When Laurent Fortin, Honorary Consul to Ukraine for the Nouvelle Aquitaine region and owner of Château Dauzac, made an appeal for donations, the wine world responded with speedy and heartfelt generosity. In partnership with him, we’re pleased to host an auction for these lots on our site, a sumptuous selection accepting bids until the 15th of April…and all for a good cause.
In recent weeks, Laurent Fortin has focussed all of his energy into a solidarity both mindful and practical with the Ukrainian people. A winegrowing Bordeaux-dweller, it came naturally for Laurent to ask his neighbouring vignerons for a helping hand to raise funds for the Ukraine Amitié association. The response was impressive, especially in such a short space of time, with a final harvest comprising 300 different lots! Featured alongside classic bottles are some fittingly generous imperials, jeroboams, and magnums, and all proceeds from this sale will be donated to the charity in question.
Exceptional vintages
Some of Bordeaux’s most classic estates have donated their prestigious wares to the charity auction, starting with the star of Sauternes, Château d’Yquem, whose sumptuous elixir features here in its 2005 vintage. From Pauillac, Château Lafite Rothschild appears in an impressive magnum format of the same vintage. Among the other big names from this appellation, you’ll find Châteaux Pontet Canet, Pichon Lalande, and Lynch Bages. Heading further north in the Médoc, to Saint-Estèphe, Château Meyney has donated a double magnum of its 2015, as has Château Phélan Ségur.
From Pessac-Léognan, Smith Haut-Lafitte might well take your fancy with a 2009 magnum. If you’re feeling even more generous, how about a 2016 imperial from Château Malartic Lagravière? A whole host of Saint-Julien signatures feature, too, with Léoville Barton, Léoville Poyferré, Talbot, and Gruaud Larose all waiting for your bids. Château Saint-Pierre’s 2015 vintage is also an excellent bottle to be kept in the cellar.
On the other side of the river, the choice is equally as dazzling. Châteaux de Ferrand, Fleur Cardinale, Faugères and Peby-Faugères fly the flag for Saint-Emilion, and Pomerol has Le Bon Pasteur and Bourgneuf as its fine representatives. Other treasures include Haut-Carles in Castillon, and François Mitjavile’s L’Aurage.
Large formats
This auction is all about altruism, so what better opportunity to bid on a bottle big enough to share plentifully. Château Dauzac – the property at the heart of this initiative – leads by example with several double magnums of its 2017 vintage. Following in Dauzac’s footsteps are a range of estates from the Margaux appellation, including Châteaux d’Issan, Siran, Giscours, Kirwan, Brane Cantenac, Lascombes, du Tertre, and Cantenac Brown. There’s no stinginess here, with double magnums, jeroboams, and imperials all incorporated into the illustrious mix.
After a bottle with a lower estimated value? No worries, there are plenty of these, too, including in large formats! We recommend looking at La Tour de Bessan, La Ribaud, La Cardone, de Villegeorge, Arsac, du Retour, and Cantemerle. Similarly, the catalogue is full of tempting second wines like the Tourelles de Longueville and Clos du Marquis. And this isn’t everything!
What about other regions?
From the Rhône, it’s the Côte-Rôtie appellation that stands out, with six bottles of Guigal’s famous La Landonne in its 2015 vintage. Further south, the biodynamic Domaine des Aurelles (Languedoc) has donated a whole host of magnums from 2005 and 2007. Crafted under the Provençal sun, you’ll find the fine rosés of Château la Bégude in double magnum format, as well as an imperial from Terrebrune, both of which would be sublime on a summer evening. Top picks from Champagne include Billecart Salmon cuvées in their 2007 and 1990 vintages, and Burgundy’s Romanée-Conti has a place here too, since a 2003 La Tâche was generously donated by a client.
Something truly special
Among the gorgeous lots that go beyond the joy of even a prestigious bottle is an overnight stay at Saint-Emilion’s Château Edmus, where a magnificent suite between the vineyard and the winery makes for an idyllic getaway. If you’re more of a Loire fan, Ivan Massonnat of Domaine Belargus is inviting the winning bidder to a butterfly walk at the estate, where they’ll taste Belargus’ wine before attending the Paulée d’Anjou gala dinner. And the cream of the crop? What would you say to a perfectly unforgettable week touring Bordeaux’s very best estates in the company of Jane Anson and Sarah Kemp? The Connoisseur Week’s glittering itinerary features guided visits, exclusive tastings, distinguished lunches, and delectable dinners at Châteaux Lafite Rothschild, Margaux, Haut-Bailly, Lafleur Petrus, Troplong-Mondot, and two more surprise Saint-Emilion estates. It’s a wine-lover’s dream trip, and it could be yours!
