My name is Mark Solomon and I am the Wine Director for Leland Little Auctions. Although we have run several fine wine auctions, this is the first time I have consigned a collection of port this large. The gentleman who consigned the collection was a huge port aficionado and collected little else. I pulled the OWCs out of the consignor's home personally and the cellar was temperature controlled (as well as subterranean). The image at the bottom of the page shows the cases now being held at the auction house here in North Carolina. Below is the link to the auction, which ends March 11th.
Overall, the bottles are in excellent shape and I was the first one to have cracked open the vast majority of the OWCs listed. I welcome you to our auction house if you have never bid with us before. Several 100-point and Wine Spectator WOTY lots are listed. I am happy to answer any of your questions either here or at Mark@LelandLittle.com. Thanks.
I also have registered and placed a few bids. I have spoken with Mark via email for the past few days, very nice gentleman. In case you dont want to read of ask similiar questions here is what I found out:
18% buyers premium, not tax as long you don't live or ship within North Carolina.
Shipping is at cost + stryo. OWC is extra in separate parcel.
They dont have an offline catalog in PDF or Word/Excel format.
I have done a little digging and there other wine auction most hammered at or below their estimates. Will be placing a bid or two. (who am kidding- -already bid on half dozen lots lol)
