Two Bottles of Romanée Conti 1945 Each Sell for $558,000 and $496,000

The Macallan 1926 60 Years Old (Sir Peter Blake Label) Achieves $843,200 * The Highest Price in Sotheby’s History for a Single Spirit *

‘White-Glove’ Sale of Rare Domaine de la Romanée-Conti from the Personal Cellar of Robert Drouhin Totals $7.3 Million * More than 5 Times Its High Estimate *

NEW YORK, 13 October 2018 – This morning in Sotheby’s New York salesroom, two exceptional bottles of wine each broke the prior world auction record for a single bottle of wine of any size. The two bottles of Romanée Conti 1945 shattered the previous record when they sold to applause for $558,000 and $496,000, respectively.*

The wines were offered as part of a 'white-glove' (100% sold) auction of rare Domaine de la Romanée-Conti emerging from the personal cellar of Robert Drouhin, which totaled $7.3 million – more than five times its high estimate.

Immediately following the conclusion of the Personal Cellar of Robert Drouhin, The Macallan 1926 60 Years Old (Sir Peter Blake Label) sold for $843,200 – the highest price in Sotheby’s history for a single spirit, as well as the top auction price for any spirit sold in North America. The Macallan 1926 represents the celebrated distillery’s oldest vintage, with only 40 bottles ever produced, of which, 12 were labeled and signed with an exclusive design by British artist Sir Peter Blake.

Our auction of Finest & Rarest Wines is ongoing in New York, as is our first-ever online-only sale dedicated to whisky: open for bidding now through 16 October, Macallan Online: A Pioneer’s Collection comprises rare and coveted bottlings, including an early ‘90s Armando Giovinetti Special Selection and The Macallan, Millennium (one of 900 bottles released). The Macallan 1926 60 Years Old (Sir Peter Blake Label) was on offer from the same collection.

Sotheby’s will release the full results from our October wine auctions in New York on Monday.

Jamie Ritchie, Worldwide Head of Sotheby’s Wine, commented: “Today marks an extraordinary moment not only in the history of Sotheby’s, but also in the auction market for wine and spirits worldwide. The new world record established in today’s sale is further proof that the demand for wine and spirits of exceptional quality is at an all-time high, and that global collectors are willing to go the extra mile to acquire the rarest bottles of any kind. The world auction record for a single bottle of wine of any size, established by Sotheby’s New York in 2007, has stood for more than 10 years, and it was a privilege to top our previous success twice in one sale. It has been an honor to work alongside both The Macallan, as well as the Drouhin family, and we look forward to continuing this momentum as we head into our November and December auctions.”

Comprised of just 100 lots, this historic offering of Domaine de la Romanée-Conti emerged after more than 50 years in the personal cellar of Robert Drouhin, patriarch of the family-run Maison Joseph Drouhin, who is internationally recognized as one of the wine industry’s most respected figures. The dedicated sale offered DRC vintages spanning from 1937 through to 1964, acquired by Mr. Drouhin and his father, Maurice, directly from the celebrated Domaine, mostly during their time as the exclusive distributors of DRC in France and Belgium – a highly-covetable attribute that amplified the collection’s pristine provenance. The sale this October presented collectors with an unmatched opportunity to acquire legendary vintages of DRC, with only one owner since being removed from the cellar of the world’s most celebrated producer.

This unprecedented selection comes to market during a remarkable surge in demand for wines from Burgundy, which has steadily increased over the last five years. Domaine de la Romanée-Conti reigns supreme within the region – in fact, DRC has led Sotheby’s Wine’s Annual Market Report as Top Producer every year since we began our yearly rankings in 2013.

Aged in a sherry cask for six decades, The Macallan 1926 represents the celebrated distillery’s oldest vintage, with only 40 bottles ever produced. Of the 40, 12 were labeled and signed with an exclusive design by British artist Sir Peter Blake, who is perhaps best-known for designing cover art for the likes of The Beatles, Eric Clapton, The Who, and Oasis, and 12 by Italian artist, Valerio Adami. The Sir Peter Blake bottle sold today at Sotheby’s is numbered 9 of 12.