Hoera, we hebben weer een nieuw Lafite-record. Deze keer voor een collectie van 300 flessen, geveild bij Christie’s Hong Kong. Hij ging weg voor ruim een half miljoen dollar. Het bericht verscheen vandaag als volgt in een aantal zondagsbladen:

A 300-bottle collection of Chateau Lafite Rothschild has sold for almost US$540,000 (S$650,000) in Hong Kong, setting a world record price for a single wine lot auctioned this year, organisers said.

The collection spanning 1981 to 2005 was knocked down for HK$4.2 million (S$650,000) at Christie's two-day Autumn wine sale, which is expected to rake in over US$5 million in sales, the auction giant said late on Saturday.

The record price, below a HK$4.5 million pre-sale estimate, was 'the highest value lot achieved at any wine auction worldwide this year,' Christie's said.

Prices for Chateau Lafite Rothschild have reportedly soared as much as twelve-fold over the past decade as the prestigious brand - and other labels from Bordeaux - lure in wealthy Chinese business.

A 300-bottle collection of Chateau Lafite Rothschild wine has sold at auction in Hong Kong for 4.2 million Hong Kong dollars ($539,280), the highest price for a single lot of wine at auction this year.

Christie's auction house said a private Chinese buyer bought the lot on Saturday, the first day of a two-day sale that raised HK$59.5 million ($7.6 million).

The collection sold for less than the pre-sale estimate's high end of HK$4.5 million. It consisted of 25 cases of 12 bottles from each year from 1981 to 2005.

Hong Kong has become the world's third largest auction hub, after New York and London, thanks to newly wealthy Chinese who are eager to spend on expensive collectibles.