Fine wine news

The first London fine wine auction of 2012 will be hosted by Sotheby's this month and is expected to fetch up to £1.8 million.

Much of the sale is from a private collection of Bordeaux that spans five decades from 1953 to 1995, which will attract a number of investors.

Highlights of the January 25th auction include a case of Chateau Lafite 1982, which has an estimate of £22,000-28,000, as well as Château Latour, Margaux, Haut Brion, Mouton Rothschild and Petrus, all of which come from the sought-after 1982 vintage.

Petrus is expected to have the greatest amount of interest and the wine, in its original wood case, has the highest value of the entire sale at £36,000-44,000.

Other lots that are expected to have a surge of interest include rare vintages of Mouton Rothschild from 1953, 1959 and 1986.

Super second wines could have a very good year in 2012 as investors look to expand their portfolio and buy up value wines. A case of Chateau Leoville  Lascases 1982 will go up for sale at auction this month, with and estimate of £2,400-3,000.

Commenting on the forthcoming event, Serena Sutcliffe, worldwide head of wine at Sotheby’s, said: "We are very honoured that we are able to bring to auction this splendid collection."

She said that the 1982s are "some of the best wine experiences you can have" and suggested that buyers can "create ideal dinner scenarios" with the wines in time for Chinese New Year.

A case of Cheval Blanc 1975 could see a bidding battle at the event, while the wine from the 1995 vintage is also available in Magnum.

Investors will also be keen to see how well bottles of Figeac 1982 and Angelus 1995 do, while a case of Le Pin 1989 carries an estimate of £11,000-14,000.

Posted by John Yates