Bordeaux wine Ducru Beaucaillou Melchior could tower above rest at sale

We've already had some spectacular wine sales in 2012. Both Hart Davis Hart and Christie's have successfully held white glove auctions and Acker's Icemen Cometh sale came agonisingly close with a 98% sell-through rate.

Now Sotheby's New York will be looking to continue in this vein with a Finest and Rarest Wines auction which will feature 809 lots. In total they are expected to achieve $1.3m-1.9m.

Purchasing a collection of wine in the form of futures is always a strong option for an investor and this auction offers a wonderful selection of Bordeaux and Burgundy, all bought in this way and stored with a top wine merchant for 30 years.

Included from this selection are First Growths from the great 1982 vintage, led by two cases of the inimitable Château Pétrus.

Melchior Nebuchadnezzar Masseto Ducru Beaucaillou
Like bottle-shaped bouncers... the huge Melchior and Nebuchadnezzar

Those who are looking to expand their Italian wines collection will find a potential centrepiece on offer here: a extremely rare Nebuchadnezzar (15  litre) bottle of the wonderful 2007 Italian Merlot Masseto.

Bordeaux fans who like the large formats are catered for too, as a Melchior (18  litre) of 2005 Ducru Beaucaillou is going under the hammer as well. Both of these towering bottles were bought directly from their wineries.

For Burgundy fanatics, the sale includes a range of fabulous wines from Domaine de la Romanée-Conti, of which a case of 1993 Richebourg is perhaps the pick.

The auction takes place on February 25.

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