The collection is comprised of 818 lots in total. Some contain just one bottle, and others have between three and twelve. The over 4,200 bottles in total are worth $2.8m. They belong either to Prince Robert of Luxembourg himself, or to his friends and family and will be auctioned in New York on 21 May at a sale organised by Sotheby's.

The auction house promises a “unique opportunity for wine collectors to bid on a very rare selection from the personal cellars” of Prince Charles of Luxembourg's son. Renowned for his Bordeaux empire, he is the head of the Domaine Clarence Dillon company.

Bottles of Château Haut-Brion from 1908, 1918, 1919, 1924 and 1926, or the first classified growths of Château Lafite will be on sale. Values range from 141 to 179,692 per bottle, according to Sotheby's estimates.

For medical research

The board of the Clarence Dillon Estate, without the participation of Prince Robert, added donations, such as a Bordeaux experience for six, worth between €10,000 and €15,000, or a Parisian evening for four at La Cave du Château and Clarence, worth between €10,000 and €15,000. Other wineries have also added to the sale with several donations.

The funds raised will be donated to research on treatments and a cure for mitochondrial disorders. This will be done via the PolG Foundation, which was set up by the Prince himself with his wife, Julie. “In our family, there is a life before 26 July 2016 and a life after”, they explain. On that date, they learned that their son Frederik, who was 14 years old, had a mitochondrial disease. This disorder robs the body's cells of energy, causing several organs to malfunction. A rare disease that affects one in 5,000 people worldwide and for which there is no known cure. In Frederik's case, it is a mutation of the PolG gene. Hence the name of the foundation, which was set up five years after the diagnosis.

Although the auction, which the Prince plans to attend, will be held in New York, it is possible to participate remotely. Sotheby's say it can be done “online, via a Sotheby's staff member on the phone or by leaving a purchase order.” . The sale is due to start at 10am in New York, which will be 4pm in Luxembourg. It could last “about eight hours”, Sotheby's adds. It is possible to bid live, or to propose a price in advance. New bidders must register at least 24 hours before the auction.

This story was first published in French on . It has been translated and edited for Delano.