Auctions

Glossary

Our in-house authentication team check the condition and quality of each and every bottle featured in our auctions. Read on to understand how we summarise their condition reports, and what some of the terms they use mean. Always cross-reference the lots with the images, they are shot in ultra high-definition to give confidence.

Packaging:

NOC: Not original case, OWC: Original wooden case, OC: Original case. If there are any notable findings on cases, capsules or closures, these will be referenced; if there is no mention, you can assume the case is in pristine condition. Any reference to a “CRD capsule” is because the wine has a CRD sticker which is proof that the wine producer has paid taxes to the French government and can legally sell the wine.

Appearance:

Notes on imperfections on the label or bottle, that one might expect to see on a bottle that has been in storage for a prolonged period, e.g. dust or general dirt. Bin-soiling tends to be aesthetic only.

Fill:

Where the liquid within the bottle reaches when the bottle is standing upright. A more in-depth guide can be seen below.

Other:

Notes on any other elements of the bottle, including sale stickers or import labels.

Bordeaux bottle

Terms used for Bordeaux bottles:

Into neck: any wine with this level is in excellent condition

Top shoulder: this is expected and normal for any wine of 25 years or older

Mid-shoulder: there might be some cork weakening but this is a very good fill for any wine of 50 years or older

Burgundy bottle

The design of Burgundy bottles, with their sloping shoulders, presents a challenge in the traditional measurement of wine levels. Instead of the common classifications used for Bordeaux bottles listed above, Burgundy bottles’ fill lines are measured in centimetres between the capsule and the wine. Burgundy wines exhibit a remarkable resilience to ullage, so lower fill lines can here be a sign of good ageing. An ullage of 5-7cm in a Burgundy bottle over 50 years of age, for example, is considered acceptable.

Top five most-asked questions

What is the Buyer's Premium

The Buyer’s Premium is a percentage of the final bid price that the buyer pays in addition to the hammer price of an object. The Buyer’s Premium is set at 20%. Before you confirm your bid, there will be a line in bold, showing the total you are bidding inclusive of the Buyers' Premium and any applicable taxes.

For In Bond lots, no VAT will apply to either hammer price or buyer’s premium. For Duty Paid lots, the total selling price will be deemed inclusive of VAT. Please note that the total does not include storage, delivery charges or, for In Bond items, the ultimate paying of Duty and VAT if withdrawn from bond.

How do I take delivery of my wines or spirits?

If you are lucky enough to win a bid on a lot, once we have received payment, it will pass into your ownership and be stored, by default, in our state-of-the-art warehouse. You can view the items in our Cellar Manager app or online in Your Cellar. Standard delivery to a UK residential address is free of charge. If you are based outside of the UK you can view more about our international delivery options here . For any questions about exporting your items overseas or for a quote, choose “export query” from the drop-down menu here .

What if I want to store my items with you?

Once ownership has been transferred then, by default, it will be stored in our state-of-the-art warehouse. You can view the items in our Cellar Manager app or online in Your Cellar . Please note, if you do decide to store your items with us you will have to pay for our Storage Service.

How do I pay for my winning bids?

Within three business days of the auction closing, you will be sent your invoice detailing the product/s that you have successfully bid on and won as well as details on how to pay for them. Head to the “Account” icon in the top right and select “My Profile”. Within your profile, select “Documents”, and you will see any invoices and the option to pay for any winning lots using your debit/credit card. The final amount due will include the hammer price, the Buyer's Premium, and any applicable taxes.

The simplest and best payment method is by credit or debit card. To do this just select the "Pay now” option against your winning lot and you will go through the steps and your payment will be automatically allocated. Payment must be received and cleared within 5 business days of the invoice date. If you are intending to settle in full using some other source of funds, then it is your responsibility to contact us on info@auctions.bbr.com so we know. You will risk losing your bid if there are not cleared funds on your Berry Bros. & Rudd account within 5 business days.

Alternatively, if you wish to pay by bank transfer, you must quote your auction invoice number as your payment reference (“Auction invoice XXXX”). Without this we cannot allocate your payment. Payment can be made to BB&R Ltd in GBP to Bank Account : 20478490 / Sort Code : 20-65-82 / SWIFT code : BARCGB22 / IBAN GB97BARC20658220478490.

If you are an existing customer with sufficient credit balance on your Berry Bros. & Rudd account, you may choose to use this balance to settle your auction purchase. To do this please email AR@bbr.com with your instruction quoting your account number. Please note we do not accept payment over the phone and gift vouchers cannot be used.

How can I register to bid?

You will be unable to participate in the auction unless you create an Auction account, this can be done here. If you already have a Berry Bros. & Rudd account, then you should use the same email as you do when you log into bbr.com but you will need to create an auction account.