Acker Finishes Decade as Leading Auction House in the World With US$823 Million of Sales

Record First Quarter on Tap for Bicentennial Year

NEW YORK–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Acker, the world’s leading wine auction house, hosted its final live auction of the decade on Thursday at Philippe Chow at the Dream Hotel, spreading holiday cheer in abundance and putting a bow on a momentous year and decade. The wine auction house concluded 2019 firmly planted in the number one position for the decade overall, as well as the wine auction industry leader six out of the last ten years, with only one other firm achieving the same feat twice. The year saw the company achieve another nine-figure year for overall sales, with significant growth in two key areas. For web auctions, Acker’s September transition from a monthly model to a weekly model contributed to an increase in annual web auction revenue of nearly 40%, while retail sales also jumped almost 20% year-over-year, resulting in the highest annual total for retail sales in Acker’s history.

The World’s Top Performing Brands at auction were dominated by the paragons of Burgundy and Bordeaux with two exceptions, Scotch whiskey icon Macallan and Rhone superstar Domaine Jean-Louis Chave. Unsurprisingly, the Domaine de la Romanee Conti was the #1 seller in the World by far. Next came a surging Domaine Armand Rousseau, followed by Château Lafite Rothschild, Château Pétrus, Domaine Dujac, Château Mouton Rothschild, Domaine Leroy, Domaine Coche-Dury, Macallan and Domaine Jean-Louis Chave.

2019 Top Performing Brands by Value

1. Domaine de la Romanee Conti
2. Domaine Armand Rousseau
3. Chateau Lafite Rothschild
4. Chateau Petrus
5. Domaine Dujac
6. Chateau Mouton Rothschild
7. Domaine Leroy
8. Domaine Coche-Dury
9. Macallan Single Malt Scotch Whisky
10. Domaine Jean-Louis Chave

The Top Lots of the year reinforced the increasing importance of Fine and Rare Spirits in the auction scene, with three rare offerings occupying three of the four top lot slots by overall dollars. An entire barrel, 189L, of 1989 Macallan Single Malt Scotch Whisky Sherry Hogshead Cask sold for $527,000; a 236L lot of 1997 Bowmore Single Malt Scotch Whisky Refill Oloroso Cask traded at $210,800, and a bottle of NV Macallan Single Malt Scotch Whisky 72 Year Old Genesis achieved $124,000.

Of the top wine lots sold at Acker auctions in 2019, six of the Top Ten positions were occupied by DRC Romanee Conti, with one twelve-bottle and two six-bottle lots of the 2005 vintage occupying the third, fifth and sixth slots ($248,000 for the twelve-bottle lot, then $111,600 and $105,400 respectively for each six-bottle lot). Twelve bottles of 1990 Coche-Dury Corton Charlemagne were seventh in the sequence, selling for $86,800, while a twelve-bottle case of 1990 Rousseau Chambertin and three bottles of 2015 DRC Romanee Conti tied for eighth place, each for $82,667. A Jeroboam of 1993 DRC Romanee Conti captured the tenth spot at $80,600.

2020 is Acker’s Bicentennial year, and it has extravagant plans to celebrate this tremendous milestone as America’s oldest wine shop. A magnificent Bicentennial celebration is planned for early February, which will be preceded by a week of incredible wine events in New York City featuring Domaines Dugat-Py, Bizot and Comte Liger-Belair, with all winemakers in attendance. In the first six weeks of 2020, Acker has an estimated $20 million in sales planned, with a two-day sale in Hong Kong on January 9th and 11th featuring two $2 million collections. The Bicentennial auction in New York City will be another two-day extravaganza on February 7th and 8th, headlined by 200 lots Direct from forty of the World’s finest Domaines and Châteaux in honor of Acker’s 200th Anniversary.

“It has been a tremendous privilege to shepherd Acker into its 200th year and play a part of this incredible legacy,” said Acker Chairman John Kapon. “This business has been in my blood and in my family for my entire life and witnessing Acker’s next chapter as we enter a new decade is a thrill and an honor. We will bring wine joy to the world with the festivities to celebrate this huge milestone with many of the world’s greatest wine lovers. I look forward to sharing the finest and rarest wines in the world that have become synonymous with our brand at these celebrations as we welcome consignments from forty of the World’s greatest winemakers at our historic Bicentennial auction. This, along with our enormous sale in Hong Kong celebrating the Year of the Rat, will be such a fitting start to our year-long celebration. You only turn 200 once!”

Top Lots of 2019 Ranked by Price Realized