A cellar of memories and milestones: the collection of Aki Asami

Every great wine collection tells a story. Some reflect a pursuit of rarity, others a quest for perfection or an appreciation for investment-grade bottles. The story behind The Asami Collection is different. Built over more than two decades, it is a collection shaped by friendships, family milestones, and an unwavering commitment to provenance.

This November, Christie’s will present The Distinguished Cellar of Mr. Aki Asami, a Single Owner Sale comprising over 1,060 bottles assembled by Japanese collector Aki Asami. At its heart are 422 bottles of Domaine de la Romanée-Conti, alongside exceptional holdings of Harlan Estate, Promontory, Champagne, Bordeaux and other world-renowned producers. Yet the significance of the collection lies not only in what is in the cellar, but in how those wines came to be there.

‘Every great collection reflects the life of its collector,’ says Asami. Few collections embody that idea more completely.

A collector defined by provenance

For Asami, collecting was never about chasing the latest market trends or acquiring bottles through speculative trading. From the outset, he focused on establishing direct relationships with producers, official importers and trusted distributors.

A holder of the Japanese Wine Expert qualification, Asami approached wine with both intellectual curiosity and long-term discipline. Over the years, he developed rigorous standards regarding provenance, storage and documentation. Purchase records, allocation letters, receipts and professional storage records have accompanied the wines throughout their journey.

In an increasingly globalised fine-wine market, where provenance has become one of the most important determinants of value and authenticity, this commitment forms the foundation of the collection. ‘Provenance above everything’ became a guiding principle. The result is a cellar distinguished not merely by its contents, but by the clarity and continuity of its ownership history.

Building one of the most remarkable DRC collections in Asia

At the centre of the collection stands Domaine de la Romanée-Conti, the Burgundian producer widely regarded as among the greatest in the world.

For many years, Asami acquired DRC wines directly through Fines, Suntory’s fine-wine company and the estate’s official Japanese importer. Supported by longstanding relationships with senior Suntory leadership, this developed into an extraordinary annual allocation programme that gave him access to approximately one hundred bottles in many years. The scale of his holdings is remarkable: 422 bottles in total, including 57 bottles of Romanée-Conti itself, one of them a Magnum. The collection also encompasses La Tâche, Richebourg, Romanée-Saint-Vivant, Montrachet, Échézeaux and Grands Échézeaux.

Yet for Asami, the importance of these wines extends beyond rarity. The true significance lies in the uninterrupted chain of provenance. DRC wines supplied through official importer channels were not necessarily accompanied by elaborate presentation cases or marketing fanfare. Their value came from certainty: a direct path from producer to importer to professional storage. It is a philosophy that runs through the entire collection.

A meeting that changed the course of a collection

If Burgundy became the foundation of the cellar, California provided one of its most personal stories.

Around fifteen years ago, Asami met Will Harlan, son of founder Bill Harlan and now managing director of the family domaine, during a visit to Japan. At the time, Asami was serving as Vice Chairman of Barclays Capital Japan, following fifteen years in Goldman Sachs’ Investment Banking Division. In 1996, he completed an MBA at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, with a concentration in Financial Engineering.

What began as a conversation between two people passionate about wine soon developed into something far more significant. During their meeting, Asami spoke candidly about his admiration for Harlan Estate, a wine he considered the finest expression of American winemaking. That enthusiasm clearly resonated.

Following the meeting, Asami was invited to join Harlan Estate’s Founder’s List, a distinction documented in formal estate correspondence and offering priority access to allocations. Over the following fifteen years, he acquired Harlan Estate continuously, including regular six-bottle allocations and Magnums. The relationship also led to his participation in the Promontory Founder’s List from its earliest releases, including Magnums.

What makes this chapter particularly compelling is its organic nature. The collection was not assembled according to a predetermined strategy. It grew through genuine relationships, mutual respect and a shared appreciation of great wine.

The vintage that means the most

Among thousands of bottles and countless memorable vintages, one year occupies a singular place in Asami’s story – 2006. It was the year his daughter Erika was born.

To commemorate the occasion, Asami acquired two complete barrels at the 2006 Hospices de Beaune charity auction: one barrel of Corton-Charlemagne Grand Cru and one of Beaune Premier Cru. Through an introduction from the vice principal of the Académie du Vin, he was connected with the late Simon Bize and his Japanese wife, who arranged the special production and bottling for the Asami family.

These were not ordinary purchases. The wines were specially produced and bottled for the Asami family, with Erika Asami’s name appearing on the labels. Bottled in formats ranging from standard bottles to Double Magnums, they became lasting records of an important moment in family history. The Corton-Charlemagne carries particular significance: under these unique circumstances, only one barrel was produced by Simon Bize.

The collection’s connection to 2006 does not end there. Also preserved in the cellar are four 3-litre bottles and four 6-litre bottles of Cristal 2006, retained in their original presentation cases.

Together, these wines transformed a vintage into a milestone. They represent something larger than rarity or prestige. They are tangible reminders of a daughter's birth and of a collector's desire to mark life's most meaningful moments through wine.

‘What makes Aki Asami's cellar so compelling is the discipline and purpose behind it,’ says Michelle Chan, Head of Wine and Spirits at Christie’s Asia Pacific. ‘Built over two decades, it reflects not only his enduring friendship with celebrated producers and commitment to provenance, but also a deeply personal journey shaped by family and life's milestones. As Christie’s celebrates 60 years of Wine and Spirits globally, it is especially meaningful to present a collection with such a distinctive story.’

A philosophy of restraint

Many great collections gradually diminish as their owners open bottles to celebrate milestones, entertain friends or accompany memorable meals. What makes The Asami Collection particularly unusual is how intact it remains.

Asami attributes this to a personal principle that may surprise many wine lovers. He never brought bottles from his cellar into restaurants. Instead, he believed in supporting restaurants by choosing wines from their own lists. This respect for the hospitality industry meant that the collection remained largely untouched in professional storage, first through specialist facilities and later through long-term custody arrangements.

The approach demanded patience and restraint, but it also preserved the integrity of the cellar. Today, the collection stands as an unusually complete record of a collector's journey.

A new chapter in a collector’s journey

In 2026, the collection reached an important turning point. The catalyst was not market conditions, changing tastes or a desire to realize financial value. It was family.

With Erika entering her first year of medical school, Asami chose to offer the collection assembled to date as a whole through a Single Owner Sale. Even as his relationships with producers and future allocations continue, the sale marks a carefully chosen transition. The decision reflects the same values that guided the collection’s creation. Built patiently over decades, these wines deserve to be understood as more than the sum of their parts. Viewed together, they tell a story about friendships formed, opportunities earned, milestones celebrated and passions pursued. Presented as a cohesive whole, the collection preserves its narrative.

For collectors, wine often represents much more than what is in the glass. It can be a record of places visited, friendships forged and moments worth remembering. In the Asami Collection, the DRC holdings speak to decades of trust and access; the Harlan Estate and Promontory allocations reflect relationships that began with a single conversation; the Hospices de Beaune bottlings commemorate the birth of a daughter; and the Champagne, Bordeaux and California wines trace the evolution of a collector's tastes over more than twenty years.

As the collection comes to auction, Asami's hopes extend beyond achieving strong results. He wishes for future owners to understand the story behind the bottles and for the collection's legacy to continue long after the auction concludes.

The Asami Collection is not simply a sale. It is a defining chapter in an ongoing pursuit of great wine, and an invitation for a new generation of collectors to become part of its story.