iDealwine, the leading wine auction house in France, regularly shifts its auction data to uncover market trends. Results from the four auctions that took place on its website in June show that wine enthusiasts located all over the world battled it out for coveted bottles, preferring to go after the big names in several star French regions. At the same time, bidders remained exacting and meticulous in their choices. iDealwine takes us through the key trends it found in its analysis.
iDealwine: the key market trends at auction in June
When it comes to Burgundian wines, rarity was once again the key factor. Wine enthusiasts seemed to go over the auction catalogues with a fine toothcomb to dig out the treasures that are currently missing from their collections. Two bottles of Romanée-Conti were auctioned for € 15,650 (for a 2017, -4%) and € 10,016 (for a 1986, a stable price), respectively, but the real star in June was La Tâche Grand Cru which stood out with several mature vintages recording notable increases (€ 4,883 for a 1985, +44% and € 2,779 for a 1992, +17%).
A more unknown, but brilliant Burgundian producer also shone in June’s auctions. For anyone who is a fan of Henri Jayer and has followed his story closely, the name Cécile Tremblay will be familiar as she is the winemaker’s great-niece. She created her estate in 2003 when she took over her grandparents’ small plots of vines dotted around the most prestigious appellations in the Côte de Nuits. Classed as an Auction Star in the most recent iDealwine Barometer, her success has known no bounds in recent weeks with the Chapelle-Chambertin Grand Cru stealing the limelight. A bottle from 2015 went under the hammer for € 1,427 (+20%) and a bottle from 2010 sold for €1,252 (+37%). Also extremely sought-after, the estate’s rare Échézeaux, which is full of wild strawberry, cherry and spiced notes, obtained € 1,377 for the 2015 vintage and € 1,064 for the 2012. Her 2015 Les Feusselottes Premier Cru from Chambolle-Musigny went for € 701 (+7%) , while a bottle of 2015 Vosne-Romanée Les Rouges sold for € 689 (+21%). The vines that Cécile Tremblay tends to in Nuits-Saint-Georges were also represented by a 2010 Les Murgers Premier Cru, which was auctioned for € 488 (+21%).
Wine enthusiasts were also very selective of the Bordeaux bottles they bid on. June was all about beautiful mature vintages. Their choices centred around “vintages of the century” such as 1959 (Château Latour, € 2,379, +33%), 1989 (Petrus, € 3,443, +12%), and 2000 (Mouton Rothschild as a magnum, € 1,640, +5%). Bidders also identified the properties that produced magical wines in vintages that didn’t go down in history. An example of this would be the 1983 Pichon Lalande, which sold for €188 (+10%). Sweet wines were not overlooker neither, with the cult 2001 Sauternes vintage being led by Château d’Yquem, which saw a magnum go for € 1,377 (+6%).
iDealwine’s analysis of the Loire Valley showed that bottles from Clos Rougeard took centre stage. It’s true that prices for its red wines remained relatively stable, but several vintages of the white Brézé saw their prices soar. For example, a bottle from 2010 was auctioned for € 275 (+11%). Rare bottles produced by Aurélien Lefort in Auvergne also captivated bidders. The 2020 BabaCool went under the hammer for €338 (+35%) and a 2019 Brave de Traque obtained € 313 (+36%).
For the Alsace wine region, the wines from Trimbach saw much competition between wine enthusiasts last month. Its crown jewel, the Riesling Clos Sainte-Hune, was sold for € 250 with the bottle coming from the 1996 vintage and several vintages of the wine Frédéric Emile went under the hammer, both as bottles and magnums. Among the latter, a 2004 was auctioned for €175 (+18%) and a 2002 for €150 (+23%).
The Rhône Valley has seen months of price readjustment, but it seems the tables are turning as Château Rayas saw its prices increase throughout the last quarter. A 2005 broke the € 1,000 barrier, selling for € 1052 (+33%) and several other vintages missed this benchmark by a hair’s breadth: 1998 (€ 964, +5%), 2009 (€939, +16%), and 2007 (€ 939, +19%). Guigal’s La-La-La trilogy from the Côte-Rôtie appellation caught the attention of bidders on iDealwine and caused a bit of a frenzy. A 1990 La Mouline was sold for €776 (+6%) and a 1991 La Turque went for €714 (+4%).
For Champagne lots, wine enthusiasts remain highly passionate. They were all trying to get their hands on the great classics such as those from Krug (1990 Clos du Mesnil, € 1,753), Roederer (€ 1,127 for a magnum of 2012 Cristal, +17%) and Dom Pérignon (€ 889 for the 1986 Brut, +44%). And they didn’t leave out Grower Champagnes either! Cédric Bouchard (Roses de Jeanne Le Creux d’Enfer 2012, € 889, +112%), Ulysse Collin, Marguet, Lurquin, and Marie-Noëlle Ledru all proved to be highly popular! Selosse’s iconic 2009 Extra-Brut Premier Cru also stole their hearts and eventually went under the hammer for € 1,252 (+6%).
Is wine becoming a refuge for enthusiasts in uncertain climes? iDealwine believes that the data is demonstrating just that with bidders remaining selective and on the lookout for treasures.
