Conditions of Sale Relating to Wine and Spirits Sales

1. Buyer’s premium is charged at 17% plus VAT (20.4%) of the hammer price. 12% plus VAT of hammer after £150,001
2. VAT. (*) indicates that VAT is payable by the purchaser at the standard rate (20%) on the hammer prices as well as being an element in the buyer’s premium. See “Commission Charges” for further details. Buyers will pay a live bidding charge of 3% of the hammer price if lots are successfully purchased online. Normal buyers premium apply.
3. Bidding will be at Duty Paid prices other than for those lots marked “IN BOND”.  For Commission Bidding see “Conditions of Sale” no 10.
4. Description of the lots: Descriptions, ullages and conditions of wines are described as correctly as possible at the time of the publication of this catalogue. Purchasers of old wines must assure themselves regarding ullage levels, labels etc. No returns will be accepted.
5. Vintages: Where a vintage cannot be ascertained from a label, it may still be noted based on cork branding, cellar records or other corroborating evidence including other lots from the same source.
6. Condition Reports: Images of the majority of the lots for the purposes of condition can be viewed online at www.dreweatts.com and should be referred to prior to bidding.  It is the responsibility of potential buyers to obtain any additional information (if any) on lots on which they intend to bid. Catalogue descriptions are for reference as to the contents of a lot and should not be relied upon as a statement as to the condition of a lot.
7. Options to buy parcels. Where multiple identical lots are offered for sale they will appear consecutively in the catalogue. The purchaser of the first lot will be offered the option to purchase some or all remaining lots in the parcel at the same price, unless the Auctioneer directs otherwise.  Commission bidders on such lots are advised to leave their bid on the first lot in a parcel.
8. Each lot shall be at the Purchaser’s risk from the conclusion of the auction until payment and collection are made.
9. Bottle sizes are 75cl unless otherwise stated in the lot description.

Viewing:

All wine and spirits are stored off-site.  Images of lots for the purposes of condition can be viewed online and should be referred to prior to bidding

Buyer’s premium
Buyer’s premium is charged at 17% plus VAT (20.4%) of the hammer price.  For more details, please see Conditions of Sale Relating to Wine and Spirits Sales (overleaf).

If bought in bond no excise duty or clearance VAT will be charged on the wine.

To buy in bond, please request this in writing prior to the sale. Buyers who do not do so will be invoiced duty paid (duty at prevailing rates will be added to the hammer price of the lot and VAT at the current rate will be charged on the whole amount). These charges will not be cancelled or refunded by Dreweatts. VAT will be added to the buyer's premium on lots whether or not they are bought in bond.

Storage & collection of wine
Wine and spirits offered for sale via Dreweatts are stored via Bid for Wine at EHD Bond in Sunbury-on-Thames, Middlesex.  Collection is from EHD Bond (not the saleroom). 

Bid For Wine

c/o EHD London No 1 Bond Ltd
Unit E
Dolphin Estate
Windmill Road
Sunbury-on-Thames
Middlesex TW16 7HE

Collection: A minimum of 48 hours written notice is required for collection of lots. Lots can be collected Monday – Friday (between 9am – 4.30pm) subject to payment having been received by Dreweatts. Please contact Dreweatts to arrange payment and schedule the collection: tel: + 44  (0) 20 3291 2831, e-mail: wine@dnfa.com.   Please note that EHD are not able to deal with customers directly.

Delivery: Lots can be delivered to buyers via EHD’s delivery service.  Delivery arrangements should be confirmed when settling your account with Dreweatts. Please contact Dreweatts for a delivery quote.  

Storage: Storage charges will apply for any lots not collected within 10 days of the sale: £2.50 per lot fixed charge and £0.20 per week or part week thereafter. Please note for large consignments there may be additional charges. These charges will be the sole liability of the purchaser and will be billed directly to them by Bid for Wine. 

Conditions of Sale Relating to Wine and Spirits Sales

1. Buyer’s premium is charged at 17% plus VAT (20.4%) of the hammer price.
2. VAT. (*) indicates that VAT is payable by the purchaser at the standard rate (20%) on the hammer prices as well as being an element in the buyer’s premium. See “Commission Charges” for further details.
3. Bidding will be at Duty Paid prices other than for those lots marked “IN BOND”.  For Commission Bidding see “Conditions of Sale” no 10.
4. Description of the lots: Descriptions, ullages and conditions of wines are described as correctly as possible at the time of the publication of this catalogue. Purchasers of old wines must assure themselves regarding ullage levels, labels etc. No returns will be accepted.
5. Vintages: Where a vintage cannot be ascertained from a label, it may still be noted based on cork branding, cellar records or other corroborating evidence including other lots from the same source.
6. Condition Reports: Images of the majority of the lots for the purposes of condition can be viewed online at www.dreweatts.com and should be referred to prior to bidding.  It is the responsibility of potential buyers to obtain any additional information (if any) on lots on which they intend to bid. Catalogue descriptions are for reference as to the contents of a lot and should not be relied upon as a statement as to the condition of a lot.
7. Each lot shall be at the Purchaser’s risk from the conclusion of the auction until payment and collection are made.
8. Bottle sizes are 75cl unless otherwise stated in the lot description.

General abbreviations used in this catalogue

IB -Stock lying In Bond. Duty and VAT are payable at the prevailing rates should you wish to take delivery of the wine.
Bt – Bottle

Hf bt – Half bottle
Mag – Magnum

OWC – Original Wooden Case
OCC – Original Cardboard Case
OC – Original Case

Further abbreviations are used in relation to the level of wines for Bordeaux style bottles:

Into Neck (IN): Considered a 'perfect' fill level for any wine.

Base of Neck (BN): This is an excellent fill level and suggests that a wine has been very well stored.

Very Top Shoulder (VTS): A fill level of 'VTS' would be usual for a wine around 10 years old.

Top Shoulder (TS): Common fill level for wines of 15-20 years of age. Would suggest good storage throughout lifetime of wine.

High Shoulder (HS): A common level for wines over 20 years of age. May suggest some loss or evaporation from the bottle.

Mid Shoulder (MS): May be a cause for concern if a bottle is less than 20 years old.

Low Shoulder or Below (LS): May be indicative of poor storage.  Suggests that a wine may not be drinkable.