From Charlie Trotter’s cellar to yours? It could happen

Ever wonder what happened to the wine cellar at Charlie Trotter’s? Maybe it will be moving to your house. If you’ve got a very big house. And a lot of money to spend on wine.

The well-respected Chicago restaurant closed after 25 years in September and since then there has been speculation in the wine world about what would become of its massive wine cellar, deep in treasures for deep-pocketed wine lovers.

Turns out the cellar, or at least some of the highlights, will be auctioned off in a pair of events in the next few weeks. First, there will be a live auction Nov. 16, then an online-only auction that runs Nov. 20 through Dec. 4. Total sales are expected to total more than $1 million. [UPDATED: The story originally said the online auction was only Dec. 4.]

But you want names, right? How about a bottle of 1945 Mouton-Rothschild (estimated at $3,000 to $4,000), a methuselah of 1996 La Tâche (estimated between $14,000 and $20,000), or a case of assorted other Burgundies from Domaine de la Romanée Conti (estimated at $15,000 to $20,000). Compared to those, the case of 1999 Leroy Clos de Vougeot seems downright reasonable ($6,000 to $9,000). California isn’t ignored: There’s a signed magnum of Manfred Krankl’s 2000 Sine Qua Non “In Flagrante” (estimated at $500 to $700).

Feeling lucky? For more information, visit the website of the Christie’s auction house.

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