Sotheby’s London To Sell One of the Greatest Private Cellars of Top Bordeaux
Sotheby’s London is to offer one of the greatest private cellars of top Bordeaux to come to auction. The two-day sale on Wednesday, 26 and Thursday, 27 October 2011 comprises some 5,500 bottles, 730 magnums, 500 double magnums, 229 Jeroboams and 240 Imperials. Housed in an exquisitely designed Continental property, this collection was amassed over two decades by a successful entrepreneur and philanthropist. Of pristine quality, each bottle has benefited from impeccable state of the art underground storage. The 1475-lot sale is estimated to realise in excess of £2.1 million. Commenting on the collection, Serena Sutcliffe, MW, Worldwide Head of Wine at Sotheby’s, said: “Sales such as this do not occur very often, when all the necessary criteria of quality, provenance and condition all come together to create a perfect buying opportunity. When this is combined with quantity, variety, desirable vintages and a mind-blowing range of formats, we know that we have to bring the collection to the attention of everyone who is fascinated by fine wine, wherever they are in the world. The owner of this collection has enjoyed many wines from his cellar but, as sometimes happens, he has found that he has more wine than he needs. He is a perfectionist who bought en primeur from the best sources and then stored his wines in optimum conditions – in this case, also in surroundings of architectural beauty. It was awe-inspiring to inspect and pack up this remarkable collection of wines, eliciting thirsty gasps as the process unfolded. As we saw favourite wines and Holy Grail wines, virtually all in original wooden cases, it was obvious that this was something special.” The collection features one of the most comprehensive collections of First Growth Bordeaux Sotheby’s has ever offered at auction, with vintages from 1955 to 2004. The selection of large format bottles will entice collectors with the extra-youthful taste of the wines and their ability to age in superb style. Together with the proliferation of the First Growths, there is a wonderful collection of top Bordeaux châteaux that are ‘snapping at the heels’ of the Premiers Crus in terms of quality and consistency, often with a built-in advantage of great value. www.sothebys.com