You might think that today's auctions are all about prestige wines and relatively high prices, but that's not necessarily the case. There are also local wines from small vineyards that can turn out to be very pleasant surprises. Here, we take a look at some of the châteaux that will be present at the sale on Wednesday March 17.

DOMAINE DE LA ROMANÉE-CONTI

ROMANÉE-CONTI, LA TÂCHE ET RICHEBOURG

The Domaine de la Romanée is one of Burgundy's best-known estates worldwide, and has been for many years. The domaine is located on the route des Grands Crus in the Côte de Nuits vineyards of the Burgundy region. The history of the domaine goes back a long way. In 1232, the Duchess of Burgundy Alix de Verge donated her best vineyard to the Benedictine monks of the priory of Saint-Vivant de Vergy.

Over the centuries, the estate was bought and sold by the various lords of the region at numerous auctions. Finally, in 1869, the estate was bought outright by the wealthy and renowned winegrower Jacques-Marie Duvault-Blochet.
The estate remained in the family and was passed down from heir to heir.

Among the most famous appellations of Domaine de la Romanée-Conti are Richebourg, La Tâche and above all Romanée-Conti. This is one of the most famous appellations in the world, and is only found on the Domaine de la Romanée-Conti, which operates it as a monopoly. The vineyard covers less than two hectares, so the number of bottles produced is limited. Romanée-Conti wine is considered today to be the greatest wine of Burgundy.

Many bottles of Romanée-Conti, Richebourg and La Tâche are available during our exceptional sale on March 17,

DOMAINE PETRUS

Chateau Petrus in the Pomerol wine region, is one of the world's most prestigious wines and enjoys a reputation similar to Domaine de la Romanée-Conti. The estate takes its name from the locality in which it is located. This place is said to have been named after Saint-Pierre, Petrus in Latin, who can be found on all the estate's bottle labels holding the keys to paradise in his hands.

The estate's surface area is limited, in fact it was only 7 hectares until 1970, and today it is 11, following the purchase of the neighboring producer's parcel. Petrus produces only a very limited number of bottles per year, making it one of the rarest and most sought-after wines in the world. It is the most expensive wine in the Bordeaux vineyards.

The estate originally belonged to the Arnaud family, then was gradually bought up by Madame Edmonde Loubat, a hotelier from the Libourne region, until she became the sole owner in 1945. To promote her estate, Edmonde Loubat joined forces with Jean-Pierre Moueix, a Libourne wine merchant. They travelled the world to promote Petrus, even presenting the bottles at Elizabeth II's wedding banquet and making it the favorite wine of the Kennedy family. Today, the estate is still owned by the Moueix family.

CHATEAU D'YQUEM

Chateau d'Yquem is one of Bordeaux's best-known wine estates, and the only Sauternes to be classified as a premier cru supérieur. In 1593, the notable Jacques Sauvage had Château d'Yquem built. The château was classified as a historic monument in 2003.

It was the last heiress of the Sauvage family, Françoise Joséphine Sauvage, who was responsible for developing the reputation of Yquem wine from 1785 onwards. It was the Lur Saluces family who ran Château d'Yquem throughout the 20th century, making Yquem what it is today by being meticulous and uncompromising about the quality of wine production.

From 1996 onwards, the LVMH group bought up the estate's shares, becoming the majority shareholder in 1999. Today, the estate is managed by Pierre Lurton, who also looks after Domaine Cheval Blanc, another Grand Cru that is extremely well known throughout the world.

The estate is much larger in size than the Petrus estate, in fact the latter covers 133 hectares but only 100 hectares of the estate is devoted to wine production. Vineyard yields are very low, however, and if the quality is not deemed sufficient the bottles are not marketed.

Chateau Yquem is considered by many to be the world's finest sweet wine, and the greatest vintages can be kept for between 50 to over 100 years.

CHÂTEAU MOUTON-ROTHSCHILD

Chateau Mouton Rothschild is one of Bordeaux's most prestigious estates, located in the commune of Pauillac. It is the only wine in the world whose classification was changed from Second Grand Cru to Premier Grand Cru in 1973.

In 1853, Baron Nathaniel de Rothschild bought Château Brane Mouton in Pauillac at auction and renamed it Château Mouton-Rothschild. The château remained in the family for the next few years, and in 1922, Baron Philippe de Rothschild, great-grandson of Baron Nathaniel, took control of the estate. He became fully involved in the management of the estate, imposing bottling at the château. Today, the Château is still owned by the Rothschild family.

Mouton-Rothschild bottles are very famous for their labels, which have been designed by a different artist every year since 1945.