Acker Closes 2012 Top Of The Asian Market

Acker Merrall & Condit, the world’s leading wine auctioneer and America’s oldest fine wine merchant, concluded another successful year in Asia with its Hong Kong sale held on 6-8 December 2012. Over 1,270 lots of some of the world’s most sought after wines on offer generated an impressive total of HK$61,876,872/US$7,932,932.

The top lot of the sale was an exclusive DRC Assortment vertical collection of 8 vintages which fetched HK$2,755,200/US$353,231. 76 new world records were established including 16 for Italian wines.

John Kapon, CEO of Acker Merrall & Condit Companies, commented after the sale: “This has been an amazing week for Hong Kong wine lovers, and a great end to another special calendar year. Acker presented its first three-day auction, offering a most diversified selection of the finest wines from Italy, Burgundy and Bordeaux. We are very proud to finish atop the Asian market yet again, 28% ahead of our next competitor. I am looking forward to another superb year for Acker in Hong Kong.”

The top lot of the sale was a DRC Assortment Vertical of 8 great vintages (’97, ’98, ’99, ’00, ’01, ’04, ’05 and ’06) which sold for a staggering price of HK$2,755,200/US$353,231 (Lot 1075). Other Superlots also achieved exceptional prices included a vertical consisting 10 Magnums of Screaming Eagle from 1992 to 2002 realized HK$885,600/US$113,538 (Lot 467) and 22 bottles of DRC’s Richebourg from 1988 to 2009 (HK$295,200/US$37,846, Lot 1068).

BURGUNDY HIGHLIGHTS:

The prestigious Burgundy fine wines on offer drew highly competitive bidding. The star of this section was again a case of 1988 Romanée Conti in banded owc, selling at HK$885,600/US$113,538 (Lot 1053). Another exceptional offering of three magnums of 1978 H. Jayer Vosne Romanée Cros Parantoux fetched HK$344,400/US$44,154 (Lot 1060).

Other notable lots included:

– 6 bottles of 2002 Romanée Conti in owc (HK$442,800/US$56,769, Lot 602, illustrated right)

– A case of 1990 DRC Assortment in owc (HK$344,400/US$44,154, Lot 593)

– A five-case parcel of 1962 Leroy La Romanée in owc (HK$270,600/US$34,692 per lot, Lot 474-478).

BORDEAUX HIGHLIGHTS:

The sale featured a dazzling array of Bordeaux treasures including a Château Haut Brion vertical of 55 vintages from 1945 to 2009 (HK$381,300/US$48,885, Lot 1057, illustrated right) and a Château Yquem vertical of 47 vintages from 1945 to 2007 (HK$344,400/US$44,154, Lot 1059).

Gems from Pétrus were keenly sought after in the sale highlighted by 12 bottles of 1989 in owc that achieved HK$295,200/US$37,846 (Lot 1048) and 12 bottles of 2009 in banded owc which sold for HK$270,600/US$34,692 (Lot 312).

This was Ackers final auction of 2012 and see’s them well ahead of the competition both on the regional Asian market and internationally proving once again that they are at the pinnacle of auctioneering in Asia. They will conduct their first auction of 2013 at the Grand Hyatt on the 25^th and 26^th January, a fortnight before the Chinese New Year holiday.