NEWS
A 1945 DRC SOLD FOR USD812,500 AT AUCTION SHATTERING WORLD RECORD
By Staff Reporter
2-4-2026
Source: Acker's
A single bottle of 1945 Domaine de la Romanée-Conti (DRC) has etched its name in auction history, fetching an astonishing USD812,500—crushing the wine’s own 2018 world record of USD558,000.
Originating from the personal cellar of Robert Drouhin, this iconic bottle from the legendary 1945 vintage first changed hands at Sotheby’s in 2018 for USD558,000. The subsequent owner kept the bottle in professional storage facilities across the USA before putting it up for bid at Acker’s La Paulée Auction on 18 March.
Acker described the 1945 vintage as a rarity of “mythic proportions,” noting that only 600 bottles were ever produced.
What makes this wine even more extraordinary is that it was the final expression crafted from the domaine’s oldest pre-phylloxera vines—vines that were ultimately replanted in 1947.
For this reason, surviving bottles have long stood as the holy grail of wine collecting; many connoisseurs argue that pre-phylloxera vines impart an unparalleled depth and complexity that modern vines cannot replicate.
John Kapon, Acker’s chairman, called the 1945 DRC “the finest wine I have ever had the pleasure of tasting.” He added that global interest in the bottle was immediate and intense as soon as the auction went live, with bidders participating from four different continents.
“The excitement built steadily throughout the week,” Acker noted, “as tastings and exclusive dinners brought together Burgundy’s most devoted collectors in the lead-up to the sale.”
The record-breaking price was the highlight of Acker’s three-day La Paulée Auction, held last week.
The event featured seven curated collections totalling more than 3,700 lots, raking in over USD25 million in total sales.
According to Acker, the auction set an impressive 460 new world records—accounting for roughly 85 percent of all eligible lots.
Among these records were 27 for Domaine Dujac, 23 for Domaine de la Romanée-Conti, 20 for Domaine Leflaive, 19 each for Coche-Dury and Duroché, 16 for Ramonet, and 15 apiece for Alex Moreau and Bouchard.
“This extraordinary sale is just one of hundreds of record-breaking moments that underscore the growing demand for trophy wines at the very top of the fine wine market,” Kapon commented.
(the writer can be contacted at: info@thewinechronicle.com)
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