Hart Davis Hart’s March Finest & Rarest Auction surged to $8,976,266, surpassing its high pre-sale estimate and launching the 2026 auction season with extraordinary momentum. All 2,306 lots sold, as 1,176 bidders from around the world competed aggressively, placing more than 20,000 absentee bids ahead of the two-day sale.
Prices were exceptionally strong across categories. The average hammer price reached more than 136% of the low estimate, well above the midpoint of the estimate range and continuing the powerful market performance seen in HDH auctions since Q3 2025. Results demonstrated once again the strength of the global market for rare and collectible wines — and the outstanding prices achievable for consignors.
Thursday’s featured collection, The Champion’s Cellar (lots 182–567), realized $1,384,886, dramatically exceeding its pre-sale estimate of $845,520–1,265,900. Friday’s An Important Private Cellar (lots 1373–1439) further underscored Hart Davis Hart’s ability to achieve top prices for consignors, highlighted by a world record price for a jeroboam of 1999 Romanée-Conti.
The auction took place via livestream on Thursday, March 12 and Friday, March 13, with bidders participating from across the globe.
Domaine de la Romanée-Conti and Château Pétrus dominated the top lots of the auction, with a dozen bottles of 1989 Château Haut-Brion in OWC occupying the tenth spot at a massive price of $38,240 (lot 1382) – exceeding other houses’ auction prices for 1989 Haut-Brion in 2026 by a nearly 50% margin.
Top lots from March’s Auction of Finest and Rarest Wines were (* denotes world record, ** denotes matching HDH’s previously held world record):
| Lot 1431 | 1999 Romanée-Conti, Domaine de la Romanée-Conti (1 jeroboam (3L)) | $90,000-140,000 | $155,350* |
| Lot 1545 | 2005 La Tâche, Domaine de la Romanée-Conti (1 jeroboam (3L)) | $40,000-60,000 | $77,675** |
| Lot 101 | 2022 Romanée-Conti, Domaine de la Romanée-Conti (3 bs OWC) | $35,000-55,000 | $53,775** |
| Lot 581 | 1998 Domaine de la Romanée-Conti Assortment (12 bs OWC) | $38,000-55,000 | $53,775 |
| Lot 279 | 2014 Romanée-Conti, Domaine de la Romanée-Conti (3 bs) | $32,000-48,000 | $50,190 |
| Lot 580 | 1997 Domaine de la Romanée-Conti Assortment (12 bs OWC) | $35,000-55,000 | $45,410 |
| Lot 1407 | 1998 Château Pétrus (12 bs OWC) | $26,000-38,000 | $45,410 |
| Lot 1421 | 2009 Château Pétrus (12 bs OWC) | $32,000-48,000 | $45,410 |
| Lot 1549 | 2006 La Tâche, Domaine de la Romanée-Conti (1 jeroboam (3L)) | $17,000-26,000 | $41,825* |
| Lot 1382 | 1989 Château Haut-Brion (12 bs OWC) | $24,000-35,000 | $38,240 |
| Lot 80 | 1990 Châteauneuf-du-Pape, Château Rayas (6 bs) | $12,000-18,000 | $35,850 |
| Lot 1438 | 2014 Romanée-Conti, Domaine de la Romanée-Conti (1 mag) | $22,000-32,000 | $33,460 |
| Lot 102 | 2022 Romanée-Conti, Domaine de la Romanée-Conti (1 mag) | $24,000-35,000 | $33,460* |
| Lot 104 | 2022 La Tâche, Domaine de la Romanée-Conti (6 bs OWC) | $20,000-30,000 | $31,070 |
| Lot 1411 | 2000 Groupe Duclot Bordeaux Assortment, Carre d’As (16 bs OWC) | $15,000-22,000 | $28,060* |
Large formats were in high demand, from Domaine de la Romanée-Conti and beyond. A magnum of 2015 La Tâche DRC soared past its estimate to achieve $17,925 (lot 99, est. $8,500-13,000). From the lauded 2005 vintage, a magnum of Romanée-St-Vivant DRC tied a previous HDH world record of $14,340 (lot 1547, est. $5,500-8,500). Additionally, magnums of 2006 Richebourg DRC and 2006 Romanée-St-Vivant sold for $13,145 apiece, each setting world records (lot 1550, 2006 Richebourg DRC, est. $5,000-7,500; lot 1551, 2006 Romanée-St-Vivant DRC, est. $4,000-6,000). An imperial of 2016 Château Latour sold for $8,962.50, already seeing a substantial gain since its initial release (lot 1924, est. $3,200-4,800). A double-magnum of 2019 Château Margaux more than doubled its estimate, selling for $3,824 (lot 854, est. $1,400-2,000). From Champagne, 3 magnums of 2015 Pierre Péters, Cuvée Spéciale, Les Chetillons, Blanc de Blancs Brut in original carton sold for $2,151 – another world record (lot 1453, est. $900-1,400).
White Burgundy’s seemingly unstoppable rise continued, with bidders driving 46% of lots from this region above the high estimate. While DRC and d’Auvenay saw many of the highest prices for white Burgundy, results for Leflaive reflected renewed interest in that domaine and Henri Boillot was also particularly sought-after. Domaine Bernard-Bonin’s 2017 Meursault, Les Charmes Dessus achieved nearly $1,100 per bottle, an extraordinary price for this relative newcomer to the secondary market.
White Burgundy Highlights included:
| Lot 452 | 2019 Bâtard-Montrachet, Henri Boillot (6 bs) | $2,400-3,500 | $4,182.50 |
| Lot 1083 | 2013 Chevalier-Montrachet, Vincent Dancer (4bs) | $1,700-2,600 | $3,824 |
| Lot 1194 | 2020 Puligny-Montrachet, Les Pucelles, Henri Boillot (6 bs) | $1,000-1,500 | $2,031.50* |
| Lot 1305 | 2004 Chevalier-Montrachet, Domaine d’Auvenay (Leroy) (1 b) | $10,000-15,000 | $19,120 |
| Lot 1511 | 2017 Meursault, Les Charmes Dessus, Domaine Bernard-Bonin (6 bs OC) | $2,400-3,500 | $6,572.50* |
| Lot 1596 | 2012 Corton-Charlemagne, Coche-Dury (3 bs) | $9,000-14,000 | $$16,730 |
| Lot 1705 | 2018 Chablis, Valmur, Domaine Raveneau (3 bs) | $1,100-1,700 | $2,629 |
| Lot 1818 | 2017 Montrachet, Domaine de la Romanée-Conti (3 bs OWC) | $18,000-28,000 | $28,680 |
| Lot 1822 | 2015 Chevalier-Montrachet, Domaine Leflaive (6 bs OWC) | $4,800-7,500 | $10,157.50* |
| Lot 1823 | 2015 Chevalier-Montrachet, Domaine Leflaive (2 mags) | $3,500-5,500 | $10,157.50* |
| Lot 1965 | 2018 Chablis, Montée de Tonnerre, Domaine Raveneau (6 bs OC) | $1,500-2,200 | $3,585 |
Château d’Yquem saw exceptional results through both sessions, led by A Historic Selection of d’Yquem (lots 1848-1875). Overall this curated offering of legendary vintages sold for $100,619, greatly exceeding its pre-sale estimates of $40,600-61,200.
D’Yquem highlights from March’s Finest and Rarest Auction included:
| Lot 130 | 1995 Château d’Yquem (1 dmag (3L)) | $800-1,200 | $1,792.50* |
| Lot 760 | 2001 Château d’Yquem (1 imp (6L)) | $2,800-4,200 | $7,767.50 |
| Lot 761 | 2014 Château d’Yquem (1 mag OWC) | $320-480 | $1,195* |
| Lot 1848 | 1921 Château d’Yquem (1 b) | $3,500-5,500 | $11,950 |
| Lot 1852 | 1956 Château d’Yquem (6 bs) | $3,500-5,500 | $11,352.50 |
| Lot 1853 | 1958 Château d’Yquem (6 hbs) | $1,500-2,200 | $4,182.50* |
| Lot 1855 | 1959 Château d’Yquem (6 bs) | $6,000-9,000 | $14,340 |
| Lot 1857 | 1967 Château d’Yquem (6 bs) | $5,000-7,500 | $13,145 |
| Lot 1858 | 1975 Château d’Yquem (5 bs) | $2,400-3,500 | $8,365 |
| Lot 1860 | 1999 Château d’Yquem (12 hbs OWC) | $1,000-1,500 | $3,824* |
Italian Highlights included:
| Lot 500 | 2007 Amarone della Valpolicella Classico, Giuseppe Quintarelli (6 bs) | $1,300-1,900 | $2,868 |
| Lot 1208 | 2006 Le Pergole Torte, Montevertine (12 bs) | 2,400-3,500 | $5,019 |
| Lot 1456 | 2019 Barbaresco, Pajè, Roagna (12 bs OC) | $1,000-1,500 | $3,346* |
| Lot 1527 | 2015 Barbaresco, Crichët Pajé, Roagna (1 mag OWC) | $2,200-3,200 | $4,541* |
| Lot 1722 | 2016 Barolo Riserva, Bricco Boschis, Vigna San Giuseppe, F.lli Cavallotto (6 bs OWC) | $500-750 | $1,553.50* |
| Lot 1726 | 2016 Barolo, Brunate, Giuseppe Rinaldi (3 mags) | $1,500-2,200 | $3,346 |
| Lot 1751 | 2011 Brunello di Montalcino, Madonna delle Grazie, Il Marroneto (6 bs OC) | $650-950 | $2,390* |
| Lot 1771 | 2015 Ornellaia (6 bs OWC) | $700-1,000 | $1,673* |
| Lot 1778 | 2021 Masseto (3bs OWC) | $1,300-1,900 | $3,346* |
Sale stats: Percent sold by lot: 100% | Total Aggregate: $8,976,266
Low Pre-Sale Estimate: $5,521,660 | High Pre-Sale Estimate: $8,258,990
View the Full Auction Results
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.