Sale of the Elysée Palace Wine Cellar – Part One
The first part of the auction of 1200 bottles from the Elysée cellar has already reached €295,663!
At the end of this first day, the bids soared and far exceeded the estimates. Indeed, the total sales were expected to bring in €250,000, an amount significantly surpassed and which has already reached nearly €300,000.
The wines sold for 2, 3, or even 4 times their listed value. This is the case with the Château Angélus 1961 sold for €1,100 when its value is €220, or even Château Beychevelle 1989 Sold for €2,500 (estimated value €180). The oldest vintage ever sold was a Château Latour 1936, refurbished at château in 1997 and valued at €500. It was sold for €3,500, seven times its estimated value! Another spectacular performance was the sale of the Château Cape Mourlin 1945 at €2,100, which is 20 times its market value.
The highlight of the evening: 2 bottles of Château Petrus 1990The estimated value of these magnificent bottles was €2,200–€2,500 per bottle. A French consumer purchased the first bottle for €5,500 excluding fees, and a Chinese importer specializing in French wines acquired the second for €5,800. The lucky buyer, Fan Dongxing, from Shanghai, purchased numerous lots during the evening and will resell some of his acquisitions to professional friends. He will return this evening for the second part of the sale.
Below is a summary of the most noteworthy sales on Thursday, May 30, 2013:
| Wine | Vintage | Catalogue estimate | Selling price |
| Château Angélus | 1959 | 180/200€ | 900 € |
| Château Angélus | 1961 | 220/250€ | 1 100 € |
| Château Beychevelle | 1989 | 180/220€ | 2 500 € |
| Château Cap de Mourlin (refurbished) | 1945 | 90/100€ | 2 100 € |
| Château Haut Brion | 1989 | 1500/1600€ | 2 700 € |
| Château Lafitte-Rothschild | 1961 | 700/800€ | 2 200 € |
| Château Latour | 1936 | 480/500€ | 3 500 € |
| Château Latour | 1982 | 1000/1100€ | 2 300 € |
| Echereaux, Domaine Romanée Conti | 1989 | 1800/2100€ | 4 700 € |
| La Romanée, Bouchard | 1985 | 400/500€ | 900 € |
| Petrus | 1979 | 950/900€ | 1 700 € |
| Petrus | 1985 | 900/1000€ | 3 600 € |
| Petrus | 1986 | 950/1000€ | 1 700 € |
| Petrus | 1986 | 950/1000€ | 2 100 € |
| Petrus | 1990 | 2200/2500€ | 5 500 € |
| Petrus | 1990 | 2200/2500€ | 5 800 € |