Seventy-one bidders, including 17 new buyers, bid a total of $3.9 million to acquire ownership of a selection of rare Napa Valley wines during the Premier Napa Valley auction sponsored by Napa Valley Vintners.
More than 700 qualified wine trade attended the event, including national licensed wine buyers and a record number of international buyers, who jubilantly expressed their adoration for Napa Valley, including their impressions of the 2018 vintage.
Ninety percent of the expertly-curated lots were from the 2018 vintage, lauded for their opulence, balance, drama and depth.
Wine futures garnering the strongest prices at the 24th annual event included wines from Rudd Estate, Darioush, Shafer Vineyards, Silver Oak, Lewis Cellars, OVID Napa Valley, ZD Wines, TOR, Chappellet Vineyard, St. Supéry Estate Vineyards & Winery, To Kalon Vineyard Company, Favia Erickson Winegrowers, Viader Vineyards & Winery, JCB by Jean-Charles Boisset, Spottswoode Estate Vineyard & Winery, Duckhorn Vineyards and Robert Mondavi Winery.
Each of the Premiere Napa Valley limited edition wine lots featured as few as 60 and no more than 240 bottles of wine. Each bottle is hand-numbered and signed by the winemaker, creating exceptional allure for wine collectors searching for rare bottles.
“Some people think that Napa Valley is just one thing, when in fact it’s 16 different growing areas and everyone is doing something unique,” said Andy Erickson, winemaker for Favia Erickson Winegrowers and past auction chair. “In a vintage like this where the weather was really just perfect, everything is highlighted and brought to the forefront. You see all the richness and diversity in the valley on full display.”
“In the end, this business is all about relationships,” said Linda Reiff, president & CEO of the Napa Valley Vintners. “The relationship of the grape grower and the winemaker, the winemaker and the buyer, the buyer and the consumer. Our vintners invest time, energy and heart into building those bonds this week and throughout the year. Today’s auction demonstrated that. We’re happy with how well the entire week went and are grateful for the auction’s final results.”