In this auction, closing on the 10th and 11th June, the selection available ranges through a time span of two whole centuries. A way of experiencing some of the finest moment in France’s winemaking history.
With just a bottle opener and a bit of imagination, a good mature vintage can transport you through time. When I’ve had the opportunity to open an old bottle, there’s been a certain ritual to it. The bottle is brought up from the cellar, held like a precious trophy; the thin layer of humidity is oh-so-gently wiped away so the label can be seen; the cork is taken out carefully, almost in slow motion, to make sure it comes out in one piece; it’s shared around the table with a meal, keeping the bottle on its side to avoid disturbing the wine inside. Then, with my nose in the glass, I close my eyes and imagine…incredible to think that this wine hasn’t come into contact with oxygen until this very moment. Looking at the vintage year, I wonder what the world was like when the wine was made. What was the wine maker like? How did he dress? What has really changed since the bottling of this cuvée?
A beautiful Bordeaux selection
This time around, we have almost 900 lots from Bordeaux. Undoubtedly exceptional is the Maison Duclot case which includes bottles from Haut Brion, Latour, Margaux, Mouton Rothschild, Mission Haut Brion, Yquem, Petrus, Cheval Blanc and Lafite Rothschild…enough dreamy bottles to keep you going for quite some time! We also have a lot of two bottles from Petrus in the super 1989 vintage, as well as Château Beychevelle from 1998. Château Lafite Rothschild saw a particularly good vintage in 1982, and we have some that are waiting to be snapped up! If you’re more into whites, the 1998 Château Smith Haut Lafitte might be just the ticket, a unique opportunity to taste one of Pessac-Léognan’s finest white wines at a very mature stage.
Burgundy and the Rhône
From Burgundy, we have a magnificent selection including the 1961 Musigny grand cru Vieilles Vignes from Domaine Comtes George de Vogué. Meursault’s Coche-Dury makes an appearance with two lots of its 1994 Corton Charlemagne. And we couldn’t forget, legend of legends, a 2010 bottle of Romanée-Conti grand cru from Domaine de la Romanée-Conti.
From the Rhône Valley, lots from Guigal are bound to find a home – with La Moulie, La Turque, Ex Voto…the difficulty will be in choosing! From Chapoutier, why not go for an Ermitage Le Pavillon from 1990? Alain Voge has a Cornas Vieilles Vignes from 2006, and yet more recent is the 2010 Côte-Rôtie from Jamet, a gastronomic wine that will be unforgettable.
Thing big!
Some of these bottles are not only the finest vintages but also in large formats! From Burgundy, there’s a magnum of 2007 Montrachet grand cru from Maison Bouchard Père & Fils, or from the Côte de Nuits we have a magnum of Romanée grand cru from Domaine du Comte Liger-Belair in the 2000 vintage. From Bordeaux, an exceptional magnum from Château Brane Cantenac marked the end of the first world war. And a 2010 imperial from Château d’Yquem must be the cherry on the cake, a magnificent vintage for Sauternes’ dessert wines. From the Côte du Rhône, don’t miss out on several magnums from Anglore, in both red and rosé. And further south in the region is a magnificent double-magnum of 2007 Châteauneuf-du-Pape Clos Saint-Jean La Combe de Fous from Pascal and Vincent Maurel.
See the auction page for the full selection – happy bidding!
