Record prices for Lafite

What a difference 2 days make!

Day 1 of the Hong Kong Sotheby's Auction saw global prices of first growth Lafite redefined. The sale raised £5.2m with a parcel of three bottles of Lafite 1869 setting the world record for any wine at auction, fetching £437,900. Lafite 2009, currently offered on Liv-ex at £11,200 per case, realised £43,120. Not many of these wines will stay in Hong Kong, but will go into mainland China, or to Hong Kong brokers who will take them into China.

Day 2 - some big numbers still but the record prices started to drop away.

So why the big difference? The Day 1 auction was direct from the Lafite cellars whilst Day 2 was from a private collection of a South Korean company.

Wines coming direct from the Lafite cellars clearly gives the wines extra kudos for wine collectors. And with more fake Lafite coming out of China every day, this is going to be increasingly important to buyers.