David C. Frederick, a lawyer for Greenberg, said in an e- mail that “we’re gratified by the court’s ruling” to reduce damages and reject the claim for attorney’s fees.
Belle Epoque
Koch filed suit in 2007 alleging Greenberg, founder and chairman emeritus of Scient Corp., defrauded him when he falsely promoted his wine collection as “the Best of the Best,” claiming that some bottles dated to the Belle Epoque, a era that preceded World War I.
The brother of conservative Tea Party founders David Koch and Charles Koch, Koch is the founder of West Palm Beach, Florida-based Oxbow Carbon & Minerals LLC.
The suit was one of several filed by Koch against wine consignors and auction houses that he said sold counterfeit wine.
Wines at issue in the Greenberg case included a purported 1864 Chateau Latour bottle, which Koch bought for $14,160, and two 1950 Chateau Petrus magnums he bought for $20,060 each.
The case is Koch v. Greenberg, 07-cv-09600, U.S. District Court, Southern District of New York (Manhattan).