I was the first bidder on a bottle of 1990 Henri Bonneau Reserve des Celestins in this week’s Winebid auction. I received an email from Winebid today informing me that the “bottle has authenticity issues” and that they were pulling the lot. When I followed up, the guy said that “rare and often expensive wines go through an additional, higher level of scrutiny” and that they had flagged it because of a “plain capsule.”
Winebid clearly deserves kudos for protecting me from probable fraud, and not taking the low road like Rudy Kurniawan’s enablers at Acker. But I’m curious why this issue didn’t come up until after the bottle had already been listed. I’ve asked for more details and will post any new information I receive.
I called them to inform them a year or so back that the photo listed for a Dagueneau Asteroid didn’t match the right label for the vintage listed…and it was pulled immediately. I’d say their additional level is concerned wine collectors inquiring about the authenticity…
I recall something 4 or 5 years ago that came up (something big, like a rare Giacosa?) that had a wonky label. I can’t for the life of me remember what it was exactly, and they yanked it.
I asked them whether anyone from outside the company had seen the photo and called it to their attention and am waiting for a response.
I could see an argument that you should go to a snootier auction house if you want better counterfeit controls up front, but the premiums they charge are only modestly lower than Sotheby’s etc.
The guy just got back to me and said no one from outside contacted Winebid, but that they don’t always get their “secondary inspections” completed before midweek.
By the way…winebid clearly doesn’t stand behind the authenticity of the wines they sell…and I quote:
“However WineBid.com does not warrant or represent, and denies responsibility for the accuracy of the descriptions, encompassing but not limited to vintage, provenance, authenticity, quality and condition as may be stated on the site.”
I had a different experience back in 2011. Noticed a single bottle of 1987 Truchot (blanking on which cuvee), and happened to spend the afternoon with Peter Weygandt on the Saturday before the auction closed. I pulled up the lot on a computer at his shop and he said that he had never imported the 1987, but started in 1988. Despite that, his importer sticker was on the bottle which caused up to write to them immediately about its authenticity. They wrote back saying that their internal team was convinced of the bottle’s authenticity. Peter, Tim, and I kinda chuckled to each other and shrugged out shoulders. Hadn’t thought WineBid would have disputed the claim from the importer himself!
