The months of July and August are traditionally perceived as a quieter period for wine auctions. However, the summer of 2026 was a pleasant surprise: the market was particularly dynamic, with several spectacular hammer prices. The very old Bordeaux performed very well, as did a decades-old Raveneau. In the Rhône, the extremely rare Cathelin cuvée from Jean-Louis Chave broke a new iDealwine record, while the newly trending Benoît Rosenberg from Auvergne sparked a bidding war among natural wine collectors.
Mature Bordeaux Performing Well
Bordeaux collectors known that when it comes to resale prices, they are in it for the long haul. Thankfully, Bordeaux wines are built for ageing and have proven over and over again that they can withstand the test of time. Several Grand Cru Classés and First Growths aged 40, 50 or even more saw prices increase significantly in these recent months. This is the case, for example, of a magnum of Château Cheval Blanc, which sold for €1,174 (+47%). A bottle of Château Lafite Rothschild 1953, now over 70 years old, fetched €3,271 (+124%), and was sold to an Irish wine enthusiast. Slightly younger, a bottle of 1959 Château Mouton Rothschild sold for €2,390 (+171%); and there are many other similar examples in the auction report below.
Momentum for old vintages from Raveneau
The icon of Chablis, Raveneau has seen its wines perform particularly well this summer in the vintages of the 1980s and 1990s. This estate remains one of the most coveted names in Chablis. Founded in 1948 by François Raveneau, with a family connection to the Dauvissats, the estate has slowly but surely established itself as the go-to top name in the appellation. The wines of the 1980s and 1990s are particularly sought after today: with age, their minerality and saline structure melt into notes of honey, dried fruit and wax, without losing the tension that is the signature of the great Chablis. La Revue du Vin de France magazine recommends waiting for Raveneau’s wines fully express their potential after fifteen to twenty years of ageing.
A bottle of Chablis GC Clos 1990 was sold for €2,837 (+327% – bearing in mind that this wine had not appeared at auction for a very long time). In the 1988 vintage, the same wine sold for €2,705; while the 1992 Chablis GC Blanchot fetched €1,265 (+151%).
Hermitage: the extremely rare Cathelin cuvée exceeds €10,000
In the Rhône Valley, one of the rarest wines, Jean-Louis Chave’s famous Cathelin cuvée exceeded the €10,000 threshold for the first time in its 1990 vintage. It sold for €10,316 to a French wine lover (+53%).
Only the 2009 vintage of this wine had done better: it had sold for €12,652 in June 2018.
The Cathelin cuvée is one of the rarest wines of the Hermitage. It owes its name to the painter Bernard Cathelin, a friend of the Chave family, who also designed its label. Produced only in years considered exceptional, it represents only about 2,000 to 2,500 bottles depending on the vintage. Its style is based on a very confidential selection of grapes from the great terroirs of the Hermitage, with a particular affinity for the granite expression of the Bessards. As the Cathelin cuvée is no longer sold commercially, when bottles appear on the secondary market, they are particularly coveted. Gradual reduced supply naturally contributes to rising prices.
Auvergne: buzz about Benoit Rosenberg
A new trend can be observed in Auvergne wine auctions: there is huge demand for Benoît Rosenberg’s wines. Based in Auvergne since 2012, the winemaker, originally from Sancerre, worked for several years in Champagne before settling in the Puy-de-Dôme. In Saint-Maurice, south-east of Clermont-Ferrand, he makes French wines from grapes grown and vinified as natural wines.
This trajectory is fully in line with the current revival of the Auvergne vineyards. For a long time, the region has remained discreet, but for several years now it has been attracting many winegrowers in search of volcanic terroirs and fresh, digestible wines with little wood. The soils of basalt, pozzolan, ferruginous clay and limestone can give wines with a beautiful energy and a mineral framework.
The 2018 Loup des Vignes wine sold for €503 per magnum (+67%) and €176 per bottle in the 2019 vintage. Lastly, its 2021 Rat de Cave wine reached €101 (+15%).
The summer of 2026 confirms an auction market that goes beyond the most famous wines. While longstanding classics continue to perform well, new names are constantly gaining visibility. This dynamic should continue to benefit rare bottles, old vintages and estates whose production remains very limited.
