It’s like our mothers always said:
If you can’t say something nice, you probably shouldn’t talk about the Koch brothers.
But today we’re making an exception.
After collecting more than 43,000 bottles over the course of four decades — that’s 1,000 bottles a year, or three per day — notable billionaire/sailing enthusiast Bill Koch has done some arithmetic and figured out he can’t drink it all.
So beginning on May 19, Koch is putting 20,000 of his bottles up for auction courtesy of Sotheby’s. The collection, which is expected to net somewhere between $10 and $15 million (or, in Koch currency, about 7-9 seats in congress), is comprised of a plethora of bottles of rare Bordeaux, Burgundy and Rhone as well as 10 bottles of Château Mouton Rothschild 1945 that are estimated to be worth $12,000 each.
“That’s one of the most legendary wines,” says Connor Kriegel of Sotheby’s Wine. “It’s the wartime vintage, and it’s one of the greatest wines they’ve ever made. To see it on such a scale is pretty spectacular.”
The collection will be divided into 2,700 lots during the sale and the auction will wrap on the 21st.
Bid wisely, and bid knowing where your hard-earned pennies are headed.
Image via Sotheby’s
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