On June 5 – 6, 2015, Ravenel International Art Group held its Ravenel Spring Auction 2015 Taipei – Finest and Rarest Wines. The two-day auction, which ended at 7:00 p.m. on Saturday June 6th, was a resounding success. The scale of the auction was expanded to a total of 999 lots, including some truly outstanding rare wines from both the Old World and the New World, with a combined final bid value in excess of NT$70 million. The prices fetched by whiskies were particularly high, reflecting a continuation of the trend seen at the Ravenel Autumn Auction 2014, and the whisky section had an impressive closing rate of nearly 90%. The Spring 2015 Finest and Rarest Wines auction set a Ravenel record both for the number of lots and for the highest closing rates. Ravenel would like to thank all of the collectors who attended the auction for their support and patronage.
This year’s Spring Auction once again bore witness to the continued popularity of Bordeaux wines such as Pétrus and Cheval Blanc, as well as the five top-ranking Premier Cru wines. Burgundy reds and whites were also a major focus of interest. One of the highlights was the DRC 1985 Assortment, which went for NT$1,624,000, more than any other lot in the auction; other famous Burgundy wines that attracted attention from collectors included Leroy, Leflaive, Armand Rousseau, and Comte Georges de Vogüé. An important part of the 2015 Spring Auction was the impressive range of 125 lots of vintage champagnes, including 1952 and 1961 Dom Pérignon, and 1964 Delamotte; the closing rate for these lots exceeded 70%. The Château Pajzos Essencia 1993/1999, a sweet Hungarian wine, went for a final bid price of NT$85,000, nearly twice the forecast amount, thanks to keen interest from collectors.
The whisky section saw considerable excitement and competitive bidding, with a closing rate of almost 90%. The Glenfarclas 1952 – 1959 Family Casks collection (which was the first series of its kind consisting of 1950s vintages) and the whiskies from the Macallan Fine and Rare series went for especially high prices; a Macallan Fine and Rare 1948 vintage whisky sold for NT$1,276,000, the highest value reached by any whisky in this sale. A new highlight was the Malt Maniacs Awards Gold Medal section; the closing rate for this part of the auction was nearly 100%, reflecting the authoritative “seal of approval” and global popularity that these Gold Medal winning whiskies enjoy. Whiskies from the Karuizawa Distillery, which have become very popular recently, also sold for impressive prices, with a 100% closing rate. A five-bottle Karuizawa 1984 “Samurai” set, a collection comprising the first to fourth vintages from the distillery, and a 1970 “Geisha”, all went for nearly twice the forecast price.