Napa's big auction didn't raise as much as usual, but that's hardly surprising given the circumstances.
By W. Blake Gray | Posted Monday, 22-Feb-2021
Napa Valley Vintners raised $933,000 via its Library Wine Auction on Saturday, a good figure but less than one-fourth of what the organization earned through a very different auction one year ago.
That said, NVV spokesperson Teresa Wall said the first-of-its-kind online auction exceeded expectations. The Napa Valley Library Auction included 96 lots of wines shipped directly from the wineries' cellars. Many were large format bottles – one 12-liter bottle (a "balthazar") of Sloan Rutherford Cabernet Sauvignon 2012 drew $15,000 – and some were unique wines never sold anywhere else.
"We are overjoyed," said Wall, NVV senior director of marketing communications. "We are excited. The auction results exceeded our expectations and we couldn't be happier."
In normal years, Napa Valley Vintners funds its operations through Premiere Napa Valley, a February barrel auction only to the trade. That wasn't possible this year because of the pandemic. NVV plans to hold Premiere in June and still hopes to have at least some of it happen in person. In 2020, Premiere brought in nearly $3.9 million.
NVV also announced last year that after 40 years it would no longer conduct Auction Napa Valley, its annual glitzy auction that benefitted local charities.
"We will release more details about a fundraiser for our community that will replace Auction Napa Valley later this year," Wall told Wine-Searcher.
Emptying the libraries
Without the ability to invite retail wine buyers and restaurateurs from around the world to spend a chunk of February 2021 in Napa, the vintners organization reached out to its members to dig into their cellars for some rare treats that could be offered to the general public. For Napa Valley wine fans, the goods on offer Saturday were astounding and may never be equalled on one (virtual) stage.
Wall said that the auction drew bidders from 12 countries and 41 states in the US. Much of the bidding was done online ahead of time, but the auctioneers said the live-auction portion drew 315 viewers.
The online live auction was a bit of a culture shock to anyone accustomed to watching live auctions in Napa Valley, which are usually run by ebullient auctioneers Fritz Hatton (also a winery part-owner) and Ursula Hermacinski. The auction was run by Zachys, and even though Hatton is the company's principal auctioneer he did not participate. Instead, company president Jeff Zacharia personally was the auctioneer for the second half. His old-boys'-club style included telling a number of bidders, whom he claimed were his friends, that he hoped they would share their wines with him. But part of the goal of the auction was to bring in new audiences, and perhaps that style is effective with high rollers.
"That's the whole goal, to bring in a new audience for Napa Valley wines," Spottswoode president Beth Milliken told Wine Searcher. "And supporting Napa Valley Vintners is really important. Our organization is really a great trade organization, well-managed and well-run. The group does a lot. It's not just about marketing. It's about addressing issues, like fires. If it wasn't for a trade organization like this, we wouldn't all be rowing in the same direction."
The top-selling auction lot came from Shafer Vineyards, which is always among the top sellers at Premiere Napa Valley. This was one of Shafer's most impressive lots ever: a 15-year vertical of magnums of Shafer Hillside Select Cabernet Sauvignon that drew $42,000.
"There were a lot of great lots, and more than a handful went for a lot of money," Shafer president Doug Shafer told Wine-Searcher. "It was really great to see the quality of the lots. And everybody knows where it's coming from. All of these have been tucked in our cellars in perfect condition."
The bidders were not named, but one thirsty person bought 10 of the 96 total lots for $73,300, including 64 magnums and 258 750-ml bottles. And now Zacharia has his address and phone number! He can expect a visit soon.
The highlights
Here were the auction lots that drew the most money:
- Shafer, 15-magnum vertical, $42,000
- Screaming Eagle, three magnums from 2015 including one Cabernet, one red blend and one Sauvignon Blanc, $40,000
- Bryant Estate, 10-magnum vertical, $40,000
- Opus One, 5 6-liter bottles including one from the first vintage (1979), $40,000
- Winemaker Thomas Rivers Brown, 25 bottles (mostly magnums with some 3-liters) from 14 wineries, $36,000
- Oakville Winegrowers, 25 magnums from different wineries, $30,000
- Dalla Valle, 7 magnums including a 6-year vertical, $26,000
- Harlan Estate, 5 magnums that each got 100 points from Robert Parker, $24,000
- Rutherford Dust Society, 22 magnums from different wineries, $22,000.
"This is letting people know that we're still around," Shafer said. "We haven't gone anywhere. These times have been upside-down. It's a way to get together and have an auction and say, we're still in this together. We still make beautiful wines. We're still selling fine wines."
February 22, 2021 at 06:06AM
https://ift.tt/3bnMdOu
Napa Puts the Good Stuff Online | Wine-Searcher News & Features - Wine-Searcher
https://ift.tt/31lUVcw
Wine
No comments:
Post a Comment