The high selling prices achieved by rare bottles from the cellar of Chateau Lafite Rothschild have redefined wine values across the world, it is claimed.

According to Decanter magazine, the prices reached at the auction at Sotheby's in Hong Kong were "extraordinary", raising a total of HK$65.5 million (£5.2 million).

One parcel containing three bottles of Chateau Lafite 1869 was sold for HK$5.4 million (£437,900) - a world record for any wine at auction - while more recent vintages were bought at two or three times their normal trading price.

Michael Egan, formerly of Sotheby's wine department and now director of Bordeaux Wine Bank, told the publication that this auction has also highlighted the issue of provenance, especially with more fake Lafite being produced by fraudsters.

This sale of rare wines from its private collection marked Chateau Lafite Rothschild's intention to cement its place as the vineyard of choice for Asian buyers, as did the decision to place a Chinese symbol on all bottles of Chateau Lafite Rothschild 2008, which was announced last week.