Five years ago, the wines and spirits department of Sotheby’s only accounted for 2% of the sales of the famous American auction house, against… 20% today! In 2020, it thus recorded 92 million dollars of auction (80 million euros) for these beverages.
These figures illustrate the liveliness of this market, which is attracting more and more buyers. And unlike the art market, it appeals to young people a lot – those under 40 represent 31% of buyers. at Sotheby’s.
Sales displaying wines and spirits are multiplying, therefore, as is customary before the holidays, but with increasing dynamism over the years.
For November alone, around fifty are announced on the Interencheres.com site (which brings together nearly 300 auctioneers authorized for judicial sales, and offers 10,000 direct sales per year), around twenty by Drouot.com, Drouot’s internet auction portal, and others at Artcurial, Christie’s, Sotheby’s, etc. For the latter, it has so far mainly been selling French wines to foreigners.
Sotheby’s is officially setting up its sales in France this year by ensuring, for the first time, the organization of the 161e sale at the Hospices de Beaune auction, on November 21. And the 2020 vintage of the oldest charity wine sale is a miracle, according to the manager of the estate, Ludivine Griveau. “The exceptional climatic situation, with very beautiful days in March, then frost in April, and gloomy weather in July, led us into a permanent war of nerves”, she says.
“There is less enthusiasm than before for Bordeaux. »- Olivier de Lapeyrière, from the Cornette de Saint-Cyr auction house
This meteorological situation is common to all areas in Burgundy and could have an immediate impact on the auction market.
“The prices of burgundy wines, which are already tending to soar, will increase further, because in view of the very limited productions, buyers are not certain to find these 2020 bottles in the years to come. “, estimates Tony Pasquier, expert in the sale of the Reims auction house Chativesle, which will disperse more than 1,400 lots over four days in mid-November. His catalog includes, in particular, three bottles of Chablis Grand Cru François Raveneau 2003 estimated between 1,200 and 1,500 euros for the lot. complete, and a ruchottes-Chambertin from the Mugneret-Gibourg estate 2009 (from 800 to 1000 euros).
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