Chateau d'Yquem wine sale cancelled

PARIS (AFP) — Four bottles of Chateau d'Yquem wine were sold for 100,000 euros (134,000 dollars) but the sale was cancelled after it emerged that the top bidder was also the seller, a wine expert who organised the auction said Sunday.

One bottle of the sweet white Sauternes wine from the Bordeaux region, made in 1811, fetched 41,500 euros at the sale on Saturday, while a set of three bottles, from 1800, 1900 and 2000, went for 62,500 euros.

But the sale was quickly cancelled, said Claude Maratier, who organises regular auctions of prestigious wines, when it emerged that the top bidder was in fact the owner of the bottles.

The owner could have proceeded with the purchase but he then retracted his bid, rendering the auction invalid.

Maratier said the seller had failed to submit the bottles early enough for authentification tests to be carried out in time for the auction.

He said he wondered if "the owner had a sudden doubt about the results that this analysis would have given."