By ERIC C. RODENBERG
AntiqueWeek Associate Editor RUTHERFORD, Calif. — In 1996, wine connoisseur and collector Greg Martin, began more actively pursuing one of his hobbies.
He and his wife bought and restored an 1887 Napa Valley vineyard, after it had remained dormant for 90 years. The pair began restoring the winery, once home to more than 50,000 vats, keeping with its 18th and 19th century “feel.”
Respecting history while revering the “purity of the art,” the Martins brought to the old stone chateau a smaller state-of-the-art winery featuring custom-made French oak fermentation tanks, and a chai (wine shed) for barrel aging. The chai also doubles as a venue for wine tasting events.
Here again, quality is taken very seriously.
“The 2006 Martin Estate Reserve – very deep garnet black color … rich and satiny, this wine has complex layers of marinated olives, earth and Asian spice underneath. A hedonistic, table tuned delight. Exceptional – Gold Medal, commented the BTI (Beverage Tasting Institute) during the World Wine Championships in 2010.
So, it is with little surprise that, on June 16, Greg Martin Auctions will unveil its new enterprise – Martin Wine Auctions – with its inaugural sale of more than $3.5 million in vintage and collectible wines.
“We’re still getting a lot of consignments,” Martin says, so it could be even larger.”
Martin Wine Auctions is a new division of Martin Auction Group. Their auctions will physically be held in San Francisco on June 16. It will be simulcast in Hong Kong (which, on the other side of the international date line, will fall on June 17).
“Building on our connections in Napa Valley, Martin Wine Auctions’ goal is to bring together passionate global wine enthusiasts, both buyers and sellers,” Martin says.
For collectors, wine – like Martin’s “bread and butter,” firearms - has proven a good investment.
For wines recently traced by the Wine Spectator magazine’s Auction Index for the first quarter of 2011, the total value rose 8 percent above the fourth quarter 2010 market. It is the third consecutive quarter of increases, according to the publication.
“The average percent-sold rate for all auctions stood at an extremely healthy 97 percent,” the survey reported. “Nearly half the wines on offer in the first quarter posted an increase of 10 percent or better over their fourth quarter averages.”
The top of the quarter’s lot price-wise, during the same period, was an imperial of Château Lafite Rothschild 1982 that brought $41,825 at Hart-Davis-Hart which, as one of the largest wine auctioneers in the world, is headquartered in Chicago.
Martin acknowledges that Hong Kong has become an important wine market with his simulcast auction. There is a “wealth” of interest there, he says.
The recent trend within the wine marketing industry has shown the bigger cellars and most valuable wines, going through the Hong Kong market.
Again, according to Wine Spectator, the average price per lot in Hong Kong amounted to $8,404, compared to $3,816 in the United States. “However, the two markets are very different because Hong Kong specializes almost exclusively in ultra-high-end collections, whereas their U.S. equivalents are more egalitarian,” the magazine contends.
And, seemingly, it appears that Martin Wines has the inventory – plus the panache – to play with the “big boys” in Hong Kong.
Their offerings from the world’s greatest chateaux include a trophy 6 Liter imperials of Château Lafite Rothschild, Château Margaux, Château Latour and Château Mouton Rothschild.
The crown jewel of the auction is a full wood case of 1966 Domaine de la Romanée-Conti Romanée-Conti. Backing that up is another true treasure, a 1949 Château Lafite Rothschild, in a desirable 2.5 liter “Pot Gascogne” formal bottling.
“Overall, the wine market, like firearms, is a very competitive market,” Martin said. “But, they also have not only held their values, but appreciated.”
Each bottle, to be offered by Martin Wine Auctions, will be “thoroughly inspected and guaranteed,” Martin says.
For more details, call 415-543-9463 or visit www.martinwineauctions.com |
