By Jay Amberg. Bloomberg Lifestyles. Tue, 21 Mar 2000, 11:40am EST
London, March 9 -- Christie's London, the world's acknowledged leader in procuring and selling vintage cigars, will hold its largest Cuban cigar auction of the year today.
Some 500 lots of superb Cuban cigars and humidors will be on the block starting at 2:30 p.m. with pre-sale estimates ranging from 100-10,000 pounds ($161-$16,100).
The auction on May 20, 1999, with 200 lots offered, was Christie's last large London cigar sale.
Brian Ebbesen, a Christie's cigar specialist, said the auction is in response to the growing international interest in vintage cigars by avid collectors and aficionados.
London is the global hub for the vintage cigar market, followed by Geneva, Hong Kong, New York and Tokyo. ``We expect a very active auction,'' Ebbesen said. ``It's the first Christie's auction devoted exclusively to cigars. In the past we've included the cigars with wine.''
Ebbesen was auctioneer last week in Cuba for the Habanos SA charity auction, held at the International Habano Festival banquet. The seven-lot sale fetched $532,000.
An expert on vintage cigars, Ebbesen said he sees the market expanding, especially as Cuban cigars from the late 1980s and early 1990s reach maturity.
Ebbesen said he expects Cuban cigars from these two decades to sustain the vintage cigar market for the next 20 years. ``As well kept cigars begin to get about 10 years of age, many aficionados consider them at their peak of flavor, just like a fine wine,'' Ebbesen said. ``Of course, the supply
of pre- revolution cigars is dwindling quickly as they are being sold and smoked, not saved.''
Included in the today's sale is a cabinet of 50 pre-embargo Dunhill Candido Seleccion Supreme No. 500 cigars, formerly owned by Yul Brynner, the late film star.
The cabinet, with a pre-sale estimate of 3,500-4,500 pounds,bears its original sticker showing Brynner's name.
The private collection of a connoisseur (about 210 boxes) comprises half of the 461 cigar lots in the sale.
Ebbesen said the collection is remarkable for its size, its diversity and because the vast majority of the cigars were purchased in the 1980s and have reached optimum maturity.
The cigars have been stored in their original boxes in a walk- in, climate-controlled humidor, Christie's said.
Other highlights in the auction include a limited edition Cubatobacco 1492 humidor and 50 commemorative cigars with a pre- sale estimate of 7,000-9,000 pounds and a 1975 box of 25 Cuban Ramon Allones Gigantes with a pre-sale estimate of 1,000-1,500 pounds.
Christie's expects spirited bidding for select boxes of Cuban- made Davidoff Dom Perignon cigars with pre-sale estimates of 4,500- 5,500 for a box of 25.
For more information, call Patricia Clark at Christie's London at (020) 7389-2117 or E-mail her at Pclark@christies.com.
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