Monday, November 10th – Hart Davis Hart’s extraordinary series of auctions roared past pre-sale high estimates to achieve a total of $15,544,118 on Thursday, November 6th and Friday, November 7th. Single-owner sensation The Bowen Collection sold for $8,747,221 (est. $5,3531,360-8,286,100); Friday’s Auction of Finest and Rarest Wines totaled $6,796,897 (est. $4,356,530-6,511,560). Across the two auctions 99.9% of the 2,644 lots sold to over 1,150 registered bidders. HDH’s wine auction sales in 2025 total $73,882,727, marking the highest sales through November in the firm’s history.
The Bowen Collection featured many of the world’s greatest and rarest wines from the 20th and 21st centuries, and bidders responded accordingly. Thursday’s top lots were a 12-bottle case of 1961 Château Palmer (lot 135, est. $60,000-90,000) and a jeroboam (3L) of 1985 Clos de la Roche, Domaine Dujac (lot 449, est. $50,000-75,000); both sold for $83,650. Two bottles of 1990 Clos de la Roche, Hubert Lignier set a world record when selling for $7,170 (lot 591, est. $1,500-2,200), as did six bottles of 1999 Ruchottes-Chambertin, Domaine Georges Mugneret which sold for $23,900 (lot 625, est. $6,000-9,000).
Bidders clamored for historic California bottlings from The Bowen Collection: Six magnums (1.5L) of the iconic 1974 Heitz Cellar Cabernet Sauvignon, Martha’s Vineyard reached an astounding $77,675 (lot 1029, est. $35,000-55,000), and a single bottle of 1971 Ridge Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon, Monte Bello sold for $5,377.50 (lot 1057, est. $2,000-3,000). Inspiring the fiercest bidding battle of the week, two double-magnums (3L) of 1978 Joseph Phelps Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon, Eisele Vineyard sold for more than five times the low estimate at $22,705 (lot 1048, est. $4,000-6,000). The Ridge Monte Bello 1971 and the Phelps Eisele 1978 set world record prices.
On Friday, all but two of the top twenty lots in An Auction of Finest and Rarest Wines hailed from Burgundy. From A Collection of Significance, three-bottle cases of Romanée-Conti DRC 2012 and 2013 each sold for $53,775 (lots 1115 & 1119, each est. $32,000-48,000). Three exceedingly rare magnums (1.5L) of 1999 Chambolle-Musigny, Les Amoureuses Georges Roumier from The Cobblestone Collection came in at $45,410, more than doubling the pre-sale low estimate (lot 1566, est. $22,000-32,000). The single interloper in the top twenty was from Bordeaux: twelve bottles of 1989 Château Haut-Brion from the collection of Richard Villalobos sold for the highest price in over three years, $41,825 (lot 2386, est. $17,000-26,000).
Hart Davis Hart CEO Paul Hart commented, “We’re thrilled with the November auctions and the success that we delivered to our consignors. The extraordinary results — hammer prices averaged 132% of the low estimate across both days — emphasize HDH’s unique ability to consistently achieve the highest prices throughout thousands of lots, while maintaining the highest standards of client service. No one can combine volume and value like HDH.”
Top Lots from The Bowen Collection:
Lot 135: 1961 Château Palmer (12 bs) est. $60,000-90,000 $83,650
Lot 449: 1985 Clos de la Roche Domaine Dujac (1 jeroboam (3L)) est. $50,000-75,000 $83,650
Lot 1029: 1974 Heitz Cellar Cabernet Sauvignon, Martha’s Vineyard (6 mags) est. $35,000-55,000 $77,675
Lot 234: 2015 Romanée-Conti Domaine de la Romanée-Conti (3 bs) est. $42,000-65,000 $71,700
Lot 235: 2016 Romanée-Conti Domaine de la Romanée-Conti (3 bs) est. $38,000-55,000 $71,700
Lot 718: 2005 Musigny Jacques-Frédéric Mugnier (5 mags) est. $28,000-42,000 $65,725
Lot 71: 1961 Château Latour (5 bs) est. $50,000-75,000 $59,750
Lot 245: 1999 La Tâche Domaine de la Romanée-Conti (6 bs) est. $35,000-55,000 $59,750
Lot 232: 2014 Romanée-Conti Domaine de la Romanée-Conti (3 bs) est. $32,000-48,000 $57,360
Lot 236: 2017 Romanée-Conti Domaine de la Romanée-Conti (3 bs) est. $32,000-48,000 $57,360
Lot 149: 1989 Château Pétrus (12 bs) est. $35,000-55,000 $53,775
Lot 230: 2012 Romanée-Conti Domaine de la Romanée-Conti (3 bs) est. $35,000-55,000 $53,775
Lot 231: 2013 Romanée-Conti Domaine de la Romanée-Conti (3 bs) est. $32,000-48,000 $53,775
Top Lots from An Auction of Finest and Rarest Wines:
Lot 1115: 2012 Romanée-Conti Domaine de la Romanée-Conti (3 bs) est. $32,000-38,000 $53,775
Lot 1119: 2013 Romanée-Conti Domaine de la Romanée-Conti (3 bs) est. $32,000-38,000 $53,775
Lot 1385: 2011 Romanée-Conti Domaine de la Romanée-Conti (3 bs) est. $30,000-45,000 $50,190
Lot 1124: 2014 Romanée-Conti Domaine de la Romanée-Conti (3 bs) est. $32,000-38,000 $50,190
Lot 1566: 1999 Chambolle-Musigny, Les Amoureuses Georges Roumier (3 mags) est. $22,000-32,000 $45,410
Lot 2386: 1989 Château Haut-Brion (12 bs) est. $17,000-26,000 $41,825
Lot 2033: 1990 Latricières-Chambertin Domaine Leroy (12 bs) est. $24,000-35,000 $38,240
Lot 1113: 2011 Romanée-Conti Domaine de la Romanée-Conti (2 bs) est. $20,000-30,000 $33,460
Lot 1767: 2002 Chambertin Domaine Leroy (3 bs) est. $22,000-32,000 $33,460
Lot 2320: 2012 La Tâche Domaine de la Romanée-Conti (6 bs) est. $18,000-28,000 $31,070
Lot 1117: 2012 Richebourg Domaine de la Romanée-Conti (9 bs) est. $19,000-28,000 $31,070
Sale stats: Percent sold by lot: 99.9% | Total Aggregate: $15,544,118
Low Pre-Sale Estimate: $9,887,890| High Pre-Sale Estimate: $14,797,660
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Hart Davis Hart’s final sale of 2025 will be An Auction of Finest and Rarest Wines on December 18th & 19th. To inquire about consigning with the global leader in wine auctions, contact consignments@hdhauctions.com or submit a list here.
About Hart Davis Hart Auction Co.
HDH, the top wine auction house in the U.S. and a leading online retailer, specializes in rare wines. Founded in 2004 by industry veterans Paul Hart and Michael Davis, HDH offers expert service for buying and selling fine wines. The company is known for its advanced online bidding platform launched in 2015, enabling bids from anywhere in the world.
Upcoming Auctions:
December 18th-19th: An Auction of Finest & Rarest Wines