Is selling Rhône Valley wines in the middle of summer realistically feasible? On iDealwine, the answer is yes, of course! No fewer than 1,556 bottles (all formats combined) produced in this region were snapped up on the site in July, representing 12% of the total volume traded on the auction platform. A figure in line with the share usually accounted for by Rhône Valley vineyard at iDealwine auctions throughout the year. Interest in wines produced from north to south in this vast wine-growing region remained strong among wine enthusiasts. It must be said that catalogues were overflowing with attractive labels, wines, and vintages in some cases simply impossible to find.
iDealwine catalogues offered a chance to snap up some extremely rare wines from leading names from the northern part of the region, the most notable of which being the highly sought-after Cathelin cuvée from Domaine Chave. This Hermitage, produced only in the most exceptional years, fetched €5,759 and €5,258 respectively in July on iDealwine, for the 1995 and 2000 vintages. Several legendary vintages were on offer at last month’s auction. The 1990 vintage of Jean-Louis Chave’s ‘classic’ Hermitage cuvée sold for €1,002. Meanwhile, the legendary 1978 Hermitage La Chapelle from Maison Jaboulet went for €942 (+10%). A bottle of 2009 Hermitage Le Pavillon, produced by Chapoutier, achieved a hammer price of €313.
There was no shortage of exceptional bottles from Côte-Rôtie either. A bottle of 1978 La Mouline, the star wine of Maison Guigal, broke the €3,000 barrier, selling for €3,005 on 24 July (+14%). Two other sought-out vintages, 1985 and 1991, of the same wine obtained €1,753 and €1,202 respectively. Among the renowned trilogy produced by the Guigal family, a bottle of 1991 La Landonne was another notable appearance at auction, selling for €764. La Turque, another wine from this legendary trio, enjoyed a significant price increase for the 1988 vintage, fetching €714, a 26% rise. Other prestigious names in the appellation also recorded impressive bids, including the Dolium cuvée from Domaine Benetière, auctioned for €338 for the 2017 vintage, and Jamet’s 2002 Côte Brune, which fetched €313.
Château Rayas takes the top spot in Châteauneuf
Last month, 50 bottles of the iconic red Châteauneuf-du-Pape from Château Rayas were sold on iDealwine. At the very top, several rare vintages were up for auction, including a 1989 that sold for €1,878 and a 1990 that went for €1,653. Both bottles headed to Hong Kong. It’s worth noting, though, that prices for Emmanuel Reynaud’s wines are no longer skyrocketing. The trend was similar throughout the appelation with a bottle of 1986 Bonneau Réserve des Célestins reaching €689, a 2003 Domaine de la Mordorée La Plume du Peintre achieving €376, a 2016 Domaine du Pegaü Da Capo fetching €376, and a 2001 Hommage à Jacques Perrin selling for €363. All impressive results, but at stable price levels.
Irresistible Rhône Valley white wines up for auction on iDealwine
A total of 216 bottles of white wine from the Rhône Valley went under the IWA/iDealwine hammer at auction last month. A small percentage, therefore (14% of the total sold), but one which included a number of highly desirable names. At the top end, a bottle of 2010 Château Rayas recorded a significant increase, being bought for €601 (+14%) by a Hong Kong wine enthusiast. The other highest bids for fine white wines from the Rhône Valley were mainly for wines produced in the northern part of the region. A Jean-Louis Chave 2009 Hermitage Blanc fetched €307, while three bottles of 2013 Hermitage de l’Orée from Chapoutier sold for €776, equivalent to €259 per bottle (+6%). Another popular offering was the Hermitage Les Rocoules from Marc Sorrel, with the 2019 vintage selling for €163 (+8%). Back down in Châteauneuf du Pape, Clos de Papes (€201 for the 2001) and Château de Beaucastel (€150 for the 2013) also featured. The rare Château Grillet was also present in the July iDealwine catalogues, with the 2007 selling for €263 (+5%) and the 2005 for €250. In this area, it was impossible to find a bottle of Condrieu wine from Gangloff for less than €100. The highest priced one, a 2021 vintage, achieved €113.
Strong bidding across all regions
There’s no such thing as a holiday for iDealwine auctions over the summer: sales continue every week, even during the high season, with outstanding bottles from all regions up for grabs. In Bordeaux, Pomerol was particularly well represented in July. A prestigious crate containing 12 bottles from the appellation (Petrus, Trotanoy, Lafleur Petrus, among others) sold for €5,359. A magnum of 1994 Château Le Pin headed for Asia, fetching €3,606, while a more recent bottle of the same vintage, (a 2021 sold for €2,316), was destined for a cellar in France. Another French buyer snapped up a bottle of 1982 Petrus for €3,255 (+6%). Among the rare wines of the appellation, Vieux Château Certan also stood out, with strong bidding for the 2015 vintage, which sold for €305 (+16%).
Turning to the Loire Valley, Domaine Dagueneau was once again the talk of the auction, with a magnum of its 2018 Memento Mori selling for €1,415. Fine wines from Italy also abounded last month. Among these, Gianfranco Soldera’s Tuscan estate stood out with a rare vertical of its Riserva Soldera Case Basse, selling for €835, €1,000 and €1,415 respectively in the 2000, 2001 and 2002 vintages. There’s no denying that fine Italian wines have a bright future ahead of them at iDealwine auctions.
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