THE BEST OF NAPA VALLEY: WINE PRODUCERS, COLLECTORS AND JOHN LEGEND. THESE ARE THE INGREDIENTS OF THE 35TH EDITION OF "NAPA VALLEY AUCTION" THAT REAPED 15. 8 MILLION DOLLARS

The best of Napa Valley, an audience of wine producers, collectors and star John Legend were the ingredients of yet another successful "Napa Valley Auction", the charity auction that in its 35th edition did not break last year’s 18.7 million dollars record but that will fill the coffers of the local non-profit organizations for health and education of children with 15.8 million dollars. In 35 years the Napa Valley Vintners (www.napavintners.com), the association of the most prestigious and famous wine making region in the United States, has donated 145 million dollars.
Shining even brighter than the Oscar-winning musician John Legend (for his Original Song of the award-winning film, "Selma"), was a threefold lot: all 35 years of the legendary Opus One, the company formed as a joint venture between two legendary names in the history of modern wine, Robert Mondavi and Baron Philippe de Rothschild, in magnum format, along with a two-week trip to Europe, with visits to the most prestigious wineries in France (Chateau Mouton-Rothschild in Bordeaux, Château de Beaucastel in Chateauneuf-du -Pape, Champagne Pol Roger), Spain (Rioja Vega Sicilia) and Italy (at Antinori’s futuristic estate in Bargino, in the heart of Chianti Classico). The three winning bids reached 800.000 US dollars each, for a total of 2.4 million US dollars, a new record for a single lot.

What was John Legend doing in the heart of California wine making? Strangely enough, in addition to entertaining the audience with the song "All of me", he was part of a lot: dinner and a private concert for 30 people, held at the home of Jean-Charles Boisset and his wife Gina Gallo, owners of Raymond Vineyards, which has recently started working with the singer who will market bottles signed by John Legend. The lot was sold to a group of local winemakers, who put 850.000 US dollars on the plate.
One of the top lots up for grabs and sold for 840.000 US dollars, was the lot of Alejandro Bulgheroni Estate that owns two companies in Italy, one in Montalcino, Podere Brizio, and one in Chianti, Dievole: a trip for four of Napa, Mendoza, Argentina and Uruguay, with wine tours, olive oil tasting and lots of golf, as well as large formats of old vintages (for a total of three batches, sold at 280.000 US dollars each).
The biggest seller among the single bottles was the 12-liter Screaming Eagle Oakville 2012 at 500.000 US dollars.