Best known for his good taste when it comes to timeless timepieces, the late Jörg G. Bucherer was also an aficionado of fine wines. A selection from his cellar in Lucerne, Switzerland, is up for auction with Sotheby's auction house until November 24.
Highlights from the sale include ready-to-drink double magnums of Petrus, a case of Lafleur 1990, nine cases of Clos de Tart and six 12-bottle cases of Domaine Leroy. Vintages of 1986 and 1998 Chateau Moutoun-Rothschild are also among the 221 lots, which, in total, comprise more than 2,270 bottles, 71 magnums and two double magnums. The total estimated value is in excess of £875,000 and proceeds will benefit the Jörg G. Bucherer Foundation, which was formally registered earlier this year and is set to begin funding activities in 2026.
Bucherer died in November, 2023, aged 87. He sold the Bucherer Group to Rolex just months prior, ‘in the absence of direct descendants’, which is likely why no one inherited his magnificent wine collection. He was incredibly private — despite leading one of the most prestigious luxury brands in the world for 46 years, he never once gave a media interview and he doesn’t have a Wikipedia entry. A third-generation owner of the family firm, he took over the business in 1977 and expanded into Austria, Germany, London, Copenhagen and the USA, as well as opening a flagship store in Paris.
‘It’s already had a lot of interest, which is really exciting,’ said Nick Pegna, Sotheby's global head of wines and spirits. Claire Collini, head of wine auction sales in the UK, agrees. ‘I was very lucky to try a few wines from this cellar already, one of which was the Margaux 83, and it's just a stunning one. It's so beautiful — still a lot of freshness, and I could very happily have a case of that.’
The wines were stored under ideal conditions in Lucerne, according to Claire. ‘The cases, despite some of them being 30-40 years old, looked brand new to be honest — they'd been kept so well.’
The auction is the latest in a series of high-profile sales, with Sotheby's also selling a collection of wines from a Rothschild family member, which is open for bidding now and will culminate in a live auction on December 1 in ‘La Cave’, Sotheby’s wine cellar in Paris.
‘What we've seen in the last six months, particularly, is actually the [wine] market's done really well,’ says Nick. ‘Our buyers are buying mature wine, and they want them and they want to drink them now because they chase us to have them delivered as quickly as possible.’
September through to December is Sotheby's busiest period, ‘whether that's because people are buying for Christmas or Thanksgiving in the USA, I don't know,’ says Nick. ‘I think colder weather tends to drive buying habits and people buying more. Or perhaps, if you turn that on its head, in the heat of summer, people are less interested.’
Champagne remains very popular, Nick and Claire say. ‘From a younger demographic as well,’ Nick clarifies. ‘I think that for the people who are coming into it [the wine auction world] for the first time, Champagne is relatively easy to understand; You don't have to worry about decanting, you don't need to think too much about whether you drink it on its own or with which foods, and I think that makes it approachable in a way that some wines are not.’
‘A Cellar of Distinction: The Legacy of Jörg G. Bucherer’ will take place on November 24. For more information visit the Sotheby's website.
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