All In All Done: The Picks #7

Hello, wine nerds.

It's March! The good news for those considering selling is that the February auctions–often a benchmark for the spring sales–were the strongest they've been probably since 2021 or 2022. Those years were the recent high water mark. Just because they were strong on average doesn't mean they were strong uniformly, so there are still deals to be had on the buy side, especially for the All In All Done reader not necessarily buying Rousseau by the 12-pack ($75,000 in a recent Zachys sale for 12 x 2001s).

So let’s get into the good stuff below.

On March 6, Sotheby's is selling the cellar (around $800,000) of the late sculptor Joel Shapiro. The sale is a bit of everything, but focused on Burgundy. Remembering that you have to pay sales tax at Sotheby's, and factoring that into your bid, I'd look at staying towards the the low estimate on 191, 1998 Groffier Amoureuses at only $200/bottle. 197 which is 11x 1996 Amoureuses from Bertheau is also a good buy.

The collection checks all the boxes but lacks a bit of inspiration. That said--I'd place a bid on 306, the Cappellano vertical, which is something you never, ever see and will sell reasonably.

From the large March 12 & 13 HDH sale, and speaking of Barolo, lot 1721 is 2016 Cavallotto Bricco Boschis for $600 a case, which is a great deal, and won't be that price forever as auction bidders take more and more note of this wine.

Lot 1777 is one of those wines you never see in auctions, and worth a link just for something fun to bring to your next tasting. Near Mt. Etna in Sicily, there's a miniscule vineyard making pre-phylloxera wine. Jancis wrote about this in way more depth than I can, but it's a great story and the wine at retail is more like $175 a bottle so if you can get it for $60 at HDH why not.

On the white side of things I'd be bidding on 1538, 2021 Chassagne-Montrachet, Mazures from Paul Pillot, whose wines I love. If I were you, I'd bid on 1508 too, simply because mags of Lamy St. Aubin Clos de la Chateniere, Vieilles Vignes will be fantastic.

That's all that's going on this week, but there's lots on the block to think about.

Reply with a lot number if you’re considering bidding. I’ll tell you what I think.

Cheers,
-The Gavel God