Cité du Vin auction raises €220,000

By Oliver Catchpole

Published: 28 November, 2025

Sotheby’s and the Cité du Vin have raised over €220,000 in support of the Foundation for wine culture and civilisations, in an online auction from 7 to 27 October.

This is their third joint auction in support of the Foundation, which is involved in wine ‘awareness-raising’ activities aimed at elected officials, professionals and the public, along with providing strategic and operational support for wine tourism projects and maintaining a reference library of books films and other media relating to wine.

Since 2015, it has been responsible for operating and developing the Cité du Vin – a cultural centre dedicated to the living heritage of wine, located in the city of Bordeaux in France – as part of its mission to promote the cultural, historic and symbolic aspects of wine.

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All the money from the auction will be donated to the Foundation in support of its planned cultural programmes for 2026, which will mark the 10th anniversary of the Cité du Vin.

Wine estates from around the world donated 64 lots to the auction, of which than 90% were sold.

Nearly all the lots paired bottles (directly from the cellars of well-known estates) with exclusive wine experiences – including private estate tours, tastings and château stays.

The Cité du Vin said that the strong engagement of the estates that participated “reflects their generosity and unwavering support for the Foundation and its cultural mission”.

One of the highlights of the sale was the “1855-2025 Cité du Vin Collection – In the Footsteps of Thomas Jefferson” lot, created especially for this third edition, marking both the 170th anniversary of the 1855 Classification and the 10th anniversary of the Cité du Vin.

The lot was a collaboration between the Cité du Vin and the Conseil des Grands Crus Classés en 1855, bringing together a bottle from each of the 88 classified estates from the 2016 vintage (with two bottles from 2020).

That lot attracted 16 bidders and sold for €27,500, well over its high estimate of €20,000.

Other highlights from the sale included:

Lot 60: Tempos Vega Sicilia, Ribera del Duero, Spain

One Magnum (1.5 L) of Único 2012, accompanied by a private estate visit and an on-site lunch for four guests.

Estimate: €1,200-2,400

Sold: €11,250

Lot 48: Opus One, Napa Valley, United States

One Magnum (1.5 L) of Opus One 2019, accompanied by the “Art de la Table” experience, including a private visit and a gourmet dinner for six guests.

Estimate: €5,000-10,000

Sold: €9,375

Lot 34: Champagne Krug, Champagne, France

One Magnum (1.5 L) of Krug Grande Cuvée 170th Edition, along with a private visit and tasting at the Krug family estate for eight guests.