Luxury News from InsideLux – The Daily Luxury News Authority

Over the weekend (October 3rd-4th) Sotheby’s, the auction house known for selling expensive luxury goods and antiques, held luxury wine auctions in Hong Kong. There was more than $8 million of fine wine sold over the 2 sales.

Some of the top vintage luxury wine lots sold for way above their estimates, including a 6ltr Imperial Chateau Petrus 1982 which went for $93,000. Other lots included a 12 bottle case of 2002 Domaine de la Romanee-Conti, sold for $83,000.

The big auction houses like Southeby’s and Christie’s have made a serious b-line towards buyers in Asia since the economic downturn because there are simply more customers willing to pay top dollar for luxury wines.

According to Reuters, Hong Kong has actually taken over from London and New York as the wine auction capital of the world. Reuters also say that Hong Kong has managed to maneuver itself into this position because the government there abolished duty on wine. Inevitably that has made buying luxury wine in Hong Kong even more lucrative for buyers.

Sarena Sutcliffe, head of the international wine department at Southeby’s has said “Asian buyers represented 99 percent of buyers in this two-day sale. Hong Kong has become Sotheby’s most important wine center, ahead of very successful auctions in New York and London.”

Interestingly Christie’s is saying that Asian buyers made up 61% of it’s wine sales in Hong Kong, New York and London this spring. A percentage which is up from just 7% in 2005.

As the holiday season fast approaches, the launch of luxury holiday merchandise is well underway. Among the most elegant of gifts are Mumm’s ultra-limited edition collection of three champagne trunks. Especially for Christmas and New Year 2009, the unique ‘In Case Of…’ set features three travel trunks with tailor-made caskets for Brut Cordon Rouge and Vintage 1998 available in white, red and brown leather.

The chic “Mumm Cordon Rouge” in white features a crude bottle of Mumm Cordon Rouge and two flutes for champagne. The adorable “Mini Mumm Cordon Rouge Gross,” the smallest in the collection comes in a glamorous red and features four mini bottles of Cordon Rouge.

The most opulent of the range, the “Mumm Vintage 1998 Magnum” in brown, hides a Vintage 1998 together with four flutes. Brut Cordon Rouge and Cordon Rouge Brut Mini sell for $5,094 and Vintage 1998 Magnum sells for $5,675.

In Terminal 3 at Dubai International Airport you can now buy the world’s finest and rarest wine.

From a number or reasonably priced New World wines, including vintages from Napa Icons, Opus One, Harlan Estate and Screaming Eagle. the shop “Le Clos” also offers Château Petrus 1947 (£7,625), Château Cheval Blanc 1961 in magnum (£9,607) and Domaine de la Romanée-Conti 2005 (£16,945).

There are more that 400 wines from France, Italy, the US, South Africa, Spain, Australia, Chile and New Zealand listed in total.

In addition to that the shop also sells exclusive spirits for example a 40-year-old single malt, and visitors can even pick up a £76,250 Dom Perignon guitar case.

And even if your account balance does not allow you a treat at the moment, it will be worth to have a look when on a stop-over.

If you value the opulent taste of the world’s premium wines, you will adore upcoming book, `The Wine Opus’.  However, if you plan on investing in this book, you are advised to start saving your pennies as each copy will cost an astonishing $1 million.

Set to be released in spring of next year and weighing 30kg, ‘The Wine Opus’ will list the world’s top 100 wineries and if you do manage to purchase the book, for every winery listed, you will receive a six bottle case of their finest giving reason to the hefty price tag.  The book will be a limited edition publication with just 100 copies being produced, 25 of which have already been pre-ordered and a set number reserved for auction.

The book will be published under Kraken Opus who has in the past been involved with extravagant books for the likes of Vivienne Westwood and Diego Maradona.

This exclusive Dom Pérignon ‘Side by Side’ gift set is the first ever time that two bottles of wine produced in the same year, with different maturities have been available together.

Priced at $550 this set contains a bottle of Dom Pérignon Vintage 1995 and a bottle of Dom Pérignon Œnothèque 1995.

Dom Pérignon say “To taste and compare these two wines is an incredible experience in discovering two perspectives. While Dom Pérignon Vintage 1995 is more mature and full-blown, Dom Pérignon Œnothèque 1995 is distinguished by its radiant, crisp vivacity.”

Whilst the two different flavours of the wine are distinctive, there are some shared qualities. Dom Pérignon describe the taste as “On the nose, notes of biscuit and a still-warm harvest instantly lead to lemon zest and black cherry.  The overall impression is one of smoky and lightly toasted aromas. On the palate, once the sensation of power and structure is absorbed, the density of the fruit shows its depth on the palate and the lively, incisive and mineral finish is revealed.”

Visit the Dom Pérignon website and watch a video featuring karl lagerfeld by clicking here

Read the rest of this entry »