A Treasure of Taste and Time: Bonhams to Auction the Legendary Cellar of Hostellerie Jérôme
In the steep streets of La Turbie, a small village perched above the French Riviera, a two-Michelin-starred restaurant has long stood as a beacon of culinary devotion. Hostellerie Jérôme, helmed by chef Bruno Cirino, has drawn diners from around the world not just for its refined, terroir-driven cuisine, but for a wine cellar whispered about among oenophiles—a hidden archive of France’s liquid history. Now, that cellar is coming to light.
Bonhams has announced The Legendary Cellar of Hostellerie Jérôme: The French Riviera’s Gastronomic Heritage, a global auction series that will see some 25,000 bottles from the restaurant’s fabled collection offered to collectors in Hong Kong, Paris, and London. The sales—slated to begin in Hong Kong this November before continuing through April 2026—will present what specialists describe as “a living encyclopaedia of French viticulture,” spanning Bordeaux, Burgundy, Champagne, and the Rhône Valley.
For decades, Cirino’s cellar has been regarded as one of the most carefully curated in France, built not for spectacle but for precision: each bottle chosen to harmonize with his cooking, which balances Mediterranean brightness with classical rigor. “The wines were selected not as trophies but as partners,” one Bonhams specialist notes. “They reflect an understanding of how a sip can elevate a dish—and how food, in turn, can honor a vineyard.”
The opening Hong Kong sale focuses on Burgundy, offering a roll call of the region’s most coveted names: Domaine de la Romanée-Conti, Domaine Leroy, Armand Rousseau, Georges Roumier, J.F. Mugnier, and Coche-Dury among them. The ensuing Paris and London legs will continue the exploration, with Bordeaux first-growths, Champagnes from Krug to Salon, and rare Rhône vintages from Guigal and Chave.
To collectors, the allure of the Hostellerie Jérôme cellar lies not just in provenanceProvenanceThe documented history of an object's ownership, origin, and authenticity, particularly important for classic cars, watches, art, and wine. Strong provenance can dramatically raise an item's value, and collectors andGo to Provenance Glossary, but in purpose. These bottles were never amassed for investment—they were served, studied, and lived with. Many bear the quiet patina of service in Cirino’s dining room, where the ritual of pairing was central to the experience.
The sale, then, is less a dispersal than a celebration—a chance for connoisseurs to share in the same dialogue between cuisine and viticulture that defined Cirino’s restaurant. In an age when luxuryLuxuryA lifestyle defined by exceptional quality, craftsmanship, exclusivity, and sophistication, encompassing the finest products, services, and experiences that represent the highest standards of refinement and excellence.Go to Luxury Glossary so often feels detached from craft, this collection represents the opposite: the patient work of a chef and his sommeliers, building a cellar not of status symbols but of sensibility.
When the first corks are raised in Hong Kong on November 22, it will mark not just an extraordinary auction but the closing of a chapter in Riviera gastronomy. What remains—like the wines themselves—is enduring proof that the best cellars are not built merely to impress, but to inspire.
The auction begins on November 7, with the Hong Kong auction kicking off the series of three auctions (including one in Paris and London) on November 22. More information here.