Caveat Emptor...?

One of the final chapters in the story of Rudy Kurniawan (news) is unfolding over the next couple of weeks, as the US Marshals Service sells 533 lots of wine recovered from his collection online via Texas auction house Gaston & Sheehan .

You're pardoned if you don't know the story of Rudy Kurnaiwan, who might once have been a serious wine collector, but somewhere along the way began to enhance his collection with wines that were never made (like 26 vintages of Domaine Ponsot from the Clos St. Denis Grand Cru, before Domaine Ponsot made any, or 8 magnums 1947 Château Lafleur--3 more than were produced in the vintage), and bottles he re-filled. He sold many of the phony bottles to sophisticated collectors through trusted auction houses and he used the "value" of his collection to obtain loans that supported a lavish life style and his own extravagant auction purchases---presumably of legitimate wines. He's spending the next ten years in prison.

Among the eye candy offered in the auction are a several lots of a wine that caught my eye, and is by Kurniawan's standards, everyday stuff-- $38 Liberty Bay Cellars Merlot. I wonder, was this wine part of the recipe, along with the labels, glue, ink pads and color printers that Kurniawan used to create fraudulent famous wines?

The wines offered at auction have been vetted by pros, but so were those sold at the famous auction houses, for millions. Gaston & Sheehan include in their FAQ about the auction a note that 548 bottles were determined to be counterfeit.

So, are you buying a Christmas treat at this auction?