We accept all genuine top quality ‘fine wines’ into our auction, be it in single bottles or in cases. Wines must have been well kept, in cool cellar conditions and away from sunlight. We are happy to auction wines at any stage of their maturity, from recent vintages through to fully mature wines, so long as they are in good condition for drinking. If you have wines you want to sell please email images of the bottles before shipping so that we can advise in advance if we might be able list them.
Here are some examples of wines we accept:
Champagne
We accept celebrated names from Champagne including the likes of Moët & Chandon’s Dom Perignon and Louis Roederer’s Cristal (probably the most famous duo regularly seen in our sales), but also Vintage and Prestige Cuveé Champagnes from the likes of Taittinger, Bollinger, Ruinart, Pol Roger and Perrier Jouët. We also accept certain Prestige Cuvées that are multi-vintage blends such as Krug Grande Cuvée and Laurent Perrier Grand Siècle.
We sometimes accept Non-Vintage (NV) Champagnes if they are from highly regarded producers known for producing a more full-bodied, age-worthy style, e.g. Bollinger, Roederer, Gosset, or from ‘Grande Marques’ in large formats (magnums, jeroboams etc.).
You can find out more about Champagne in our How To Read A Champagne Label blog.
Red Burgundy
We accept all fine red Burgundy including quality ‘Village’ and Premier Cru wine from appellations such as Volnay, Vosne Romanée, Pommard and Gevrey Chambertin, as well as Grand Crus, e.g. Musigny, Richebourg, Corton, and Echezeaux. And if you’re lucky enough to own bottles from the likes of Domaines such as Romanée-Conti, Leroy, Fourrier, Roumier (to name but a handful), we will be delighted to list them for you.
White Burgundy
We accept all fine white Burgundy including ‘Village’ and Premier Cru wines from Chassagne Montrachet, Puligny Montrachet, Meursault, and Premier and Grand Cru wines such as Chevalier Montrachet, Bâtard Montrachet, Corton Charlemagne, as well as the best wines of Chablis.
Bordeaux
Classed Growth Bordeaux including ‘First Growth’ Châteaux Margaux, Latour, Haut-Brion, Lafite and Château Mouton-Rothschild. We also accept wines from Graves, for example Châteaux Haut-Bailly, Pape Clement and Smith Haut Lafitte, and those from Saint-Emilion e.g. Châteaux Cheval-Blanc, Angélus, Figeac and Pavie-Macquin. We also accept drinkable, quality Cru Bourgeois bottles. Finally, we accept fine Merlot-based ‘Right Bank’ wines from Pomerol including Châteaux Pétrus, Vieux Château Certain, Le Pin and Lafleur.
Sauternes
We accept Sauternes from top properties only, for instance Château d’Yquem, Château Climens, Château Coutet, Château Suduiraut and Château Rieussec.
Rhone Wines
We accept fine wine from the Rhône Valley including wines from Hermitage, Côte Rôtie, Cornas, Saint-Joseph, Condrieu and Châteauneuf du Pape.
Wines from the rest of France
Other French wines which could well be listable include the great Chenin Blanc wines of the Loire (e.g. Vouvray, Savennières, Quarts de Chaumes etc.), full-bodied reds from Southern appellations such as Bandol, and modern-day classics such as Mas de Daumas Gassac.
Alsace too has an army of followers, eager to snap up dry and sweet examples of its Grand Cru Rieslings, Pinot Gris and Gewürztraminers in particular and increasingly high-quality reds, though in auction terms they are probably better known for their terrific late harvest wines, of which the Eisweins and Trockenbeerenauslesen (generally in half-bottles) are generally the most popular.
Italian Wines
We accept fine Italian wines such as Barolo, Barbaresco, Brunello di Montalcino, Amarone, and ‘Super Tuscans’ (Sassicaia, Tignanello, Solaia, Ornellaia, Masseto).
Wines from Spain
In general the auction stars here are famed properties such as Vega Sicilia or Pesquera, or Gran Reserva Riojas from the likes of Marques de Murrieta or Lopez de Heredia.
Other European Wines
Germany has provided the world with many of its greatest white wines for generations, with Riesling, arguably the World’s finest white variety (and certainly its longest-lived) from bone-dry to lusciously sweet, giving bidders excitement at every stage of its development. Wines from producers such as Joh. Jos. Prum are among the most sought after.
Austria too makes great Rieslings and increasingly high-quality reds, though in auction terms they are probably better known for their terrific late harvest wines, of which the Eisweins and Trockenbeerenauslesen (generally in half-bottles) are probably the best known.
New World Wines
Penfold’s Grange (along with Bin 707, St. Henri, Magill Estate and various of their Special Releases) is certainly the wine by which all other Australian wines are judged, at least in terms of price. Henschke’s Hill of Grace runs it a close second, with wineries including Giaconda, Moss Wood and Mount Mary also sure to attract interest. South Africa is ever-more fascinating in its artisanal fine wine offerings, though for now it is the tried and tested classics with name recognition made from international varieties which tend to do best, with Pinot Noirs, Chardonnays and Cabernet Sauvignons from producers such as Hamilton Russell, Meerlust, Kanonkop and Rustenberg being good examples. South America too, is finding a market for its top offerings. Chile’s Viñedo Chadwick, and Argentina’s Cheval de Los Andes (made with input from Bordeaux legend Château Cheval-Blanc) being good examples.
The USA is the source of wines attracting the most feverish bidding of almost any wine region, with Cabernet Sauvignons and ‘Bordeaux blends’ from the likes of Harlan Estate, Opus One, Dominus, Ridge and Screaming Eagle all drawing nearly as many connoisseurs as their French counterparts. California and Oregon Pinot Noirs, though relatively seldom-seen in the UK, are also sure winners.
This is by no means an exhaustive list; fine wine, like whisky is a huge subject, with plentiful examples of ‘exceptions that prove the rule’, whether it be sought-after bottles from unusual grape varieties not generally known for their quality, or wineries from regions without a fine wine heritage (Lebanon’s Château Musar is a great case in point), or are better known for making ‘bulk’ wine, turning out unexpectedly great bottles.
If you’re in any doubt, please send images of your wine treasures our way – we’d be fascinated to take a look.
Fortified and Dessert Wines
You can auction your VORS Sherry, Vintage Port (but not Late Bottled Vintage or Vintage Character), Tawny Ports labelled 20 Years Old, 30 Years Old or 40 Years Old or Vintage-dated/Colheita Ports. For more information on Port, please check out our How To Read A Port Label blog. Hungarian Tokaji can be incredibly long-lived, and is always popular with our buyers, and there are many prized late-harvest or fortified New World rarities, including South Africa’s Vin de Constance and Australia’s Noble One, in addition to various Port-style and Liqueur Muscats.