In February, it was Burgundy that came out on top, with several iconic wines continuing to build on their already-impressive hammer prices. Cellaring wines from Provence have also been particularly dynamic, all whilst maintaining a more reasonable price point than those from other regions. And, as has become a clear trend in recent times, Italian cuvées performed very well.
Leroy and other Burgundy icons more coveted than ever
The wines crafted by Burgundy stalwart Lalou Bize-Leroy have got the wind in their sails, with both the eponymous estate and her Côte de Beaune Domaine d’Auvenay clocking up some fabulous figures. It’s worth mentioning that Leroy’s 2001 Musigny was iDealwine’s highest priced bottle of 2020, selling for €17,499. February’s top results include a 2009 Romanée-Saint-Vivant, which went for €5,403 (+70%), a bottle of 2005 Latricières-Chambertin for €4,421 (+69%), and a 2004 Bourgogne which received a top bid of €2,149 (+81%). As for Domaine d’Auvenay, a 2004 Meursault Les Narvaux went for €2,210 (+16%) and the 2015 Bourgogne Aligoté Sous Chatelet for €1,289 (+42%). Other highly coveted Burgundy bottles included a 1991 Chambolle-Musigny premier cru Les Amoureuses from Georges Roumier at €4,175 (+186%) and a 1985 Gevrey-Chambertin premier cru Clos Saint-Jacques by Armand Rousseau for €2,468 (+46%).
Mature Provence wines on the up
From Provence, fine cellaring wines such as those from Domaines Tempier and Trévallon are having quite a dynamic moment. A 1988 Trévallon went under the hammer for €221 (+28%) and a 1985 for €258 (+97%). The white wines from this domain, produced in limited quantities, are also performing well, with a 2006 vintage selling for €140 (+41%). Domaine Tempier’s landmark Cabassaou cuvée received a top bid of €209 last month for its 1992 vintage.
See Angélique de Lencquesaing’s further analysis of the Provence region here
Fine Italian wine
Some excellent Italian wines were sold during February’s auctions, most notably in mature vintages. Bruno Giacosa’s 1996 Barolo Riserva went for €1,105 (+11%), and Angelo Gaja’s cuvées have reached steadily high prices; a 1997 Barbaresco DOCG was sold for €817, and a 2005 magnum got €526. From the Abruzzo region, Emidio Pepe is a star of biodynamic and natural wine, with a 1979 Trebbiano d’Abruzzo selling for €454 (+3%) and a 1980 Montepulciano d’Abruzzo for €338 (+8%). Also lively in the market are the wines of Giuseppe Rinaldi, several of which have seen a two-figure increase in their estimated value, as is the case for the 2016 Barolo Brunate, sold for €368 (+31%), and the 2016 Barolo DOCG Tre Tine which sold for €295 (+23%). Also bringing in good results for the Barolo appellation recently is Giovanni Battista Burlotto, whose 2016 Monvigliero went under the hammer for €338, representing a 105% increase in value!
Other wines of note
We’ve seen a good few Madeira wines reach impressive prices for their very old vintages. A bottle of 1900 Malvasia Solera made by Henriquès & Henriquès went under the hammer for €737 (+216%); this same cuvée also sold for €614 in an even older vintage, the 1898 (+155%). From the same domain, a 1907 Boal Solera Mi Doux saw a whopping value rise of 173%.
Bordeaux certainly wasn’t lacking in interesting results in February. We should highlight the 2000 vintage from Château Mouton Rothschild – a legendary year for the estate – which sold for €3,807 in its magnum format (+23%), as well as a 2015 Petrus at €4,052 (+27%) and a 1990 from the same property for €3,316 (+15%). Also worthy of note is a mature bottle of 1947 Château La Mission Haut-Brion, a rarity which went under the hammer for €2,333 (+59%). And from the Rhône, Château Rayas continues to excel, with a bottle of the 1990 vintage reaching a top bid of €1,965 (+30%)…so very close to the 2k mark!
Request an estimate for your wines here
Find out more about selling your bottles with us
Explore previous auction reports
