The owner of prestigious Burgundy estate Domaine de la Romanee-Conti has revealed the reason why he keeps such a tight control over distribution.

Speaking to the Drinks Business, Aubert de Villaine said that tight control over where his wine goes allows him to set prices which, although they are high, are within reach of collectors and those who enjoy the wine itself.

"It is very important for me that people are able to buy the wines and drink them. To do that there has to be a tight control with distribution," he said.

He adds that this represents a contrast to the way things work over in Bordeaux, explaining: "The Bordelais don't do that, the wine goes through various hands and high prices are the result."

Romanee-Conti is currently the hottest property in the Chinese wine auction market, where interest in the top Bordeaux estates such as Chateau Lafite Rothschild, Chateau Mouton Rothschild and Chateau Latour has transferred to a demand for Burgundy.

Such interest means that Romanee-Conti is now selling for very high values at auction, but the Mr De Villaine insists his estate will retain control over pricing.

"You do see our wines selling for astronomical amounts in China and elsewhere, but they're very small amounts and bought at auction. We will always set our own prices," he told the publication.

These high prices have made Romanee-Conti a prime investment opportunity, but the estate owner has word of warning for anyone looking to make a quick buck out of its wine.

"We would rather they were not just investment wines but you can't escape it of course," he said.

"If, however, we caught someone putting wines into an auction one or two months after buying them, we won't sell to them ever again."