A passionate wine enthusiast is parting with some bottles from his magnificent cellar. We interviewed the collector to find out how he curated this collection of prestigious bottles.
Journey with us into this collector’s breathtaking cellar, and believe us, a vertical of Mouton Rothschild never fails to take our breath away. Each and every one of these bottles, from 1955-2012, has been carefully stored and cleaned year in year out.
If you enjoy the elegance, aromatic complexity and intensity of 1855 Crus Classés, the greats like Châteaux Margaux, Latour, Pichon Longueville Comtesse de Lalande, Haut-Brion and many more await your bid. His collection of Right Bank wines is equally stunning, with Cheval Blanc, Figeac and Clinet. As for dessert wines, you will find several different interpretations of Sauternes for sale. From 1989 through to 2008, this is your opportunity to explore each of the different facets of the extremely complex wines. You will enjoy the mature Sauternes for their hints of candied fruits, citrus rind and mushrooms. Lay down the younger wines in your cellar, unless you’d prefer to drink them now and enjoy their vibrancy and freshness.
Burgundy is also present in this sale in the form of wines from Domaine de la Romanée-Conti, Noëllat’s Vosne-Romanée, and several other Grands Crus. Heading further south, towards the Rhone, and stop by Côte-Rôtie to try Jean-Michel Gérin’s wines.
This connoisseur’s passion for golf took him to the four corners of the world, where he also visited countless vineyards: Opus One in California, Vega Sicilia in Spain, Almaviva in Chile…
We asked the collector to tell us about his love of wine and his collection.
When and how did you start creating your cellar?
It started quite by chance, with some friends taking me along to auctions and encouraging me to collect bottles. For me, the joy of wine is that of being able to share it with friends. I therefore combined that with my passion for golf and travelling, all the while expanding my knowledge and collection. Bekaa valley in Lebanon, California, Dubai… I wasn’t a specialist – nor have I become one – but I got a taste for it.
How did you store your bottles? What did your cellar look like?
First of all I had to dig a cellar, which took around three weeks. Every 3 years I take an inventory of my bottles, and every year I clean all of my bottles. As your colleagues will have seen, the bottles are in immaculate condition.
When it came to filling my cellar, I was lucky enough to be well-placed and in contact with château-owners, and therefore had access pretty much all over. That allowed me to collect of 1,000 bottles of Grands Crus. I also enjoyed collecting wines from Château Mouton-Rothschild. My wife and children therefore each have a bottle in the vintage of their birth-year.
What are your favourite regions?
Given that I’ve travelled widely, I’m open to all regions. I do have a preference for Bordeaux wines, but as a matter of fact, the occasion and the person I’m sharing the bottle with is the most important thing for me. If you say “Château Coutet 1955″ to me, I can tell you that I drank it in Berlin with a friend. Someone sitting behind us was looking intently at the bottle so we invited him to share it with us.
Which bottles are you most proud to have in your collection?
There are many, but most of all, the Grands Crus La Tâche and the Romanée Saint Vivant from Domaine de la Romanée Conti, which feature in this sale. I bought them duty-free on my way back from a trip to London.
Why did you choose to sell your wines through iDealwine?
I’ve been convinced that the internet is the future for a while now, even for the world of wine. Unfortunately, I think that the Place de Bordeaux – with whom I’ve worked for years – is becoming obsolete. I turned to iDealwine when I saw employees from the Place de Bordeaux using your price estimates.
How would you describe your experience with iDealwine so far?
I’m very satisfied with my experience so far. I’ve been in contact with professionals who know their trade and everything was very well-organised. I’ll have a better idea after the end of the auction but for now I’m confident.
To conclude, do you have any advice for people wanting to sell their wine?
Start by being curious, and don’t forget that wine is a vector of friendships. It’s above all important to buy good products, go to cellars, meet people and ask lots of questions.
The iDealwine team would like to thank this generous, passionate oenophile for the time he gave us between a golf competition and a vineyard visit in Marocco!