Christie's Fine and Rare Wines auction has seen a case of 1945 Taylor port sell well above estimate, leading bids on October 23 in London.
 1945's wines are known as the 'victory vintage' as production restarted following the end of the second world war in Europe |
The case of 12 bottles far exceeded its £8,000 high estimate to sell for £19,975 ($32,060) - a 149.6% increase. Despite damaged, stained and damp-affected capsules, and soiled labels, the port is highly regarded by aficionados, and there was strong competition for the lot.
The top three lots were all 1945 Taylor port, which is considered one of the finest vintages. Wines from 1945, particularly French wines, are often called the "victory vintage", with production restarting following the close of the second world war.
Port rarely exceeds the prices seen for fine wines at auction, but the Christie's sale saw a 10-bottle lot of the heralded Petrus 1986 sell for £8,225 ($13,201) in second place.
A single jeroboam of the same vintage followed, selling for an identical sum.
The low end of the auction offered wines that were originally submitted for the 2014 Decanter World Wine Award (DWWA), with profits to benefit WaterAid.
Hundreds of cases were divided into 65 lots by region, with the top selling lot a group of 48 bottles of Champagne that sold for £1,058 ($1,697).
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