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Spectrum Wine Auctions Next Auction September 24 & 25 in Beverly Hills and Hong Kong

Powell Yang Joins Spectrum Wine Auctions as Director of Consignments

Spectrum Wine Auctions Realizes Over $3 Million in June

Rare 'Judgment of Paris' winner for sale at Spectrum Wine Auctions

Aubrey McClendon Collection Part II and The Historic Collection of Dr. George Primbs Attract Furious, Sustained Bidding throughout the Evening; World Record Set

“We are tremendously gratified by the results of the Spring Auction,” enthused Greg Roberts, CEO of both Spectrum Wine Auctions and its parent company Spectrum Group International, a Fortune 500 company. “The two anchor consignors gave us two truly impressive collections to offer buyers. Combined with the sumptuous settings of Charlie Palmer’s restaurant and the Conservatory at Crown Wine Cellars in Hong Kong, this and the generally stronger market translated to strong sales of both individual lots and overall.” Boisterous, capacity crowds gathered in the two live auction venues, and telephone and online bidders from around the world joined in the action. In addition to wines bidders brought themselves, Spectrum sampled numerous wines and champagnes during the auction, including Mouton Rothschild 1983, Chateau Leoville Las Cases 1983 and Chateau Lynch-Bages 1985; 1996 Dom Perignon Brut Rose and a generous tasting from Napa Valley vintner David Johndrow’s JV Winery.

Case quantities of Burgundies and Bordeaux again claimed many of the top ranks in the auction, with the strongest showings coming from the leading French estates. Lot 613, a full case of 1971 Domaine de la Romanée Conti Romanée Conti set a new world record—selling for an impressive $122,488.

The auction’s selection of 1982 Chateau Lafite Rothschild proved that Bordeaux retains enduring appeal for buyers, as did other memorable offerings including Lot 225 (a 1961 Château Petrus) and Lot 47 (a 2000 Château Latour), both at $16,730. While the venerable Domaine de la Romanée-Conti and other Burgundies and Bordeaux claimed many of the highest realized prices, some other gems sparkled among the blue-chip sales. The performance of Lot 645, the 1961 Jaboulet Hermitage La Chappelle, shows that smaller names can still pull big numbers. Another example, Lot 685, six bottles of 1997 Gaja Gromis Conteisa Cerequio, sold for $1641, well above estimate, on the strength of its 98-point Robert Parker rating. Lot 710, a mixed lot of 2005 Sine Qua Non “17th Nail in My Cranium” and “The Naked Truth” (both 100-point wines), sold for 40% above estimate, realizing $3555; a 95-point lot of 2005 “Petition,” Sine Qua Non’s white blend, nearly doubled its estimate.

“The setting and service of Charlie Palmer’s restaurant set a new stage for the California auction,” noted Keston, who put in a terrifically entertaining, nearly ten-hour session at the hammer in California. “Along with great wine, our clients were treated to a stunning array of small bites throughout the evening, finishing with champagne and cookie plates until the wee hours of the morning."

Full auction results for each lot are available from the Spectrum Wine Auctions web site: www.spectrumwine.com. The Company will keep an archive of all the photos of the lots (including the unique 360-degree photos that represented many of the 858 lots) and prices realized on the site indefinitely.

With the year’s first live auction just completed, Spectrum Wine Auctions is already turning its attention towards the future. They have scheduled their Summer Auction for June 25 in California and June 26 in Hong Kong. In the meantime, they conduct about two online auctions each month.

Live Online Bidding for The November Live Auction will begin November 21, 2009 at 5PM PST.

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Pre-Bid now on all the auction lots. Click here to view the auction lots.

Buyers in Southern California and Hong Kong Come Together To Celebrate, Purchase Fine Wines

The Spring Auction Features Several Consignors
Including The Aubrey McClendon Collection Part II and The Historic Collection of Dr. George Primbs

Irvine, CA, March 18, 2010 – After a stunning success in 2009 for their very first live auction and multiple online auctions each month since last July, new auction house Spectrum Wine Auctions has confirmed dates and locations for their first live auction of 2010, another global event. The auction takes place simultaneously on Saturday, April 24 at Charlie Palmer at Bloomingdale’s South Coast Plaza in Costa Mesa, California, and on Sunday, April 25 at Crown Wine Cellars in Hong Kong. The auction will present more than 850 lots, which includes collections of two anchor consignors: The Aubrey McClendon Collection Part II and The Historic Collection of Dr. George Primbs.

“We’re carrying our momentum from last year forward into The Spring Auction,” said Spectrum Wine Auctions CEO Greg Roberts. “Both buyers and consignors responded positively to our pre-auction practices of providing a single estimate for each lot, as well as our unique 360-degree photos of many of the lots.”

“The auction will be live and truly synchronized to our two luxurious locations, with auctioneers and video simulcasts at each,” Roberts added. “Charlie Palmer is one of Orange County’s most amazing destinations for fine dining and wine, and we are also very happy to return to Crown Wine Cellars, a historic venue that is widely acknowledged as one of the world’s finest wine cellar facilities and a center of the Hong Kong wine world. Each location will provide our bidders with the ultimate fine auction experience.”

The two principal consignors for this auction represent two ends of the spectrum. On the one hand is Aubrey McClendon, one of the greatest American wine collectors and co-founder and CEO of Chesapeake Energy Corporation (NYSE:CHK) in 1989, one of the largest US natural gas producers.

McClendon was a voracious collector. Spectrum’s director of sales and consignments Mario Sculatti said, “Aubrey cuts to the core of what’s important in collecting. He collects the best vintages in depth of cases and large format sizes, approaching his collecting seriously and methodically without being tempted by lesser vintages.” Wines from McClendon’s vast collection formed the backbone of Spectrum’s 2009 auction, which brought in nearly $3.5 million overall with 100% of lots sold.

On the other hand, Santa Barbara resident, community leader and winemaker Dr. George Primbs has quietly been collecting wine for half a century. Dr. Primbs co-founded and is chairman of the board of Surgical Eye Expeditions (SEE), a charitable organization that provides worldwide medical, surgical, and educational services through volunteer ophthalmic surgeons with the primary objective of restoring sight and transforming lives. He serves as a researcher at the Neuroscience Institute at UC Santa Barbara; clinical professor of ophthalmology at UCLA; and president and medical director of the Santa Barbara Eye Foundation. He also was in private ophthalmology practice in Santa Barbara from 1962 to 1995. He received a commendation from Santa Barbara County in December 2009 for his more than 40 years’ service to the residents.

Dr. Primbs’ love of wine began in North Africa, when he performed charity surgery there. He recalls, “For my surgery the Europeans gave me wine for payment in gratitude, albeit unsolicited by me." He began collecting in 1959. “Once you become a collector, you seek more and more. It’s human nature to acquire those things you value and now I call them my Liquid Assets! I share with my friends and their birth years are in my collection, so we have a great time looking through my cellar. When I share a rare wine with my tasting buddies I appreciate their appreciation as they also share with me. It is a very satisfying human social thing.” Dr. Primbs plans to use some of the proceeds realized from the sale to conduct diabetes research.

Amanda Keston, Spectrum’s director of client services, is bullish about the Spring Auction. “The wine-auction market has turned the corner,” she explained in a recent interview, “both with interest from American and particularly Asian collectors.” Hong Kong has recently overtaken London as the world’s second largest auction market, she added. “Our goal is to keep the auctions lively and exciting. We combine the thrill of the sale with entertainment and education,” she continues. “It’s fun if you have waves of wine coming out for everyone to try. At the November auction, we had endless amounts of champagne throughout the evening, and we poured some bottles of Lafite, Latour, and Haut-Brion, just to make it more of a celebration.”

Total Realizations = $3,454,944.

Thank you for participating in our inaugural wine auction.

McClendon is considered by many in the wine world to be the greatest American wine collector, having built an extensive collection highlighted by the best vintages of French Bordeaux, as well as a deep collection of impressive Napa and Burgundy selections. “The Aubrey McClendon Collection” offered by Spectrum Wine Auctions in November will feature more than 3,000 bottles. McClendon co-founded Chesapeake Energy Corporation (NYSE:CHK) in 1989, which today is one of the largest producers of U.S. natural gas, where he currently serves as chairman of the board and chief executive officer.

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“Fine wine buyers have a once in a lifetime opportunity to buy rare and normally unavailable vintages and formats as well as have a chance to own wine pedigreed to one of the greatest wine collectors in history,” said Greg Roberts, chief executive officer of Spectrum Wine Auctions, and president and chief executive officer of parent company, Spectrum Group International. “Historically, our auction experience in other collectibles such as coins and stamps is that collections pedigreed to great collectors almost always trade for premiums down the road. This is an exceptional buying opportunity.”

A special element of the auction is an interview granted by McClendon conducted on August 13, 2009, by Mario Sculatti, director of sales and consignments for Spectrum Wine Auctions, which is viewable at www.spectrumwine.com. The interview presents a rare and exclusive look into the interests and philosophies of this great collector, and finishes with Mr. McClendon signing an Imperial of 1990 Lafite Rothschild that will be offered during Spectrum Wine Auctions’ November 21 auction, with commissions earned to be donated to charity on behalf of Mr. McClendon and Spectrum Wine Auctions.

McClendon’s collection features a diverse assortment including many grand format bottlings. “While I have a lot of 750s, I think the most distinctive part of my collection is the large format bottles,” he said. “And the reason for that is that when I first saw an Imperial of wine… I said to myself, this is a work of art. This is beautiful. And it’s approachable. It’s sharable. It’s understandable, and at the end of the day it’s consumable. A primary collecting goal of mine has been to hunt for top-notch 6-liter bottles of wine over time.”

McClendon also offers his thoughts on collecting, which are shared by many collectors of fine wine: “Like anything in life, if you’re going to enjoy something you really ought to try to enjoy, I think, the best of the particular pleasure that you’re seeking, and so I would encourage people to go after the best wines,” said McClendon. “Because at the end of the day, when I have found myself hosting a business dinner, or a family function, or a group of my friends… I want them to experience a first-class wine experience. I want them to remember it for the rest of their lives, just as I remember some of my very first bottles of wine, as well. So I would encourage people to go for the best.”

“It has been both educational and inspirational to have spent time with Aubrey enjoying his passion for wine as well as gaining insight into his business philosophy and his history building Chesapeake into one of the largest independent oil and gas companies in the country,” Roberts concluded.

“Aubrey cuts to the core of what’s important in collecting,” added Sculatti. “He collects the best vintages in depth of cases and large format sizes, approaching his collecting seriously and methodically without being tempted by lesser vintages. It was an honor to sit with him and learn about his genuine passion for wine, and any collector whether new or seasoned, will benefit from his words.”

Highlights from “The Aubrey McClendon Collection” include:

Chateau Latour
The rarest bottles of Latour offered in the auction, two bottles of 1945 Latour with outstanding fill levels. Also, 36 bottles of the legendary 1959 vintage. Chateau Latour is a glorious producer, and these gems are true treasures indeed.

Chateau Lafite Rothschild
Possibly the most prestigious lot in the entire sale is a full original wood case of 1959 Lafite Rothschild, a rare treasure indeed. Twelve bottles of 1982 Lafite Rothschild in the original wood case is another amazing highlight. There are a total of 16 full original wood cases of the famous 1998 Lafite. Many other full cases and large format bottles of Lafite are sure to gain attention.

Chateau Petrus
One of the most coveted wines in the world, the diamond of Pomerol. The auction presents three bottles of 1959 Petrus, 45 bottles of the esteemed 1995 Petrus, and banded original wood cases of the newest vintages as well.

Chateau Cheval Blanc
One of the greatest big bottles in the sale is a 6-Liter of 1982 Cheval Blanc in original wood case. A stunning trophy for the collector.

Chateau Mouton Rothschild
The Pauillac estate is legendary and almost needs no introduction. The largest concentration of big bottles in the auction featuring 1.5-liter magnums, 3-liter double magnums, 5-liter Jeroboams and 6-liter
Imperials, including some from the 2000 vintage. The weight and variety of Mouton Rothschild in the November sale is exceptional.

Chateau Haut Brion
One of President Thomas Jefferson’s favorite chateaux in all of Bordeaux, Haut Brion is another shining light of the November sale presenting 26 bottles of the 1959 Haut Brion. Other highlights include the perfect 1989 Haut Brion in 6-liter Imperial.

Screaming Eagle
A selected parcel of Screaming Eagle includes original full wood three-packs of many vintages. Two magnums are being offered, the 1993 and 1998 vintages, an incredibly rare format for this cult Napa Valley cabernet sauvignon.

Harlan Estate
A true American First Growth property, Harlan Estate is a prominent feature in the November auction, including a depth and breadth of Harlan’s greatest vintages: 1994, 1997, 2001 and 2002, in bottles and magnums. Spectrum Wine Auctions is pleased to offer more than 350 total bottles of Harlan Estate in the sale.

Chateau Pavie
The 2000 Pavie from St. Emillion is considered by many to be one of the greatest wines of the 2000 Bordeaux vintage, and possibly ever made by Pavie. The November auction offers 108 bottles of this one wine, nine lots in original wood cases.

Chateau Palmer
1959 Palmer in 375ml half-bottles. The auction offers three original wood cases originally shipped by négociant Mahler-Besse from Bordeaux. Each 24 half-bottle case is piece of history, with every bottle wrapped in a natural straw sheath.

Spectrum Wine Auctions is scheduled to host its premiere live auction on Saturday, November 21, 2009, anchored by The Aubrey McClendon Collection. The McClendon interview is viewable at www.spectrumwine.com, and complete auction schedule and details will be posted in the coming weeks. Interested parties are invited to call 888.982.1982 for additional information and questions.

Joining the Spectrum Wine Auctions Team of Experts
Spectrum Wine Auctions is pleased to announce that Amanda Keston has joined the company as director of client services. Her extensive experience in wine auctions includes Zachys Wine Auctions where she successfully led the organization’s West Coast Operations for more than five years. An expert in developing client relationships and planning world class events, Keston brings a wealth of experience and an eager group of new buyers to the Spectrum Wine Auctions team. Prior to Zachys, Keston worked for internationally recognized high-end retailer Harry Winston, and auction house Christie’s, where she facilitated the sale of millions of dollars in luxury goods such as jewelry, art and antiques, while also refining her palette for fine wines. Keston holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in art history from University of California at Santa Barbara, and she is very active in Los Angeles based charities, including holding a position as young council member of Lupus L.A.