The auction of Joe Bastianich’s Del Posto cellar confirms Italy into the elite of fine wines

A “white gloves” auction, with 100% of the 3,422 lots in the catalogue sold, for a total proceeds of 5.7 million euros, well over the estimates, which were in a range between 3 and 4.5 million euros, with the Italian wines as absolute protagonists, starting with the Barolo Monfortino Riserva by Giacomo Conterno and the Brunello di Montalcino Riserva Case Basse by Gianfranco Soldera. An absolute success the auction of the cellar of the restaurant “Del Posto”, temple of Italian cuisine in New York, one of the most successful of the restaurants opened over the years by Joe and Lidia Bastianich, and the only Italian restaurant awarded 4 stars by the “New York Times”, which sent under the hammer of Hart Davis Hart over 30,000 bottles, a substantial part of one of the most important cellars of American catering, largely dedicated to Italian wines. It is no coincidence that the top lots are all dedicated to one of the most celebrated Italian wines at world auctions, Giacomo Conterno's Barolo Monfortino Riserva: two 12-bottle lots of the highly quoted 2010 vintage went for 21,510 and 20,315 dollars, while one of 12 bottles of the 2004 vintage went for 17,925 dollars. The same amount as the single most expensive bottle from one of Burgundy’s myths, Romanée-Conti from the Domaine de la Romanée-Conti vintage 2015 (while two bottles, a 2009 and a 2016 vintage, went for $16,730, ed.) Among the top lots, in position no. 8, the 12-bottle lot of Brunello di Montalcino Riserva Case Basse by Gianfranco Soldera 1999, auctioned for $15,535 (the same figure as other 12-bottle lots of Monfortino Riserva from the 1996 and 2001 vintages, as well as a 6 magnum lot from 2001 and another single Bottle of Romanée Conti from 2014, ed.), which is also the lot that, in absolute terms, exceeded the award estimates the most.
Followed, in this particular ranking, by a lot of 8 bottles of Brunello di Montalcino Riserva Case Basse by Gianfranco Soldera 1996 for 10,158 euros, and one of 6 bottles of Barolo Riserva Degli Amici (Picasso Label) 1964 by Giacomo Conterno, awarded for 13,145 dollars. An auction in which, Hart Davis Hart points out, 80% of the lots were awarded beyond estimates, confirming the prestige of the Del Posto collection. But the great quotations from the wines of the Belpaese also reveal another important aspect: “with this auction, Joe Bastianich has demonstrated that Italian wines are among the world’s elite collectors’ wines,” said Hart President Davis Hart, Ben Nelson. From Gaja to Sassicaia, from Tignanello and Solaia Antinori to Valentini, from Masseto to all the great names of Barolo (from Pio Cesare to Ceretto, from Rinaldi to Sandrone, from Marchesi di Barolo to Mascarello, from Damilano to Borgogno) and Brunello di Montalcino (from Biondi Santi to Canalicchio di Sopra, from Argiano to Poggio di Sotto), just to name a few, from Bertani to Zyme, from Dal Forno to Quintarelli, from Gravner to Fontodi, from Tasca d’Almerita to Caprai, just to name a few, there are many names of great Italian wine that have seen their bottles end up in the cellars of the 1. 000 collectors who have placed their offers online from 16 countries on 4 different continents.

Focus - The top lots of the auction of the cellar of Joe Bastianich’s Del Posto restaurant in New York

- 2010 Barolo Riserva, Monfortino, Giacomo Conterno (12 bottiglie) $21,510
- 2010 Barolo Riserva, Monfortino, Giacomo Conterno (12 bottiglie) $20,315
- 2004 Barolo Riserva, Monfortino, Giacomo Conterno (12 bottiglie) $17,925
- 2015 Romanée-Conti, Domaine de la Romanée-Conti (1 bottiglia) $17,925
- 2004 Barolo Riserva, Monfortino, Giacomo Conterno (12 bottiglie) $16,730
- 2009 Romanée-Conti, Domaine de la Romanée-Conti (1 bottiglia) $16,730
- 2016 Romanée-Conti, Domaine de la Romanée-Conti (1 bottiglia) $16,730
- 1999 Brunello di Montalcino Riserva, Case Basse (G. Soldera) $15,535
- 1996 Barolo Riserva, Monfortino, Giacomo Conterno (12 bottiglie) $15,535
- 2001 Barolo Riserva, Monfortino, Giacomo Conterno (12 bottiglie) $15,535
- 2001 Barolo Riserva, Monfortino, Giacomo Conterno (12 bottiglie) $15,535
- 2001 Barolo Riserva, Monfortino, Giacomo Conterno (12 bottiglie) $15,535
- 2001 Barolo Riserva, Monfortino, Giacomo Conterno (6 Magnum) $15,535
- 2001 Barolo Riserva, Monfortino, Giacomo Conterno (6 Magnum) $15,535

Focus - Top lots with the highest growth on their estimates

- 1999 Brunello di Montalcino Riserva, Case Basse (G. Soldera) (12 bottiglie) (stima $5,500-8,500) $15,535
- 1996 Brunello di Montalcino Riserva, Case Basse (G. Soldera) (8 bottiglie) (stima $2,400-3,500) $10,158
- 1964 Barolo Riserva, Degli Amici (Picasso Label), Giacomo Conterno (6 bottiglie) (stima $4,500-6,500) $13,145
- 2006 Brunello di Montalcino Riserva, Poggio di Sotto (12 bottiglie) (stima $1,700-2,600) $8,963
- 2006 Brunello di Montalcino Riserva, Case Basse (G. Soldera) (12 bottiglie) (stima $4,800-7,500) $13,145
- 1996 Barolo Riserva, Monfortino, Giacomo Conterno (12 bottiglie) (stima $7,000-10,000) $15,535
- 1997 Brunello di Montalcino Riserva, Case Basse (G. Soldera) (5 bottiglie) (stima $3,000-4,500) $9,560
- 1995 Alzero, Giuseppe Quintarelli (4 Magnum) (stima $3,200-4,800) $9,560
- 1999 Brunello di Montalcino, Case Basse (G. Soldera) (13 bottiglie) (stima $5,500-8,500) $13,145
-2002 Brunello di Montalcino Riserva, Case Basse (G. Soldera) (6 bottiglie) (stima $2,200-3,200) $7,768