This week in London, Sotheby's held one of its sumptuous sales of fine and rare red wines, achieving a remarkable £1.3m ($2.1m).

The top two lots, which we reported on at the time, were correctly predicted by the auctioneer.

The top lot consisted of 12 bottles of Romanée Conti from the world renowned Domaine de la Romanée-Conti, vintage 1988. This beautiful, chewy red from the heart of Burgundy has a deep, crimson colour with lost blue notes. 

The wine has a nose of black cherries and a well-balanced raspberry taste combining fruit, acidity and tannin. With excellent levels and perfectly preserved labels, this outstanding produce from one of the world's best vineyards was estimated to sell for £46,000-55,000.

In the event, it actually sold for £63,250 ($102,400). This would, without doubt, make an exceptional investment.

Second in line is Lot 8, a collection of 12 bottles of Château Pétrus. Vintage 1990, this deep red wine originates from the appellation of Pomerol in Bordeaux. Consisting almost exclusively of Merlot grapes, the wine has a nose of dried fruit, reminiscent of the wines of the Napa Valley.

This voluptuous and opulent Pétrus tastes of ultra-ripe plums and prunes with a sweet aniseed finish, making it rather atypical. Add to that their excellent condition - apart from very slight damage to the bottom of 4 labels - and you have a very special lot.

These bottles were thought likely to sell for £26,000-32,000, and they didn't disappoint, bringing £29,900 ($48,400). Fine wine collectors will now look forward to Sotheby's next auction, which takes place in New York in just a week's time.

Of this sale, Serena Sutcliffe MW, Worldwide Head of Wine at Sotheby's, commented:

"This was an extremely solid sale with demand for the best remaining very high. There were also some excellent Bordeaux and Burgundies selling for accessible prices, so there was something for everyone; however, at the top, the air remains rarefied!"