Pre-sale Estimated Value Of 7 Million-10 Million Yuan#
Having closed shop on July 30, 2011, Ferran Adrià's legendary three-Michelin-star-rated
El Bulli#
has turned over its wine cellar to Sotheby’s. Next spring, the auction house plans to sell off the impressive collection in a two-pronged series in Hong Kong and New York with a pre-sale estimated value of 7 million-10 million yuan (US$1.1 million-1.6 million).
From Sotheby’s:
On 3 April 2013 in Hong Kong and 26 April 2013 in New York, Sotheby’s will offer wines from the cellar of the celebrated Catalan restaurant that closed last year. Founded over 50 years ago in 1961, elBulli was led by Ferran Adrià for the last 27 years. Over the two sales, 8,807 bottles will be offered, with proceeds benefiting the elBulliFoundation, which will focus its activity on ‘Creativity.’
According to the Grape Wall of China, the auction will include first growths from Bordeaux as well as heavy hitters from Burgundy (Romanée Conti), Spain (Vega Sicilia) and elsewhere. While the New York installment is likely to see hot and heavy bidding, we can be doubly sure that top lots will catch the fancy of bidders in Hong Kong -- particularly those from mainland China, which imported 200 million liters of wine in the first six months of 2012. Definitely an auction series to watch right around the time of the Hong Kong spring auctions.