(AFP) - A weekend sale of rare French wine returned $14.5 million, making it the year's biggest wine auction and underlining Hong Kong's status as a leading wine market, according to the auction house. The two-day auction by US house Acker Merrall & Condit featured the Don Stott Collection, considered a "reference library of great Burgundy", the organisers said on Monday. With 98 percent of the lots sold, the intense interest in the premium French vintages demonstrated the strength of Chinese demand for high-end luxury goods despite the eurozone crisis and rising inflation at home. "Highly competitive bidding was witnessed throughout this two-day landmark auction, which reflected the escalating demand and passion for fine Burgundy wines in the global market," Acker Merrall & Condit said in a statement.