One of the finest private wine collections in the U.S will be offered for sale at Sotheby’s in May.
The auction house will offer wines from the cellar of William I. Koch, the renowned entrepreneur, collector, philanthropist and champion sailor, in a dedicated three-day sale in New York.
With more than 20,000 bottles assembled into approximately 2,700 lots, the unprecedented auction is expected to realize $10-$15 million. Early standout lots include ten bottles of Château Mouton Rothschild 1945, which are estimated to fetch $80-$120,000.
"Bill Koch has one of the greatest cellars in the world, packed full of legendary wines that all collectors want to try," said Jamie Ritchie, CEO & President Americas and Asia Sotheby’s Wine. "Bill focused on the highest quality: the greatest producers from each region, together with the best vintages. As a very generous host, he purchased significant quantities, so he could enjoy them on multiple occasions, with many friends around the table.
"We are delighted to offer this wonderful selection from his very impressive cellar, in a special three day single-owner auction, which will give collectors around the world the opportunity to buy and enjoy these wines. As you would expect, the wines have been stored impeccably and are in exceptional condition."
In addition to building one of the world’s finest wine cellars, Koch has also acted as a leading campaigner against wine fraud in the U.S, and has helped to expose numerous fraudulent deals in an effort to clean up the market.
"My cellar is the result of nearly four decades of collecting," said Koch. "I aimed to assemble the very best Bordeaux and Burgundy where you could taste the love and the passion that the vintner had in making it. With around 43,000 bottles, I could not possibly consume everything in my cellar so I am delighted to offer this selection to allow collectors all over the world to enjoy the glorious moments that come with these wines.”
Wines from the cellar of William I. Koch will cross the block at Sotheby’s on May 19-21.
