other three spots belong to a bottle of Château d’Yquem (2009) in the gargantuan imperial format that sold for €5,837 and two collectible vintages: a Château Lafite 1880 at €4,680 (26^th) and a Château Latour 1947 at €4,080 (35^th).

An exotic twist

Finally, for the first time ever, the Top 50 rankings included a bottle of…whisky. Yes, a bottle of the Japanese Karuizawa 33 year old “Pourquoi faut-il” (1980-2013) came in at 25^th place with a hammer price of €4,693. The presence of a spirit in our 2017 rankings is by no means an anomaly but rather reflects a strong emerging trend in the market. We are seeing a growing enthusiasm for rare whiskeys and this ultra-rare bottle is no exception. The distillery that produced this whiskey was founded in Nagano in 1955 but has since ceased production. On the rare occasions that bottles from Karuizawa surface at auction they are snatched up at impressive prices that rival even the most sought-after grands crus on the market.

So here it is: the long awaited Top 50 highest priced bottles of 2017 on the iDealwine auction platform. It’s taken from the 2018 iDealwine Barometer that will be available to buy in English as of next week. It’s a comprehensive guide to the auction market and contains invaluable information for anyone looking to invest in fine wine. We’ll be announcing it soon so keep an eye on Le Blog!

The Top 50 highest priced bottles of 2017

Note: in order to make this ranking as informative as possible, we have omitted recurring bottles from the same domain and vintage and included only the highest priced result.

Position	Highest priced bottle	Price	Date
1	Romanée-Conti Grand Cru – DRC – 2000	€17,146	15/11/17
2	Romanée-Conti Grand Cru – DRC – 1990	€15,240	31/05/2017
3	Romanée-Conti Grand Cru – DRC – 1999	€14,880	31/05/2017
4	Romanée-Conti Grand Cru – DRC – 1996	€12,840	31/05/2017
5	Romanée-Conti Grand Cru – DRC – 2003	€12,403	27/12/2017
6	Romanée-Conti Grand Cru – DRC – 1998	€11,760	31/05/2017
7	Romanée-Conti Grand Cru – DRC – 1991	€11,520	31/05/2017
8	Romanée-Conti Grand Cru – DRC – 1995	€11,520	31/05/2017
9	Romanée-Conti Grand Cru – DRC – 1992	€11,160	31/05/2017
10	Romanée-Conti Grand Cru – DRC – 1997	€11,160	31/05/2017
11	Romanée-Conti Grand Cru – DRC – 2001	€10,560	30/08/2017
12	Romanée-Conti Grand Cru – DRC – 2004	€9,960	11/01/2017
13	Romanée-Conti Grand Cru – DRC – 1994	€9,720	31/05/2017
14	Hermitage La Chapelle Paul Jaboulet Aîné 1961	€7,296	13/09/2017
15	Romanée-Conti Grand Cru – DRC – 1985	€7,296	13/09/2017
16	Petrus 1989	€6,810	13/12/2017
17	Romanée-Conti Grand Cru – DRC – 1980	€6,000	12/07/2017
18	Château d’Yquem Premier Cru Classé Supérieur 2009	€5 837	11/10/2017
19	Vosne-Romanée Premier Cru Cros Parantoux Henri Jayer 1983	€5,640	26/07/2017
20	Vosne-Romanée Premier Cru Cros Parantoux Henri Jayer 1984	€5,640	26/07/2017
21	Vosne-Romanée Premier Cru Cros Parantoux Henri Jayer 1995	€5,640	24/05/2017
22	Musigny Grand Cru Georges Roumier 2006	€4,986	13/12/2017
23	La Tâche Grand Cru – DRC – 1990	€4,800	31/05/2017
24	Petrus 2012 (magnum)	€4,800	21/06/2017
25	Karuizawa 33 year old whisky ‘Pourquoi faut-I’l 1980-2013	€4,693	15/11/2017
26	Château Lafite Rothschild Premier Grand Cru Classé 1880	€4,680	08/02/2017
27	Romanée-Conti Grand Cru – DRC – 1967	€4,680	11/01/2017
28	La Tâche Grand Cru – DRC – 1999	€4,440	31/05/2017
29	Petrus 2008	€4,440	21/06/2017
30	Montrachet Grand Cru – DRC – 2006	€4,378	11/10/2017
31	Hermitage Ermitage Cuvée Cathelin Jean-Louis Chave 2000	€4,256	15/11/2017
32	Petrus 2009	€4,256	15/11/2017
33	Petrus 1953	€4,200	11/01/2017
34	Vosne-Romanée Premier Cru Cros Parantoux Henri Jayer 1988	€4,080	29/03/2017
35	Château Latour Premier Grand Cru Classé 1947	€4,080	26/04/2017
36	Chambertin Grand Cru Armand Rousseau 1971	€4,080	12/04/2017
37	Petrus 1948	€4,013	25/10/2017
38	Petrus 1947	€3,910	11/01/2017
39	Bonnes-Mares Grand Cru Georges Roumier 1971	€3,900	12/04/2017
40	Richebourg Grand Cru – DRC – 1988	€3,840	08/02/2017
41	Chevalier-Montrachet Grand Cru d’Auvenay 1999	€3,770	27/12/2017
42	Petrus 2000	€3,770	15/11/2017
43	Montrachet Grand Cru – DRC – 1990	€3,720	31/05/2017
44	Montrachet Grand Cru – DRC – 1999	€3,720	31/05/2017
45	Musigny Grand Cru Georges Roumier 1991	€3,720	10/05/2017
46	Petrus 1951	€3,648	25/10/2017
47	Petrus 1982	€3,648	27/12/2017
48	Petrus 1989	€3,648	13/12/2017
49	Petrus 1990	€3,648	13/12/2017
50	Richebourg Grand Cru – DRC – 1990	€3,624	31/05/2017