A RARE bottle of Grand Constance 1821 fetched nearly half a million rand at the Cape Fine & Rare Wine Auction on Saturday.
In what has been hailed as historic, the bottle reached a record-breaking R420 000.
The lot, acquired by a UK-based Christie’s client, is one of roughly 12 bottles known to still exist globally, from an allocation originally destined for the Emperor Napoleon Bonaparte.
Saturday’s event organisers said this was a significant moment and the price was the marquee lot in a day characterised by lively bidding from bidders who placed their bids in person and online from across the world in the auction’s first ever hybrid format event.
At the end of play, the unaudited results for this year’s auction stood at R2 219 200.
Cape Fine Rare Wine Auction director Niël Groenewald said: “Following a year that has impacted the South African wine industry like no other, the Cape Fine & Rare Wine Auction became a beacon of resilience, showcasing the tenacious spirit of the country’s winemakers – and the massive favour they carry with wine enthusiasts globally.
“Today, wines representing the rarest and finest South African wines available today, including bottles meticulously preserved since the 1960s, wines produced under South Africa’s pioneering Old Vine Project, and the highest quality wines from some of the country’s most successful vintages –2009 and 2015 – as well as a rare bottle of Grand Constance 1821 all contributed to the impressive showcase.”
Mike Ratcliffe, chairman of Stellenbosch Wine Routes, said: “(Today) was likely the most important wine industry event nurturing a fertile environment for the rise and rise of the South African fine wine category.”