Stories
Sotheby’s and Domaine Clarence Dillon to stage sale of Château La Mission Haut-Brion wine direct from the cellars
Auction in London on the 7th of November 2024 celebrates 40 Vintages under the ownership
of Domaine Clarence Dillon, featuring over a century of wines produced at La Mission
On the 7th of November, in London, Sotheby’s will stage a sale of wines directly sourced from the cellars of Château La Mission Haut-Brion in Bordeaux. The sale celebrates 40 vintages, produced under the ownership of the Dillon family who acquired the estate in 1983. Complementing the four-decade range of bottles on offer, the auction will also feature wines from the pre-Domaine Clarence Dillon era, spanning 1920 to 1982. Château La Mission Haut-Brion | Celebrating 40 Vintages by Domaine Clarence Dillon comprises all of the different wines produced at La Mission Haut-Brion over the course of a century, including Châteaux Laville Haut-Brion, La Tour Haut-Brion and La Chapelle de La Mission Haut-Brion, the second wine of La Mission Haut-Brion. Also featured is the exceptional Saint-Émilion Grand Cru estate Château Quintus and its second wine, Le Dragon de Quintus. In total, close to 700 lots carry a combined estimated value in excess of £1 million ($1.3 million). A tribute to La Mission Haut-Brion, the sale represents a rare opportunity to acquire these wines that with perfect provenance, hold a legendary status among collectors.
Nick Pegna, Global Head of Wine and Spirits, Sotheby’s, said: “We are delighted and honoured to be working with Prince Robert and his team on this wonderful celebration of 40 years of the Dillon family’s ownership of La Mission Haut-Brion. As ever, the wines always outperform expectations and with such perfect provenance, there is something here for all lovers of La Mission Haut-Brion and Quintus”.
Prince Robert of Luxembourg, Chairman and CEO of Domaine Clarence Dillon, said: “I can barely believe, that it has been over four decades since I sat at La Mission Haut-Brion to personally witness the moment when my family was to take on the stewardship of this mythical estate. Since then, while always respecting the uniqueness of these wines, my family, my colleagues and I have strived to continue to raise this estate to new heights.”
The wines
Facing each other across a narrow road, La Mission Haut-Brion, together with Haut-Brion itself, are the two ‘twins’ of top Bordeaux. The two wines have very different characters, despite being under the same ownership and winemaking team. Considered a monument of the wines of the Bordeaux appellation, La Mission is regarded as the unequivocal sixth First Growth, joining the ranks of the official five estates honoured with the famous classification of Bordeaux wines in 1855. Having taken its rightful place among the great wines of France, this exceptional estate repeatedly draws accolades from esteemed wine connoisseurs the world over.
Earlier this year, Domaine Clarence Dillon was named the official 2024 wine partner of the Academy Museum of Motion Pictures. Exclusive red and white wines – with a special focus on La Mission Haut-Brion – were poured for the stars of Hollywood at the 96th Academy Awards® in a fitting nod to Prince Robert’s early professional life as a screenwriter in Los Angeles. One of the world’s most interesting and age-worthy dry white wines, Château La Mission Haut-Brion Blanc (formerly also named Château Laville Haut-Brion) is often considered to be on a par with the very finest white Burgundies, making it one of the most distinguished white wines in the world. Achieving ethereal heights, this storied wine is produced in limited quantities, of only 500 cases per year, making it extremely rare and sought after.
Starting with the 1991 vintage, a second red wine was created at La Mission: La Chapelle de La Mission Haut-Brion. Benefitting from the same terroir as its older sibling, it is today regarded as more than La Mission’s second wine, and can be compared to some of the best classified growths in Bordeaux.
“Château La Mission Haut-Brion is both profound and exciting, a landmark and a legend that is, happily, transformed into total pleasure every time it appears in the glass. It should, of course, be a First Growth and it is considered as such, always impressing in vertical tastings.”
Serena Sutcliffe MW, Honorary Chairman, Sotheby’s Wine
The Dillon family’s ownership of La Mission Haut-Brion
When Château La Mission Haut-Brion was offered for sale, Domaine Clarence Dillon quickly submitted a bid, which was accepted. The sale was overseen by Joan Dillon, Duchess of Mouchy, and her husband, the Duke of Mouchy. Eager to involve her son in the Domaine’s major decisions, the Duchess arranged for Prince Robert to be excused from his classes at his boarding school in England so that he could be present at the signing of the purchase agreement. At just 15 years old, Prince Robert of Luxembourg developed a deep interest in and commitment to the estate that has continued over the years to this day. He subsequently became actively involved with the family company in the early 1990s before officially joining the management team full-time in 1997.
Since 2009, Liv-Ex, the world’s leading exchange for fine wine, based in London, has been reviewing the 1855 classification to create a new ranking of Bordeaux wines for the modern economic context. La Mission has been consistently named in its classification as “the sixth First Growth of Bordeaux”.
CHÂTEAU LA MISSION HAUT BRION, CELEBRATING 40 VINTAGES BY DOMAINE CLARENCE DILLON
Highlights and significant years through two eras
699 Lots
48 Half Bottles; 3139 Bottles
877 Magnums; 140 Double Magnums
4 Jeroboams; 90 Imperials; 34 Salmanazars
5 Prestige Assortment Cases of Domaine Clarence Dillon
2 Prestigious Experiences
The Clarence Dillon era: 1983-2022 (Lots 1-646)
The Pre-Clarence Dillon era: 1920-1982 (Lots 647-699)
699 Lots
48 Half Bottles; 3139 Bottles
877 Magnums; 140 Double Magnums
4 Jeroboams; 90 Imperials; 34 Salmanazars
5 Prestige Assortment Cases of Domaine Clarence Dillon
2 Prestigious Experiences
The Clarence Dillon era: 1983-2022 (Lots 1-646)
The Pre-Clarence Dillon era: 1920-1982 (Lots 647-699)
The Clarence Dillon Era: 1983-2022
First decade: 1983-1989
- Château La Mission Haut-Brion 1983, 1 Double Magnum, est. £500-700 (Lot 2)
- The first vintage by Domaine Clarence Dillon
- Château La Mission Haut-Brion 1986, 1 Imperial, est. £1,400-1,900 (Lot 14)
- Château La Mission Haut-Brion 1989, 1 Jeroboam, est. £6,500-8,500 (Lot 17)
- Château Laville Haut-Brion 1985, 12 bottles, est. £1,900-2,400 (Lot 22)
- Château La Mission Haut-Brion 1983, 1 Double Magnum, est. £500-700 (Lot 2)
- The first vintage by Domaine Clarence Dillon
- Château La Mission Haut-Brion 1986, 1 Imperial, est. £1,400-1,900 (Lot 14)
- Château La Mission Haut-Brion 1989, 1 Jeroboam, est. £6,500-8,500 (Lot 17)
- Château Laville Haut-Brion 1985, 12 bottles, est. £1,900-2,400 (Lot 22)
Second decade: 1990-2000
- Château La Mission Haut-Brion 1998, 1 Salmanazar, est. £2,800-3,500 (Lot 77)
- Château La Mission Haut-Brion 2000, 1 Imperial, est. £3,500-4,500 (Lot 91)
- Château Laville Haut-Brion 1990, 12 bottles, est. £1,600-2,000 (Lot 94)
- La Chapelle de La Mission Haut-Brion 1992, 12 bottles, est. £260-350 (Lot 155)
- The second wine of Château La Mission Haut-Brion, first introduced in 1991
- Château La Mission Haut-Brion 1998, 1 Salmanazar, est. £2,800-3,500 (Lot 77)
- Château La Mission Haut-Brion 2000, 1 Imperial, est. £3,500-4,500 (Lot 91)
- Château Laville Haut-Brion 1990, 12 bottles, est. £1,600-2,000 (Lot 94)
- La Chapelle de La Mission Haut-Brion 1992, 12 bottles, est. £260-350 (Lot 155)
- The second wine of Château La Mission Haut-Brion, first introduced in 1991
Third decade: 2001-2010
- Château La Mission Haut-Brion 2010, 1 Salmanazar, est. £5,500-7,500 (Lot 296)
- Château Laville Haut-Brion 2008, 1 Double Magnum, est. £800-1,000 (Lot 335)
- The last vintage under the label Château Laville Haut-Brion
- Château La Mission Haut-Brion Blanc 2009, 1 Salmanazar, est. £2,800-3,500 (Lot 345)
- The first vintage of Château La Mission Haut-Brion Blanc since 1930
- Château La Tour Haut-Brion 2005, 1 Imperial, est. £480-600 (Lot 387)
- The last vintage of Château La Tour Haut-Brion which is then incorporated into the second wine, La Chapelle de La Mission Haut-Brion
- Château La Mission Haut-Brion 2010, 1 Salmanazar, est. £5,500-7,500 (Lot 296)
- Château Laville Haut-Brion 2008, 1 Double Magnum, est. £800-1,000 (Lot 335)
- The last vintage under the label Château Laville Haut-Brion
- Château La Mission Haut-Brion Blanc 2009, 1 Salmanazar, est. £2,800-3,500 (Lot 345)
- The first vintage of Château La Mission Haut-Brion Blanc since 1930
- Château La Tour Haut-Brion 2005, 1 Imperial, est. £480-600 (Lot 387)
- The last vintage of Château La Tour Haut-Brion which is then incorporated into the second wine, La Chapelle de La Mission Haut-Brion
Fourth decade: 2011-2022
- Château Quintus 2011, 6 Magnums, est. £950-1,300 (Lot 443)
- The first vintage of Château Quintus
- La Chapelle de La Mission Haut-Brion 2015, 1 Salmanazar, est. £600-800 (Lot 531)
- Château La Mission Haut-Brion Blanc 2012, 1 Imperial, est. £3,000-4,000 (Lot 550)
- Château La Mission Haut-Brion Blanc 2022, 1 Salmanazar, est. £4,500-6,000 (Lot 639)
- Château Quintus 2011, 6 Magnums, est. £950-1,300 (Lot 443)
- The first vintage of Château Quintus
- La Chapelle de La Mission Haut-Brion 2015, 1 Salmanazar, est. £600-800 (Lot 531)
- Château La Mission Haut-Brion Blanc 2012, 1 Imperial, est. £3,000-4,000 (Lot 550)
- Château La Mission Haut-Brion Blanc 2022, 1 Salmanazar, est. £4,500-6,000 (Lot 639)
Rare Experiences
Dinner for six at the exceptional 2-Michelin-starred restaurant Le Clarence in Paris
- Le Clarence 2-Michelin-starred
- Est. £12,000-24,000 (Lot 645)
A unique opportunity to discover Domaine Clarence Dillon’s residence in the Golden Triangle of Paris. The Hôtel Dillon, located just a few feet away from Les Champs-Elysées and opposite Le Grand Palais, is home to La Cave du Château, a Fine Wine store as well as the Restaurant, Le Clarence. This experience includes a tasting of Domaine Clarence Dillon’s younger vintages, along with an aperitif and dinner by renowned Michelin starred chef, Christophe Pelé.
This exclusive lot will include eight three-bottle cases of each of the finest wines produced at Château La Mission Haut-Brion and Château Quintus in the last four decades, with 1 bottle of each signed by Prince Robert of Luxembourg.
- Le Clarence 2-Michelin-starred
- Est. £12,000-24,000 (Lot 645)
A unique opportunity to discover Domaine Clarence Dillon’s residence in the Golden Triangle of Paris. The Hôtel Dillon, located just a few feet away from Les Champs-Elysées and opposite Le Grand Palais, is home to La Cave du Château, a Fine Wine store as well as the Restaurant, Le Clarence. This experience includes a tasting of Domaine Clarence Dillon’s younger vintages, along with an aperitif and dinner by renowned Michelin starred chef, Christophe Pelé.
This exclusive lot will include eight three-bottle cases of each of the finest wines produced at Château La Mission Haut-Brion and Château Quintus in the last four decades, with 1 bottle of each signed by Prince Robert of Luxembourg.
The Pre Clarence-Dillon Era: 1920-1982
- Château La Mission Haut-Brion 1929, 1 bottle, est. £2,400-3,200 (Lot 648)
- Château La Mission Haut-Brion 1959, 1 bottle, est. £2,400-3,200 (Lot 653)
- Château La Mission Haut-Brion 1982, 1 Jeroboam, est. £4,800-6,500 (Lot 670)
- Château Laville Haut-Brion 1978, 12 bottles, est. £1,300-1,700 (Lot 680)
- Château La Tour Haut-Brion 1978, 12 bottles, est. £1,900-2,400 (Lot 695)