DRC ‘treasures’ from Drouhin’s cellar to be auctioned

WINE TALK
41

I think we are finally witnessing the high tide marks in wine. It is not difficult to imagine a major correction in the market soon, especially if we have an American president once again go through impeachment proceedings, or an effective political castration post November. Any speculation?

42

You’re referring to the “black lotus strategy” 'Magic: the Gathering' Collectors Pay Thousands for Cards, Compare Investment to Bitcoin.

43

Sidebar, but the group I used to play with had 5 black lotuses between us in 96-98 or so. Sold them in collections with rare cards of all 5 colors including all Mox gems. Should have kept mine…

44

I played magic (many moons ago) at a pretty high level (states), and once even making it to the Australian Champs…still have many top cards with a number of Black Lotus’s (4 or 5 from memory), including a full set of Beta Power 9 and much more…

45

Drouhin were the agents and the wine came from the domaine - of-course a bottle that never left DRCs cellars would attract higher bids, but if it had been moved in the last 70+ years (DRC have more than one cellar in Vosne), it’s unlikely to be significantly different to the Drouhin cellared bottles. Note, if the bottle you refer to was sold twice (2007 & 2011) then the provenance (to me) is much less interesting in 2011 as the wine would have been moved multiple times, even if in professional storage…

A little more info on some of the vintages is included here: https://www.burgundy-report.com/diary/2018/08/if-ever-there-was-a-unicorn-wine/

46

Bit of a naive question Bill, but I’m curious about your use of the term moved. Is it the physical act of moving the wine twice that is of concern? Greater chance of heat or some other physical damage during the move? Or is it that multiple owners increases risk of poor storage, fakery, or some other problem?

47

time to flip em for some wine!

48

Oh yes, definitely time to sell! I never owned any Moxs, but plenty of dual lands and for a short period of time a beta black lotus… should have gone much deeper with purchases when myself and others were playing Revised/ice age/arabian nights on the regular!

49

What do you think a lot is worth that someone bought in the Koch sale? More or less?

The cache was that it was owned by Koch. Now that it’s owned by someone else, it’s less appealing to over pay.

I think the same thing applies here. Were their some crazy wines sold in both sales that are seemingly one of a kind? Yes, but there was also plenty of stuff sold that while a big ticket item seemingly appears in many auctions through the year.

50

Ian is correct. Those who resold wines purchased at the Doris Duke sale didn’t get the above market premium that they paid.

51

I’m sure your right, but they didn’t buy it all. My thought was you have to keep it all together (thus hopefully keeping the aura) and be willing to hold it for a buyer down the line 10-20 yrs, preferably not at auction. I guess it would be a gamble as to if this is the peak, or maybe it’s impossible to keep the aura once it changes hands, even if complete.

52

It just becomes ‘he said, she said,’ David, in terms of storage.
This is different to a piece of art; the provenance trail is everything for art, but provenance has to include storage for wine, and once it leaves cellar ‘A’ where it has laid for (we have to believe) x decades, and moves into the hands of others, it’s simply not the same and I would say no-longer verifiable…
This provenance but also storage angle is a two-edged sword, the recent Jayer sale being a great example; the Baghera wines had the most perfect provenance as they were from the cellar of the maker - except - it wasn’t the greatest of deep cellars, and I visited many passive Côte de Nuits cellars in 2003 where temperatures were cool vs ‘outside’ but were still 23-25°C - air-conditioning became much more common after that summer. Compare that with the previous Jayer sale from Martine Saunier; less perfect (paper-trail) provenance as the wines were in the hands of a second party (even if the agent, like Drouhin/DRC), and had been transported from Jayer’s cellars - yet, I gather, professionally stored. Of-course you never hear about the power outages, et-cetera, in professional storage(!), but the Saunier wines were probably better kept than than those wines in the recent Jayer sale, but still lacked the extra cachet of - from the vigneron - of the Baghera wines… It’s not easy!

53

Thanks Bill, makes sense.

54

It still doesn’t really work that way.

Anyone buying these wines needs to have a clear plan to consume them, and appreciate them for what they are.

You know someone willing to fork over $5000 a bottle for 78 Roulot Perrieres? That’s what someone would need to buy the bottles sold at the Wilf sale off the guy who bought it, and make it worth his time to resell them. So when some of these bottles sell for the numbers that myself, Ray and Mr. Milstein think they will sell for, just add 20% (at minimum) and think of who you know has 6 figures to spend on a bottle of wine.

55

Is it me or there’s no DRC RSV anywhere in Drouhin’s cellars.

56

No Montrachet either [cheers.gif]

I know that Drouhin had their own bottling of Marey Monge RSV, so it’s possible they weren’t brokering the wine for DRC? I think the first vintage of RSV from DRC is 1972, and prior it was Marey Monge? Someone who knows more than me can verify?

57

DRC bought their first plot of Montrachet in 1963. I believe 1964 was the first vintage.

On Romanee St. Vivant I believe you are correct. In 1966, the plot was leased to DRC with an option to have first right to purchase if the plot was ever sold, but it was not until 1972 (I am pretty sure) that DRC bottled RSV under the DRC label (with Marey-Monge included prominently), and 1988 before the opportunity to purchase- and actual purchase- took place.

I have had a couple of the Marey-Monge RSVs from the 66-71 era. They all had very elaborate Marey-Monge labels. Lovely wines, but in gentle decline 20 years ago- which today I suppose means they are worth $10,000+ at auction [wow.gif] .

58

Not sure Brig Campbell is going to be able to get any of these for $20…

59

Tom- I thought 66 was the 1st Montrachet vintage sold .

60

Funny enough, I had 2 bottles in my hand of the 61 Drouhin Marey Monge (they were in great shape too), but sadly they hammered for $1000 each, way over my pay grade! They have only recently jumped in price, but are still typically under $2000 a bottle. I’ve had the 69 DRC RSV bottling, and it’s KILLER.

I do love that old label.