Burgundy sales overtake Bordeaux for first time at Acker

Burgundy has overtaken Bordeaux in terms of auction sales for the first time, according to prestigious New York auction house Acker, Merrall and Condit.

Burgundy represented 41% of Acker's sales for the year, compared with 32% for Bordeaux.

DRC vineyard
The Romanee-Conti region of Burgundy produces some of the world's most valuable wines

The company's CEO, John Kapon, told industry magazine The Drinks Business: "The demand for Burgundy isn't going down - Bordeaux might have to get used to the taste of the silver medal as opposed to the silver spoon."

Much of the growth was driven by sales of Domaine de la Romanee-Conti (DRC), an estate in Burgundy that produces some of the world's greatest and most valuable wines. DRC accounted for 15% of Acker's sales this year.

The fall in sales of Bordeaux can be attributed to the bubble bursting in 2011, after its value was stoked up by Chinese buyers.

James Miles, managing director of the Liv-ex wine marketplace, explained to trade paper Decanter.com: "The last decade has been a pretty normal cycle by historical standards. The Bordeaux first growths appreciated 4.5 fold between 2005 and 2011, before falling 41% between 2011 and now."

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