S
otheby’s Wine is proud to present Kinetic | The Wine Cellar of Joel Shapiro, a live auction drawn from the personal collection of the legendary artist. The sale showcases a rigorously curated cellar led by rare and profound Burgundy from Domaine de la Romanée-Conti and Domaine René Engel, alongside blue-chip Bordeaux from the region’s most esteemed estates. The offering is further enriched by legendary producers from the Rhône Valley and masterful expressions from Piedmont, united by exceptional provenance and a collector’s eye for greatness.
The auction will close live on March 6th, with lots beginning to close at 12:00 PM, at Sotheby’s Breuer Building on Madison Avenue and 75th Street in New York City.
Above Image: Joel Shapiro Untitled, 2000 © 2026 Joel Shapiro/ Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York.
KINETIC |The Wine Cellar of Joel Shapiro
March 6th · Live Sale · 12:00 PM ET · New York
Sotheby’s is honored to present the personal wine collection of Joel Shapiro, one of America’s most celebrated contemporary artists. Over the decades, Joel amassed one of the most comprehensive wine collections spanning the greatest regions of the world.
He enjoyed both collecting and sharing these rare bottles with friends and family. Joel shared many great wines with close friends including other artists but also wine personalities including Neal Rosenthal and Eli Zabar.
The collection has been meticulously stored in multiple New York cellars including a custom subterranean temperature-controlled cellar in his artist studio in Long Island City. The care and attention to maintain perfect temperature and humidity is very evident in the condition of these bottles. Fill levels are very high and bottles are pristine. Many of the wines remain sealed or banded in original cartons or wooden cases.
All the wines were acquired on or around release from reputable wine merchants and never moved until recently removed by Sotheby’s Specialists for this auction.
This auction offers a rare glimpse into Joel’s collecting journey over the decades and the wines he enjoyed.
In many ways, Joel Shapiro was a pioneer of taste. His cellar reflects a collector who acquired the right wines at the right moments, guided by intuition, experience, and conviction rather than trends or scores. This is evident in the depth and coherence of the collection, from extensive verticals of Bonnes Mares from Georges Roumier, rare and beautifully preserved selections from Domaine René Engel, and mature, deeply assembled runs from Domaine Fourrier, Domaine Groffier, and Domaine Hubert Lignier.
Beyond Burgundy, the collection reveals Joel’s breadth and discernment, with benchmark cuvées from the Rhône Valley and Italy, including a clear affinity for Jean-Louis Chave’s Cuvée Cathelin and Monfortino from Giacomo Conterno. His Bordeaux holdings further underscore this measured approach, focusing exclusively on the region’s most historic vintages; 1982, 1989, 1990, and 2000. Altogether, the cellar speaks to a lifetime of collecting with authority, passion, and lived experience, and Sotheby’s is honored to present this remarkable collection to collectors around the world.
Lots 1 - 6: DRC
Lots 7 - 12: René Engel
Lots 13 - 40: Roumier & Rousseau
Lots 41 - 67: Dujac, Mugnier and Mugneret
Lots 163 - 194: Lignier & Groffier
Lots 246 - 266: 1990 Bordeaux
Lots 268 - 282: Rhône
Lots 283 - 307: Piemonte
Lots 308 - 311: Bryant Family
Highlights open with monumental selections from Domaine de la Romanée-Conti, led by La Tâche 1993 in 12-bottle OWC and a series of pristine Richebourg cases in 2001, 2002, 2004, and 2005—ideal cornerstones for building a serious vertical. Rare offerings from Domaine René Engel follow, including Grands Échézeaux 1998 and 1999 in 12-bottle original cartons, alongside 2002, complemented by Échézeaux, Clos de Vougeot, and Vosne-Romanée Les Brûlées 1996 for collectors seeking a complete vintage snapshot. Further standouts include an exceptional Bonnes Mares vertical from Georges Roumier spanning 1990–2015, complemented by benchmark selections from Armand Rousseau, Jacques-Frédéric Mugnier, and Domaine Georges Mugneret-Gibourg. The chapter continues with an impressive assortment case of Domaine du Comte Liger-Belair from the 2002 vintage, deep verticals of Griotte-Chambertin and Clos Saint-Jacques from Domaine Fourrier spanning 1996–2005, and extensive mature offerings from Domaine Groffier, including magnums of Clos de la Roche 1990—together reflecting the collector’s rare foresight, precision, and long-term vision in Burgundy.
The 1990 Bordeaux vintage stands among the region’s most celebrated, often hailed as the twin of 1989 for its near-identical growing conditions and extraordinary results. Joel Shapiro clearly recognized the significance of this legendary year, assembling a focused and confident selection of Bordeaux’s finest expressions. Highlights span both the Left and Right Banks, with substantial holdings of Château Margaux, Château Latour, and Château Cheval Blanc, alongside magnums of Château Lynch-Bages, a pristine nine-bottle lot of Château Angélus, and the seldom-seen Château La Conseillante.
Joel Shapiro’s role as a definer of taste is perhaps most evident in his Rhône selections, many of which were acquired well before the estates reached their current critical acclaim. The collection reveals a carefully assembled survey of the region’s most revered domaines, led by Jean-Louis Chave’s Cuvée Cathelin in 1995 and 1998, followed by a robust vertical spanning 1995–2001, offered in both bottle and magnum. Further highlights include the celebrated La La cuvées from E. Guigal in the late 1990s, a 12-bottle lot of 1999 Côte-Rôtie from Domaine Jamet, the iconic 1990 La Chapelle from Paul Jaboulet Aîné, two six-bottle lots of Château Rayas from 1998 and 2001, and a rare two-bottle lot of Réserve des Célestins 1998 from Henri Bonneau.
Italy is anchored in Piedmont, where the cellar reveals a precise and deeply informed selection from the region’s most revered masters. Leading the offering are four lots of Monfortino from Giacomo Conterno, spanning 1995–1999, including an exceptional 12-bottle lot of the benchmark 1999 in pristine condition, alongside verticals of Cascina Francia from 1996 through 2008. Further highlights follow with riservas from Bruno Giacosa, including Falletto di Serralunga d’Alba 1996, Santo Stefano di Neive 1998, and Asili di Barbaresco 1996, complemented by a three-magnum lot of Le Rocche del Falletto 1999. The selection continues with classic expressions from Giuseppe Rinaldi, including Le Coste in 1999, 2001, and 2008, as well as Cannubi San Lorenzo Ravera 2008, followed by bottles of Barolo from Bartolo Mascarello in 1996 and 1999. Additional standouts include a six-bottle lot of G.B. Burlotto Monvigliero 2013, selections of Cappellano Otin Fiorin Piè Rupestris from 2010, 2013, and 2015, and the chapter concludes with a refined three-bottle lot of Cannubi Boschis 1996 from Luciano Sandrone.
Throughout the sale, collectors will discover additional highlights and long-time staples that further underscore the depth and range of the cellar. These include verticals from one of Joel’s favored Napa estates, Bryant Family Vineyard, alongside contemporary Burgundy stars from Domaine Sylvain Cathiard and Tremblay, acquired early, well before their wider recognition. The offering is further punctuated by single bottles of legendary Bordeaux, including Château Haut-Brion 1989 and Château Lafite Rothschild 1982, as well as Maison Joseph Drouhin Musigny 1999, and many other compelling discoveries.
