Lots of Madeira at Christie's online auction

[Eric Menchen]

It looks like 94 lots, with most of them multiple bottles and many full cases.
https://onlineonly.christies.com/s/sign ... p_featured

There are also 5 lots of Port, with Lot 421 looking like the most interesting with 3 mags of 1985 Grahams and 1 mag of 1994 Taylor, although the bottle conditions aren't great.

I don't plan to bid on any of these.

[Matt K]

I was able to get some data on what would be offered a few days ago and did some analysis - it's not perfect because I only realized 3/4 of the way through that there were a few lots of Sherry mixed in and then they combined a number of the original lots.

I am interested in a fair number of lots but frankly many are larger volume than my interest and I'd be delighted to split some of them.

Also, while this is mostly 20th c. the 3/27 NY auction will have all of the 18/19th c Madeiras (lots are published on the website already).
So, if you're looking for very old bottles this isn't a great auction for you but if you're looking for less...exalted bottles there's a lot to like.

Here's some analysis of on the online auction, created with pre-final auction data:
There's 150 lots (since combined to 94 lots) for a total of 919 bottles spanning from 1863-1898, mostly mid 20th C. total val @ low est is $82K, $111K at high.
Using just a few data points it looks like their high estimates are almost exactly 1/2 going US retail.
The selection is very heavy on d'Oliv., Blandy, Cossart & Barbeito, especially bual and sercial (and 40% of it from 1946-1969 which is my wallet/drinking happy place).

Distribution/Type
337B
99M
232S
121V
81T
9 Bastardo
24 Blend
15 bottles of Sherry screwing up my data

Distribution/Brand
90 Blandy
81 Cossart
61 Leacock
63 Broadbent
166 Barb
395 d'Oliv
18 Henriques
50 misc

66 pre WW1
145 pre WW2
25 1940S
399 1946-1969 - my happy place
282 1971 >

[Matt K]

I won 3 lots by myself and another 3 with another forum member (I'll let him out himself if he wants). I have to say that having a partner is great - we can split lots that might be larger than desired solo and/or we don't compete, we also can compare notes on what we feel market value is, what is desirable/rare, what we think we want to pay, etc, this is particularly helpful for a noob like me - especially given my partners decades of knowledge/experience.


This was easily, by far, my biggest auction by dollar amount. My wife isn't exactly pleased but I'm thrilled as everything we won was considerably below current retail (avg 48% off of US retail after premium!) and I now own my first 19th c. bottle.

The loot:

• Barbeito, Bual Madeira 1953 (2)
  Barbeito Boal Madeira 1957 (2)
  Cossart Gordon, Madeira Boal 1958 (3)
  d'Oliveiras, Boal Reserva 1958 (2)
  Miles, Bual 1960 (2)
  Blandy's, Bual 1968 (1)
• Barbeito, Bual Reserva Velha 1863 (1)
  Barbeito, Malvasia Reserva Velha Favilla Vieira 1920 (1)
  Barbeito, Verdelho Reserva Velha 1926 (1)
  Barbeito Malvasia 1949 (1)
  Barbeito Reserva Velha Favilla Vieira 1950 (1)
  Barbeito, Malvasia Reserva Velha 1954 (2)
  Barbeito, Malvasia Madeira Frasqueria 1958 (3)
  Boal, Reserva Velha 1960 (1)
• Blandy's Bual 1948 (3)
  Blandy's Bual 1958 (2)
  Blandy's Bual 1959 (5)
• Henriques & Henriques, Boal 1957 (6) (SPLIT)
• H&H terrantez 1976 (6) (SPLIT)
• Cossart Gordon, Terrantez 1977 (6) (SPLIT)

[Gary Banker]

I coordinated with Matt on the Christie's auction. It worked very well on the H&H lots and the Cossart Gordon terrantez. Of the four lots that we wanted to split, we missed out only on the H&H 1954 boal lot of 6. I thought that the prices were rather low for most of the D'Oliveira, Barbeito, and Broadbent lots. Some had no bids. If I had managed the time better, I would have gotten a 12 bottle lot of the 1978 Barbeito sercial in addition to the 11 bottle lot that I won.

I came away with the following:

11 x 1978 Barbeito sercial $857.50 w/BP
9 x 1978 Barbeito boal $612.50 w/BP
Henriques & Henriques, Boal 1957 (6) (SPLIT)
H&H terrantez 1976 (6) (SPLIT)
Cossart Gordon, Terrantez 1977 (6) (SPLIT)

[Eric Ifune]

I got one of the cases of 1977 D'Olivera's Terrantez.
Now I have to figure out how to get it to Las Vegas. Christies doesn't ship to Nevada.

[Matt K]

Have Zachy's ship to a storage facility them then the facility can ship it to you?

[Marco D.]

Now I have to figure out how to get it to Las Vegas. Christies doesn't ship to Nevada.

Will you be in NYC next month? You can have them ship it to your hotel.

[Jim S.]

I already posted this under the Zachy's Auction, but figured it should really be on the Christie's thread:

In the Christie's live auction, I got 2 lots-- 6 bottles of 1894 H&H Founder's Reserve Solera and 12 bottles of 1912 D'Oliveiras Verdelho Reserva (bottled 2011).
In the Christie's Online auction, I was successful on 7 lots:

Lot 323- Shortridge, Malmsey Madeira Jubilee Selection 1952 (1)
Rutherford & Miles, Malmsey Madeira 1954 (2)
Cossart-Gordon, Malmsey 1954 (2)
Blandy's, Malmsey 1954 (1)

Lot 374- Barbeito, Funchal Bual Reserva Velha 1960 (Bottled in 2010) (12)

Lot 378- Barbeito, Funchal Malvasia Reserva Velha 1954 (Bottled in 2010) (10)

Lot 379- Barbeito, Funchal Malvasia Reserva Velha 1954 (Bottled in 2011) (9)

Lot 380- Cossart Gordon, Sercial 1960 (6)

Lot 383- Cossart Gordon, Madeira Sercial 1954 In original wooden case (12)

Lot 405- Blandy's, Sercial 1910 In original wooden case (6)

For the most part, the prices were very low, bucking the general trend, and creating an amazing buying opportunity.
I think it was a mistake on Christie's part to dump so many lots of Madeira in the same sale. I'm not complaining, but this has happened historically when large numbers of bottled Madeira are sold at one auction.

[Eric Ifune]

I will be in NYC, but don't want to lug an entire case around.
They do ship to California so I'll have it sent to my brother in LA.

[Eric Menchen]

I will be in NYC, but don't want to lug an entire case around.
They do ship to California so I'll have it sent to my brother in LA.

And that probably saves you on sales tax.

[Matt K]

Darnit Jim, you beat me by $50 on lot 323!

By the way - if you want to unload a partial of any of these I'd be very interested in discussing it further - especially the first 2 items.
6 bottles of 1894 H&H Founder's Reserve Solera
12 bottles of 1912 D'Oliveiras Verdelho Reserva (bottled 2011)
Lot 374- Barbeito, Funchal Bual Reserva Velha 1960 (Bottled in 2010) (12)
Lot 378- Barbeito, Funchal Malvasia Reserva Velha 1954 (Bottled in 2010) (10)
Lot 379- Barbeito, Funchal Malvasia Reserva Velha 1954 (Bottled in 2011) (9)

[Eric Ifune]

Still have to pay California sales tax!

[Matt K]

I was thrilled not to have to pay sales tax in CT - it uh...well let's call it a nice bottle of early 20th c. yummy if I'd had to pay tax.

On the flip side my wife, who I really did prep for this, noticed the CC hit today (she does the bills). Apparently when I was complaining about the Zachy's live results and not winning anything she apparently thought I'd not won anything...perhaps I wasn't clear that I participated in 3 auctions end in a 3 day period. Oops. :)

Delivery day is tomorrow - this is gonna be fun!

[Marco D.]

On the flip side my wife, who I really did prep for this, noticed the CC hit today (she does the bills).

That's why I do the bill. Less explanation necessary.

[Matt K]

That makes sense but I set the precedent ~20 years ago when I turned my check book over to my wife, then girlfriend, years before we were even married. She studied finance, (is a CFO) and she seems (seemed?) to enjoy doing it where to me balancing a checkbook was boring and tedious and so rarely done.

It's only ever an issue when I'm buying wine or boats.

[Eric Menchen]

Still have to pay California sales tax!

D'oh! I guess there is another advantage to living in an otherwise wine-void state.

[Matt K]

The madeira has landed!

I'm so out of space....