This auction is bound to produce unforgettable tasting experiences…Get ready for the festive season with fine, mature wines, old spirits, and stars from far-flung places.
In honour of our recently concluded world tour, let’s start, for once, abroad. You will find the finest wines of Italy’s Piedmont region in our auction. A mature Barolo or Barbaresco offers a unique tasting moment, delivering a charming bouquet of forest floor, leather, rose and raspberry, as well as incredible depth. There are some magnificent expressions of Nebbiolo waiting for you with, among others, a 1958 Barolo from the Mascarello domain, 1961 Barolo Riserva from Giacomo Morra, and old Barbarescos from the emblematic Angelo Gaja. The biggest Spanish names are also ready to be enjoyed, with Vega Sicilia from 1990, 2000, 2003 and 2008. The ‘new world’ isn’t without its legends either. In the United States, Opus-One is the fruit of a prestigious collaboration between Mondavi and Philippe de Rothschild: you can find the 2001 and 2015 vintages here. And from South Africa, Klein Constantia’s prestigious Vin de Constance is a wine to savour at the end of a meal and is available in its 1997 vintage.
As you know, our selection of spirits has been growing as of late. This auction offers the crème de la crème of whisky, for example. The star of the catalogue is a Balvenie 50-Year-Old Whisky from the Banffshire Distillery, produced by David C Stewart, one of the most renowned figures in the world of whisky. And don’t miss out on some mature Japanese whisky from the distilleries of Karuizawa and Ichiro.
Let’s return to France and its classic wine regions. Looking to Bordeaux, 2000 Mouton-Rothschild, 2000 Haut-Brion, 1999 Latour and 2000 Pontet-Canet are all within your reach. Or if you prefer the meatier, fruitier Merlots from the Rive Droite, its most emblematic wine, Petrus, is available in numerous, fine vintages (2009, 2015, 2016…), as well as other great domains at more accessible prices! To change the tone a bit, it would be a mistake not to highlight a rare cuvée ‘spéciale’, Jean-Luc Thunevin’s 2000 vin de table L’Interdit de B…N T…N. During the 2000 harvest, having decided to protect one of his vineyards from the rain with special tarpaulins (an action that went against the norm of the Saint-Emilion Grand Cru appellation), he lost the Saint-Emilion name, thus the choice of ‘interdit’ (forbidden).
In Burgundy, taste the nobility of Pinot Noir with some mature icons such as the 1961 Musigny Vieilles Vignes from Domaine Comtes Georges de Vogué, the 1991 Chambertin from Armand Rousseau, and the 2000 La Romanée from Comte Liger Belair. As for the region’s white wines, you will find expressions of the legendary Montrachet from Domaine de la Romanée-Conti, Etienne Sauzet and Bouchard Père et Fils. Other big names are present, such as Coche-Dury and Arnaud Ente.
The end of the year is always a lively time for the team at iDealwine, who organise salons and tasting sessions in France and beyond. Get yourself ready for the festive season with our vintage Champagnes – you will find an illustrious collection comprising a 1959 Dom Pérignon, 1979 Krug Collection, a 1976 Bollinger R.D. and a Roederer 1961 Cristal. Our Rhône catalogue is equally as exceptional. Let yourself be tempted by Jean-Louis Chave’s 1999 Hermitage, Paul Jaboulet Ainé’s 1990 Hermitage-la-Chapelle, Côte-Rôtie La-Mouline de Guigal in a bevy of vintages, and a Cornas by Alain Verset, nephew of the Cornas legend Noel Verset. Much further south, there are Châteauneuf-du-Pape in white and red, from Château Rayas, in 1989-2007 vintages.
The other winemaking regions of France also hold some lovely surprises. Clos Rougeard, Dagueneau and Nicolas Joly in the Loire, Ganevat, Domaine des Miroirs and Overnoy in the Jura, Zind-Humbrecht in Alsace, Clos des Fées (La Petite Sibérie) in Roussillon, and Trévallon in Provence…This is a non-exhaustive list of the stars and gems available in our first auction of December – come and have a look to find the perfect bottle for you!