This month, Christie’s Wine will present one of the greatest single-owner collections ever to come to market, The Cellar of William I. Koch. This landmark auction will take place live over three days, from June 12-14 at the auction house’s Rockefeller Center location. The extraordinary event will feature a highly curated selection of rare bottles from the world’s most revered estates, in rare vintages, including more than 750 large-format bottles from Domaine de la Romanée-Conti, Pétrus, Mouton Rothschild, Lafite Rothschild, Cheval Blanc, among others, the low estimate of which is valued at $15m.
An industrialist, philanthropist and America’s Cup winner, the Palm Beach resident has spent a lifetime pursuing his many passions—highlighted by the collecting of fine wine he is known to enjoy sharing with friends.
“For Bill Koch, wine has always been a means to bring people together. Above all, he considers it to be one of life’s greatest enjoyments.”
— ADAM BILBEY, CHRISTIE’S HEAD OF WINE & SPIRITS
Drawn from his cellars in Palm Beach, Cape Cod and Aspen, Koch’s unique collection is world-renowned. Over the course of the three-day event, passionate oenophiles from around the globe will have the opportunity to engage with approximately 1,500 lots, representing historic vintages and estates. Bordeaux and Burgundy figure most prominently in the offering, complemented by significant selections from Champagne, the Rhône Valley, Italy, and California. At the heart of this unprecedented auction will be more than 750 majestic large-format bottles, including over 45 Jeroboams and Methuselahs of Domaine de la Romanée-Conti, promising to make this a truly historic event.
