12 bottles from Domaine de la Romanée-Conti, 2000
Sold €45,880
1 bottle Chartreuse Yellow Tarragona (Grand Cru)
1904-1930 100cl
Sold for €10,168
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Fine Wines & Spirits

‘Cellars are sometimes the unsuspected resting places of a significant part of our heritage. Even when well-preserved, wines and spirits are perishable goods that need to be sold at the peak of their potential to fully capitalize on their value.’

— Pierre-Luc Nourry

A Globalized and Diverse Market

In this international market, France, and particularly Paris, is a key place for the sale of fine wines and spirits. Over the past 5 years, Pierre-Luc Nourry, assisted by expert Denis Bernard, has been developing Aguttes’ Fine Wines & Spirits department. With 4 auctions held each year, he offers his expertise and knowledge of the current market to showcase your bottles.

Burgundy and its different ‘climates’, whose richness and distinctiveness led to their inclusion on UNESCO’s World Heritage list in 2015, have been significantly influencing the wine market for several years. The famous parcel division in this illustrious wine region fosters the diversity of the wines produced, but also inherently limits their production to small, even tiny quantities of bottles per estate. As a result, when the work of the winemaker gains worldwide recognition, the value of their production increases significantly, as seen with wines from Domaine de la Romanée-Conti, Leroy, Rousseau, Roumier, Jayer, Bizot, Leflaive, and Comtes Lafon, among others.

While Burgundy has no choice but to produce in limited quantities, the great crus that have made the reputation of Bordeaux strive to perpetuate the relentless consistency that has led to their success for decades. Collectors are well aware of this and always eagerly seek the first classified growths such as Ausone, Cheval-Blanc, Haut-Brion, Lafite-Rothschild, Latour, Yquem, Margaux, Mouton-Rothschild, and Mission Haut-Brion, willing to pay a premium price for these prestigious wines.

The Rhône Valley is also prominent with flagship producers like Jean-Louis Chave, Henri Bonneau, Domaine Jamet, as well as Jaboulet, Guigal, and the wines of Emmanuel Reynaud, including Chatêau Rayas. These wines are highly sought after due to their aromatic richness, aging potential as well as their recent increase in value.

Furthermore, for rare spirits, the enthusiasm for whiskies and rums has become more than just a passing trend. The recent surge in the value of rare spirits is not only a result of increased demand in the global market for strong alcohols but also due to changes in consumer habits. The limited availability of small quantities, bottles, or special cuvées contributes to the rise in prices, playing once again the card of rarity. In the spirits market, the soaring popularity of rare alcohols is evident year after year, with consistently breaking records for the rarest bottles, sometimes fetching prices with up to seven figures!

We assist individuals and professionals looking to part with all or part of their wine cellar by providing accurate valuations and highlighting their bottles through comprehensive expertise and extensive communication. Secure logistics are also essential to ensure a successful sale.

Don’t miss the opportunity to sell the bottles you won’t drink or wish to resell, as even well-preserved wines and spirits are perishable goods, and selling them at the peak of their potential, if not enjoying them, is essential to fully capitalize on their value. You may have hidden treasures in your home or cellar, so don’t hesitate to contact us!

‘Regardless of the bottle…’

The history of bottles is primarily the story of enthusiasts who cherish them for what they represent, what they contain, and the pleasure they bring. To savor the infinite richness of aromas from a 19th-century fine Cognac, gaze into the amber robe of a decades-old rum resting quietly in a cellar on the other side of the world, or take a sip of wine from Domaine de la Romanée-Conti… Our senses and dreams nourish our passions.

Starting with the producers, the first craftsmen and creators of these marvels of craftsmanship and mastery, each with their own personal and distinct vision of the purpose of their work, whether it is wine, whisky, rum, sake… The fruit of their efforts is ‘sacred’.

From the hard work of the winemaker, trying every day to extract the essence of their land and vines, courageously advancing through the narrow corridor of what nature allows them to do, influenced by the seasons and weather conditions; to the virtuosity required by the cellar master, who must now decide the perfect moment to bottle the malt treasures inherited from predecessors, and who will tomorrow, with their nose and experience, after sniffing hundreds of samples to balance the notes, harmonize the character, create a whisky they may never taste finished.

The difficulty of creating these exceptional products naturally elicits admiration from collectors, connoisseurs, and enthusiasts worldwide. The pleasure of possessing these bottles, for all they embody in terms of human values – effort, perseverance, sensitivity – justifies their particular allure and, for some, their exorbitant prices.

The state of conservation: a crucial criterion

Origin and year are the two fundamental criteria in establishing the estimate since they allow us to refer to the market value of the wines and spirits in question, compare them with the most recent results observed in public sales (in France and around the world), and, of course, consider their state of conservation.

We ensure to verify the authenticity and condition of the bottles before including them in our auctions. Estimates can serve as a preliminary step, but the criteria that are verified during the expertise allow us to ensure the correlation between the estimated price and the actual condition of the wine or spirit to be sold.

Buyers are attentive to the provenance and presentation of the bottles they desire, and even though it is impossible to predict the content of a tasting in advance, we are the guarantors of the information we provide regarding the origin of the lots and their meticulous description. Three points are particularly important here:
– The current level of liquid in the bottle (compared to the original level: the lower it is, the lower the value).
– The condition of the label, as it is the main element for identifying a bottle.
– The condition of the capsule and cork to verify if there has been any fraudulent handling but also to note any typical defects that could affect the seal and, therefore, the integrity of the content.

Good to know

Our Wine & Spirits department organizes 4 auctions per year in Paris and through Online bidding, featuring the dispersal of several thousand bottles. The selection primarily comes from private cellars of individuals who wish to part with wines they consider too old for their taste or too expensive for their own consumption. These auctions lead to exciting bidding battles where rarity, good storage condition, and age are major assets that can add significant value to your bottles.

Our specialist is at your service to estimate your bottles and provide you with professional expertise and advice on selling or investing. You can send us your list with the appellations, vintages, and names of the domain or producer, or simply a few photographs. We also travel to major cities in France and Europe and organize expert appraisal days in coordination with our offices.

Discover our auction calendar and our offices.

Our company has a unique communication strategy and provides sellers with modern and targeted tools for effective international exposure. We pay special attention to the production of the auction catalog, whether in print or fully digital format, ensuring it is well-designed and comprehensive. Throughout our campaigns, we engage with buyers from our portfolio in all specialties and reach out to potential buyers we have identified. We communicate with them through various channels, including online and offline advertisements, social media, email marketing, media outlets, influencers, and auction platforms, using tailored and high-quality content such as images, text, and videos.