You’ll have undoubtedly seen all sorts on our blog during the confinement period, from our team’s favourite recipes to our tasting notes, and from creative inspiration to more technical articles. Now the time to call for your solidarity and generosity has arrived. If you’re still looking for a way to help the carers who are risking so much to keep us safe, this is something that it bound to get you interested. And for good reason! From Monday 27th April, we will be holding a charity auction of fine wines and beautiful bottles. This auction will close on 7th May, when the money will go to the workers helping all those affected by the current coronavirus crisis. It goes without saying that this is something that is affecting us all. Here is how the project has been put together.
This all began just before Easter weekend. Our CEO, Cyrille Jomand, had returned to the iDealwine warehouse to put together a nice assortment of bottles with the aim of putting these aside and selling them specifically to help a cause to do with Covid-19. Quite quickly, in contacting various people about the project, it grew into something that would take a much more significant form. Karine Valentin, who needs to real introduction, so well known is her journalistic and tasting talent, introduced Angélique de Lencquesaing to the photographer Mathilde de L’Ecotais, one of the founders of the ProtègeTonSoignant collective, a movement that has seen great success on social media in France. If you aren’t familiar with this project, take a look at their website and follow the hashtag. There you will find a wonderful team of exceptional people who are working incredibly quickly and efficiently to identify and support the needs of hospitals and carers. These needs are, at present, immense (as we can all appreciate), and are likely to be even more so as the crisis wanes, since the health care world is having to fight on all fronts to eradicate this virus. Donations are being accepted on the site Leetchi.
As the project began to take shape, it saw immediate success, with over 100 properties responding generously to Karine and Mathilde’s call for contributions. They succeeded in appealing to the good will of wine makers across the country, with some really fantastic responses from all over. In Bordeaux, Quentin Maydieu, who works for our maison de négoce LMGV, managed to convince several of his contacts to join the project in just a few days. Dartess coordinated the collection and delivery of wines to the iDealwine warehouse in Colombes, where some of our expertise team came back to receive the donations and prepare the catalogue. Photographed and integrated into the sale, each bottle or case is taken care of by another of our partners, Gamba&Rota, who will deal with the orders before sending them to the auction buyers. La Maison du Whisky, well recognised by spirits specialists, sent an exceptional bottle of 35-year-old Port Ellen from 1982. And the Association des Sommeliers de Paris also got involved, offering some magnificent bottles like a Montrachet from Domaine Jacques Prieur and a Montlouis from Taille aux Loups. The catalogue includes some real marvels that might be just the thing for celebrating the end of our confinement…
An exceptional catalogue
You’ll have to wait until the afternoon of the 27th to start placing your bids, but here is a taste of what will be on offer to get your mouth watering. Some of the lots will be divided up, and you’ll be able to see the estimate price for each one. But each lot has a starting price of €1!
The biggest Bordeaux names are making an appearance, from premiers crus classés (Lafite Rothschild, Cheval Blanc, Figeac, Petrus and Angélus) to our firm favourites (Haut-Bailly, La Conseillante, Lynch Bages, Domaine de Chevalier), and without forgetting some fantastic Sauternes (Yquem, Climens, Fargues) and plenty of treasures from the rive droite (Château Siran, Haut Carles, Canon Pécresse, Fonplégade, Grand Corbin Despagne…). Note the number of large formats, with several magnums as well as giants like the Salmanazar (9 litres!) from Domaine de la Solitude.
The Champagne houses have shown themselves to be particularly generous, with names like Drappier, Henriot and Gosset offering big bottles as well as unfindable vintages such as the 1985 Dom Ruinart rosé in magnum format. Rare bottles are legion here, including the Charlie cuvée from Charles Heidsieck and Pommery’s Cuvée Louise, passing via the magnificent champagnes from Philippe Gonet.
With other great names from Burgundy (Maison Bouchard, Marquis d’Angerville, Bichot), Alsace (Bott-Geyl, Deiss), the Loire, and Languedoc-Roussillon, as well as plenty of rosé cuvées to enjoy in the sun, there are myriad wonders to discover in this auction. And if you’re still unsure, why not take a look at the selection put together by iDealwine, including bottles from Sassicaia, Clos Rougeard, Rostaing and Trimbach.
We want to help those who are caring for us at such a difficult time as best we can, so we’re counting on you to be generous.
