Great wines improve with age. What a pleasure to take a twenty-year-old classified Bordeaux wine out of your cellar, to delicately remove its cork, to smell it to make your taste buds tingle with impatience, to delicately pour the wine into your glass, to swirl it to lightly appreciate its color patinated by time, bring it to your nose to discover an unparalleled aromatic complexity, then taste it and discover its tannins polished by the years. But now, if you buy your bottles at wine fairs, with some exceptions, or during primeurs, you will have to be particularly patient before you can taste them at their peak. You will only find young wines there. And above all, you need to have a good cellar capable of aging them in the best conditions.
Although wine merchants sometimes have old vintages, few resellers have the capacity to keep their stocks over the long term to offer them to their customers once they have reached maturity. To acquire old bottles, however, you can turn to auctions. And, in this area, the market is particularly dynamic. In 2021, according to the latest figures published by the Voluntary Sales Council, 76 million euros worth of wines and spirits were exchanged in France in auction rooms, compared to 37 in 2010. “D’ excellent deals often present themselves there, explains Laurie Matheson, expert and head of the wine division at Artcurial. The bottles are on average half the price of those in stores.” The period also seems favorable for buyers. “After reaching record prices last year, the market is calming down and full of opportunities,” rejoices Angélique de Lencquesaing, founding partner of iDealwine, world leader in online auctions and the first French wine sales house. at auction.
Most of the bottles in the catalog come from private cellars. “Between 60 and 70 years old, amateurs realize that they consume less, particularly during a change of life – retirement, moving to a smaller house. They then sort through their cellar and sell this that they won’t drink,” observes Laurie Matheson. It is then up to the auction house to carry out its expert work to ensure the conservation of the bottles. “We are very selective,” continues Laurie Matheson. “We only take well-kept cellars and refuse wines with questionable aging conditions.” The sketch of a good bottle? “The label is slightly damaged by humidity, the color of the wine is still beautiful and the level has not changed,” explains our expert.
In terms of terroirs, it is always Bordeaux which sells the most. “During our auctions in the first half of 2023, Bordeaux represented 53% of sales volumes, compared to 19% for Burgundies and 11% for Rhône wines,” analyzes Laurie Matheson. But the ranking is reversed when we think in terms of value: “In 2022, Burgundy represented 45% of our sales, compared to 36% for Bordeaux and 11% for the Rhône,” confirms Angélique de Lencquesaing.
“Don’t imagine building your cellar in two weeks”
While some auction houses like Artcurial focus on the high end, others, like iDealwine, offer a wide selection at all prices. “Some auctions are made from 10-15 euros, confides the founder of the site. You can find everything at auction, as long as you are patient. The fashion is currently for organic, biodynamic, even natural wines. And all regions are represented , like Jura, Alsace, Loire and, of course, foreign wines.”
To buy at auction, you can either go to an auction room or bid online on the house’s website. At Artcurial, two physical sales are organized per year, the others take place exclusively online. In both cases, you must register to participate in the auction and consult the catalog of lots on offer. “To avoid getting carried away during auctions, it is important to set a maximum budget per lot… and to stick to it,” advises Laurie Matheson. “If you don’t get the bottle you want, it doesn’t matter. It will surely come back later,” notes Angélique de Lencquesaing. But don’t forget, when determining your maximum budget, that the sale price is added to the hammer price (21 to 25% excluding taxes depending on the house). Enough to avoid a nasty surprise when paying the bill.
Finally, remember to make yourself available after the sale to collect the wines you have purchased. Houses, apart from those which carry out their activity exclusively online, are rarely organized to ensure the sending of lots. “Shipping costs amount to €9.90 for 12 bottles,” explains Angélique de Lencquesaing. “And it is now even possible to collect them from a parcel relay.” But the key word, if you decide to take the plunge, remains patience. “Despite the large number of auctions each year, don’t imagine building your cellar in two weeks,” concludes Angélique.
Five beautiful iDealwine auctions from the 2022 vintage
Last year, the great wines of Burgundy were undoubtedly the most sought after. In the top 50 produced by the leading French wine auction house, these exceptional wines occupy all the places at the top of the podium. However, we present the best auctions to you, region by region.
Burgundy : 34,100 euros for a bottle of Musigny-Grand-Cru 2006 (red) from Domaine Leroy.
Bordeaux : 62,000 euros for an imperial Pomerol Petrus 2015 (equivalent to 8 bottles).
Rhône Valley : 7,936 euros for a bottle of Hermitage Cuvée Cathelin 2 003 (red) by Jean-Louis Chave.
Champagne : 5,828 euros for a bottle of Dom Pérignon P3 Plénitude from 1973.
Languedoc-Roussillon : 7,812 euros for a bottle from the domain of La Grange des Pères 1,992 (red).