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Acker Annual Report 2024
NEW YORK - January 8, 2025
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2024 Year in Review
Acker closed 2024 on a historic note, surpassing $2 billion in total sales and capturing a commanding 35% market share. The company doubled the volume of American competitors and outperformed global counterparts by 70% and 400%, respectively, cementing Acker’s position as the number one fine wine auction house in the United States, Asia, and the World. With $175 million in annual sales, Acker reached the widest distribution of buyers in a decade, engaging over 10,000 participants and setting nearly 4,000 New World Records for auction prices.
Global Auction Highlights
In 2024, Acker celebrated its 379th live auction in 25 years, drawing nearer to the extraordinary milestone of 400 live sales. The annual La Paulée auction in February and The Birthday Auction in November brought in $16 million and $15 million, respectively, earning their place as the fifth and sixth top grossing sales in Acker’s history.
The most significant fine wine collectors in the world continue to choose Acker. This year saw the final live auction of John Tilson’s legendary collection, highlighted by a monumental display of California classics. Acker also represented the collections of Edgar Bronfman, Wolfgang Grunewald, Chen “Didi” Pei, Bill Floyd, and Frances & Terrance James Leighton. Among many remarkable collections, none were more noteworthy than those of The Chairman and The Golden Bull, which together achieved nearly $23 million in total sales in 2024. Acker also held a landmark spirits auction, “The Wizard of Chartreuse”, which delivered exceptional results for these rare and unique elixirs from a single-owner collection.
The second half of the year and the Fall season saw a notable increase in sales activity and results, with US sales up 41% year over year. Asia experienced an even more impressive resurgence, with Fall 2024 combined sales totals showing a remarkable 64% increase over the same period last year. Acker continued expansion into Southeast Asia with its second sale in Singapore, in partnership with Marina Bay Sands and Grand Cru Wine Concierge. Acker’s weekly web auctions continued to flourish, growing 12% year over year and providing bidders with an engaging platform to explore bite-sized lots and uncover unique treasures.
Acker continued its global expansion in 2024, with increased activity and presence in Thailand, Japan, and Taiwan, laying a strong foundation for future growth. Looking ahead to 2025, Acker is setting its sights on Europe. Building on its success in the UK, the company plans to announce new ventures in Switzerland and Belgium in the near future.
Domaine Direct Offerings
Acker continues to be trusted by the world’s leading estates to showcase their wines to the industry’s most discerning collectors. Each year, Acker’s La Paulée sale in the US attracts the most Domaine-Direct offerings of any auction in the World, and 2024 saw remarkable offerings from the cellars of Antoine Jobard, Bachelet-Monnot, Roulot, Clerget, De Montille, Hudelot-Noellat, Hubert & Laurent Lignier, Dugat-Py, Fourrier, Duroché, Meo-Camuzet, Dujac, and Comte Liger-Belair.
Hong Kong featured sizeable direct consignments including a debut from Domaine du Comte Liger-Belair, with wines from exclusive new vineyard sites in Grands Echezeaux, Vosne-Romanée Aux Réas, and La Croix Rameau. Domaine Dugat-Py delivered an unprecedented selection, wowing collectors with the exceptional quality of wines produced under Loïc Dugat-Py. This remarkable offering, including highly coveted large formats never before sold, helped to reinvigorate the reputation of this historic Domaine. In 2024, producers also expanded their presence into Southeast Asia, with notable contributions in Singapore direct from the cellars of Hubert & Laurent Lignier and an inaugural offering from Alex Moreau.
Acker continued to be the market leader in Domaine-Direct barrel offerings, featuring prestigious Burgundy estates such as Roulot, Comte Armand, Fourrier, Duroché, Comte Liger-Belair, Dugat-Py, and Clerget. Highlights extended beyond Burgundy, with a barrel of Château Lafite Rothschild and a rare cask of Hanyu Single Malt Japanese Whisky.
In addition to auctions, Acker was thrilled to collaborate closely with top estates to offer exclusive direct-to-consumer retail allocations. These included limited releases from Comte Liger-Belair, Chave, Fourrier, Dugat-Py, Duroché, Hubert Lignier, Clos de la Chapelle, and Pierre Peters. The company looks forward to expanding these offerings in 2025, continuing to provide unparalleled access to the world’s most sought-after producers.
Retail & Storage Expansion
Global retail operations grew steadily throughout the year, achieving a 15% increase and an all-time record year in sales. Acker UK excelled, amassing a robust inventory of European-based stock, including fine and rare wines with impeccable provenance. Retail growth is projected to increase worldwide in 2025, supported by the announcement of a new international initiative in the coming weeks, as well as the imminent launch of Acker’s retail app. Acker’s best-kept secret is Acker storage. With nearly 2200 new, long-term customers in four years, clients are flocking to the Delaware warehouse for one of the East Coast’s premier storage facilities.
Unforgettable Experiences
In addition to its exceptional wine dinners and tastings in the US, Acker’s Wine Workshop hosted extraordinary culinary excursions abroad in 2024. A four-day Barcelona experience featured world-renowned establishments, including Disfrutar, a three-Michelin-star restaurant that was ranked #1 in the World just two days after our dinner.
In Paris, an exclusive four-day event included visits to two-Michelin-starred Marsan par Hélène Darroze and three-Michelin-starred Le Gabriel, as well as a memorable dinner at two-star La Clarence hosted by Jean-Marc Roulot. The highlight of the trip was a historic evening at three-Michelin-star Plénitude with Pierre-Olivier Clouet, CEO of Cheval Blanc. Guests experienced a once-in-a-lifetime tasting featuring every vintage of Cheval Blanc produced from 1970 to 2005—a truly unforgettable event.
TOP LOTS OF 2024
Barrels from top producers captivated collectors in 2024, claiming three of the Top Ten Lots. The top position went to a barrel of 2022 Domaine du Comte Liger-Belair Nuits-St-Georges, which sold for an impressive $257,069. Two additional barrels secured top spots: the 2023 Château Lafite Rothschild and the 2023 Domaine Duroché Gevrey-Chambertin Lavaut St. Jacques Vieilles Vignes. The second position was a three-way tie, with twelve bottles of 1999 Domaine de la Romanée Conti Romanée Conti, five magnums of the same, and twelve bottles of 1991 Domaine Leroy Musigny each realizing $250,000. DRC led the list overall, securing half of the Top Ten Lots—all featuring Romanée Conti. Henri Jayer also made an appearance, with five magnums of 2000 Vosne-Romanée Cros Parantoux earning a place among the year’s top performing lots.
Burgundy led in share of auction dollars (56.0%, bottles sold (27.6%), and average price per bottle, despite slight declines across all metrics compared to 2023. Bordeaux demonstrated balanced growth, increasing its share of both dollars (20.1%) and bottles sold (27.4%), while Champagne stood out as a top performer, nearly doubling its auction dollar share from 4.2% to 8.0% and overtaking Italy in bottle share. In contrast, California, Italy, and Rhone experienced modest declines in both percentage of dollars sold and volume.
TOP REGIONS SOLD BY DOLLAR PERCENTAGE
TOP REGIONS SOLD BY BOTTLE
Million Dollar Brands Of 2024
In 2024, twenty-three brands surpassed the million-dollar mark at auction, showcasing the best of Burgundy, Bordeaux, Champagne, and California. Domaine de la Romanée Conti secured the top position, continuing its reign as the market leader. DRC was followed by A. Rousseau and Domaine Leroy, cementing their status as two of the most sought-after Domaines in the World. Bordeaux made a strong showing with all five First Growths joined by Chateau Petrus and Chateau La Mission Haut-Brion. Champagne was highlighted by Krug, Dom Pérignon, and Salon, while Screaming Eagle claimed the last spot.
Top Wines of 2024 Ranked By Overall Dollar
Of the Top 20 Wines of 2024 ranked by overall dollar value, over half were from Domaine de la Romanée Conti, maintaining its unparalleled dominance in the wine market. Among the eleven DRC entries, seven were Romanée Conti and four were La Tache. Additional Burgundies on the list included selections from Domaine Armand Rousseau and Henri Jayer. Champagne made a strong showing with Salon Le Mesnil securing the fifth spot, while the rest of the list featured Bordeaux icons Chateau Haut-Brion, Chateau Pétrus, Chateau Latour, and Chateau Mouton Rothschild.
Top Wines sold by unit
Among the Top 20 Producers of 2024 ranked by quantity of units sold—including all formats—Bordeaux, Burgundy, and Champagne commanded the list. Domaine de la Romanée Conti led the rankings with over 1,400 more bottles sold than the next closest producer, Krug. Dom Perignon, Chateau Lafite Rothschild, and Domaine Leflaive rounded out the Top 5. The Rhône was the only other region represented in the top twenty, thanks to E. Guigal’s inclusion.
Recent World Records 2024
Nearly 4,000 New World Records were set at Acker’s 2024 auctions, with all-time highs achieved across virtually every major wine-producing region and format. Standout sales included a Jeroboam of 1971 DRC Richebourg for $75,000, a bottle of 1929 Krug ringing in at $40,000, twelve bottles of 1985 Jamet Côte-Rôtie for $40,000, a Jeroboam of 1990 Chateau Le Pin realizing $25,000, and a bottle of 1941 Inglenook Classic Claret that sold for $11,250.
Top Spirits of 2024
Acker’s historic single-cellar “Wizard of Chartreuse” auction celebrated the rarity and legacy of these storied bottles. The highest prices were commanded by the rarest Chartreuse, highlighting defining eras in the iconic liqueur’s rich history. Whisky continued to captivate collectors, with notable Scotch highlights from The Balvenie, The Macallan, and Bowmore. American Whiskey also made a strong showing, particularly Bourbon, with standout names including Michter’s, Eagle Rare, A.H. Hirsch, and Pappy Van Winkle. Hennessy Cognac upheld its timeless reputation, while the luxurious Chinese distilled spirit, Kweichow Moutai, cemented its presence in the global spirits market.
Acker buyers around the world
Acker’s global community of bidders is in constant competition for the world’s greatest wines and spirits. North America continued to lead the charge in 2024, claiming nearly 62% of total hammers, up from 60% in 2023. Asia maintained its strong presence, holding steady at 30%, while Europe accounted for 5.9%, experiencing a slight dip from the previous year. South America emerged as a rising force, doubling its share from 1.5% to 3%.
summary
As we at Acker embark on the fifth year of our third century, we reflect on a challenging yet rewarding 2024. The company achieved over $175 million in sales, surpassing $2 billion in lifetime wine sales and securing a commanding 35% global market share—outpacing our nearest competitor by 70%. Now in our third decade of wine auctions, we are proud to reaffirm Acker’s position as the #1 fine wine auction house in the World. These achievements are a testament to the dedication of our employees and the unwavering support of our clients, for which we are profoundly grateful.
2024 presented a tale of two halves—with a steady pace in the first half followed by increasing momentum and a strong finish in the second. While potential market changes, such as tariffs, could pose challenges in 2025, we remain quite bullish about fine wine’s performance. There are many positive tailwinds that lead to our forecast of 18% growth for fine wine over the next two years.
The year ahead brings tremendous excitement and promise as we continue to lead the market. We look forward to continuing our next century of service to the world’s greatest wine lovers. It is a privilege to serve you and share in your journey. Wishing you all the best in the year ahead—with full hearts and, of course, full glasses.
