NEW YORK, 12 MAY 2022 – In an unprecedented move, Prince Robert de Luxembourg, who presides over some of the most celebrated wine estates and châteaux in the world, is now emptying his personal wine cellars for what is set to be the biggest charity auctions of its kind ever staged.
While the wines produced by his estates are legendary, those from Prince Robert’s personal cellars are of extraordinary importance – including rare historic vintages dating back more than a century, as well as similarly rare large format bottles. Each one of the 4,000 bottles from his collection has been impeccably stored and treasured over many years.
The passion and scale of this magnanimous gesture has inspired others to follow his lead, with further donations from his friends and family, making for a charity wine sale of remarkable scope. The sale, to be staged by Sotheby’s in New York on 21 May, represents the largest quantity of wine direct from châteaux cellars ever to be offered for charity.
Expected to realise in excess of $2.8 million, the sale will benefit The PolG Foundation, a cause very close to the hearts of Prince Robert and his wife, Princess Julie, namely to raise awareness and funds for the foundation created by them to treat and find a cure for mitochondrial conditions, a long-term genetic disorder that divests the body of its energy to function properly – a disease with which their youngest son Frederik was diagnosed in 2016.