A case of Domaine de la Romanee Conti 1988 parted ways with its owner for £74,750 at a recent Bonhams auction in London, which drew in a total of more than £910,000.

The strong international bidding presence contributed to the success of the sale, which also saw a 59-bottle vertical of Chateau Mouton Rothschild from 1945 to 2004 sold for £52,900, as well as five cases of Chateau Lafite Rothschild 1986 for £16,300.

Richard Harvey MW, head of Bonhams Wine Department, said it was the auction house's best wine sale ever at the New Bond Street site.

"The broad base of buyers, and their geographical spread, from Europe, the Americas and the Far East, indicates that stability should remain in the fine wine market and contradicts talk of a bubble," he said.

In Hong Kong recently, a sale by Spectrum Wine Auctions garnered nearly £4 million overall, with highlights including a case of Chateau Lafite Rothschild 1982 for £49,000.