HONG KONG.- Sotheby’s Hong Kong kicked off its Autumn Sale Series with the auction of L’Odyssée D’un Roi – Asia Edition today, where a unique crystal magnum decanter of special LOUIS XIII was sold to a Vietnamese collector for HK$1.47 million / US$188,462*. This masterpiece combines elements from four luxury houses— a bespoke trunk hand-stitched by Hermès, a white gold pipette forged by the Art Deco silversmith Puiforcat, a sublime crystal decanter and four elegant serving glasses all made by hand at the cristallerie Saint-Louis, along with a unique blend of LOUIS XIII in tribute to the cognac’s heritage of adventure and discovery. The Americas Edition was sold on 10 September and the Europe edition will be on offer in London on 16 November.
Jamie Ritchie, Worldwide Head of Wine at Sotheby’s, commented after the sale: “As the enthusiasm for the L’Odyssee D’un Roi series continues to mount, we were excited to see the Asia Edition of this unique series of engraved decanters sell for HK$1.47 million / US$188,462 today in Hong Kong, exceeding the total set in New York just two weeks ago. This is now the highest price ever paid for a magnum decanter of Louis XIII. The sale brings the accumulated total of this amazing three-part sale series to over HK$2.5 million / US$320,000.”
Ludovic du Plessis, LOUIS XIII Global Executive Director, said, “We are very happy with the auction today in Hong Kong and all the excitement around Louis XIII cognac. We look forward to raising further funds for The Film Foundation and Martin Scorsese when the European Edition is offered in London on 16 November.”
LOUIS XIII cognac was created in 1874. Each decanter takes four generations of cellar masters over 100 years to craft. Its grapes grow in the chalky soils of Grande Champagne, the most soughtafter area of the Cognac region, in France. It is an intricate alchemy of up to 1200 eaux-de-vie, the youngest of which is at least 40 years old. The unique blend evokes tasting notes and scents of myrrh, honey, immortelle, plum, honeysuckle, wood bark, leather and passion fruits. LOUIS XIII cognac is the ultimate expression of the mastery of time.
