The theory used to place stop wine collecting as times at Bordeaux boutiques.
Zachys Wine Auctions, one of the major wine auction houses, now announced an auction of full barrels of the most prestigious Bordeaux wines from the 2024 Bordeaux vintage.
Some places have auctioned barrels before—in one particular instance, maybe years back, Chateau Ducru-Beaucaillou participated in an auction of rare bottles from its estate with one barrel from the 2022 vintage and another from the 2023-vintage barrels—but those cases were few and far between. This represents the first large-scale barrel-lot auction from a large group of top estates.
The auction catalogs 21 full barrels from some of the best Left Bank growths, such as Montrose and Cos d'Estournel, as well as from prominent Right Bank estates like Bélair-Monange and Angelus.
Most lots give you the choice of bottle size and allow you to create your own back label design. Prices look scary at first sight, but a little math will prove that the lowest price is a steal. At $28,000 for low prices, 300 bottles of Cos d'Estournel come to around $93 per bottle, which is below its future price and far below store prices. Three hundred bottles is truly a lot of wine. Of course, top Bordeaux wines age well.
The great things you have with each barrel are difficult to place a price on, given that these are unlike anything others have. These specials are VIP barrel tastings, once-in-a-lifetime overnight stays, and private wine dinners, giving the winning bidder the chance to meet the winemakers and learn about the land.
"This Bordeaux sale really offers more than just a lot of wine to its lucky buyer, thanks to our longtime pals at Zachy's," notes Stéphanie de Boüard-Rivoal, major domo of Château Angelus. "It is an opportunity to thoroughly get into the world of Angelus, to 'own' part of its history in a special way, and, above all, to really have a personal connection with our estate."
"This auction is the first of its kind. Normally, you buy a full barrel from a prime spot in Bordeaux, but here you get to watch it age in the cellar and decide for yourself the bottle size you want to use: bigger ones for your tasting circle, or even a big one or two for a bigger bash," says Charles Antin, global wine head of Zachys. "You can even decide how to do the back label for your friends or for your company, and then the places involved open their doors for superb dinners and good times for whoever wins."
The 2024s are getting old in the barrel now, at their spots, and they plan to bottle and send them out in spring 2027. Zachys will help winners with all the steps to bottle, make labels, and all other needs.