S
otheby’s Wine in Continental Europe is delighted to present the second sale in our November auction series: Spectacular Cellars from Distinguished European Collectors | Finest & Rarest Wines.
This brilliant sale comprises 996 lots of marvellous bottles and ultra-rare large formats, sourced from some of Europe’s most esteemed cellars, with perfect provenance and stored in fully climate-controlled cellars. This is an exciting sale with all the world’s top Domaines and Châteaux represented with an incredible spectrum of vintages covering two centuries.
This remarkable auction starts with two very rare Methuselahs of Domaine de la Romanée Conti 1996 and 2007, benefiting from meticulous storage and provenance history, the property of two passionate collectors. Anyone with a penchant for wine will know that DRC wines are hard to come by, with a limited number of cases produced every year by this prestigious Domaine, even more in large formats, with only a handful of 6L bottles produced with both those numbered #000002.
Following this “outsize” start, we are treated to a private collection of the finest expressions of Burgundy with the most coveted and renowned Domaines including Armand Rousseau, Leroy, Coche-Dury, Arnaud Ente, Méo-Camuzet, Leflaive, Raveneau and Arnoux Lachaux. Bordeaux Classed Growths is well represented together with a twist of Rhône, iconic Champagne and other collectables from Europe.
It is a privilege as well to present a superb selection of the finest bottles of Bordeaux from two beautiful and ultra-modern distinctive cellars; the property of a family of great collectors and passionate oenophiles. Great wines are a gift from Mother Nature, and we are treated here with tremendous quantities of First to Fifth Classed Growths from the best vintages produced these past two decades. Saint-Emilion and Pomerol reign supreme too with prestigious properties such as Château Figeac, La Fleur Petrus and Vieux Château Certan in abundance together with rarities such as Le Pin 2005 in magnum. Offered in their original wooden cases in a large variety of different formats from half bottles to double magnums, these are two cellars to satisfy every wine lover.
Staying in Bordeaux, there is a sublime cellar to excite the most discerning tastes with an extraordinary focus on mature stocks. This collection allows access to some of the best vintages of the 80s and 90s with a clear focus on Domaines Barons de Rothschild with parcels of the famed Châteaux Lafite, Duhart Milon and the wonderful Château Rieussec, Premier Cru Classé Sauternes. The cellar also brings to light cases of the most prestigious Italian estates at perfect maturity with a great offering of Sassicaia, Solaia and Tignanello.
Further afield, we are thrilled to offer a spectacular range of Vega Sicilia, one of Spain’s legendary and longest-lived wines, consistently perceived as the one and only ‘First Growth’ of the Iberian Peninsula. Spanning two centuries, this collection includes some of the best vintages released by this illustrious property and the full trinity of Cuvées, Valbuena 5°, Unico, and the rare Vega Sicilia Unico Gran Reserva Especial are all present and mostly in original wooden cases,
Completing this very exciting auction, are a string of highly attractive collections with excellent provenance from Bordeaux to Burgundy via the Rhône region and beyond. Highlights include collections of Domaine de la Romanée Conti, parcels of Bouchard, Petrus, cult wines like Domaine de la Grange des Pères and Champagne gems such as Jacques Selosse; a treasure-trove for every discerning collector!
This is an outstanding sale that we are extremely proud to present with classic examples of top-drawer wines, fabulous formats and pristine provenance.
Read LessThe Domaine, as it is known, is iconic. Much more importantly, it also produces the most extraordinary wines in Burgundy - and it has been doing so for a long time. The generations responsible for the Domaine change, but the terroir remains. And these are very special vineyard parcels indeed, married to meticulous care and philosophy leading to low yields and healthy, ripe grapes, at whatever cost. From the 1990s, vineyard policy has been organic, with co-owner Aubert de Villaine monitoring everything with his usual attention to detail. Domaine de la Romanée-Conti wines evolve and develop dimensions in a way that resembles a mosaic – points of bouquet and flavor making up a harmonious whole that becomes more beautiful as it unfolds in the glass. Yes, these are hedonistic wines and yes, they are not like any other. The trick is in capturing what these remarkable plots of vines can give and letting them express themselves through minimum intervention and enlightened nurturing.
This beautiful cellar was assembled by an avid wine collector with a taste for the fine and eclectic, spanning First Growth Bordeaux, 1er and Grand Cru Burgundy, with a twist of Rhône and Champagne Icons. All the wines were recently removed from a temperature-controlled private cellar and purchased from reputable sources. The interests of this passionate collector are well-evidenced here, with representation across all the greatest Burgundy Domaines together with the most recent sought-after names.
The selection will satisfy every wine lover with a great offering of the most coveted and renowned Domaines including Armand Rousseau, Leroy, Coche-Dury, Arnaud Ente, Méo-Camuzet, Leflaive and Arnoux Lachaux.
Superb examples of the finest bottles of Bordeaux from the past two decades are well featured here with two beautiful distinctive and pristine, purpose-built and temperature-controlled modern cellars; The property of a family of great collectors and passionate oenophiles. All the wines were purchased directly from one of the most reputable and established Bordeaux Négociants. Both cellars will satisfy every wine lover from all over the world.
The first cellar (Lot 225-283) is a wonderful collection of Bordeaux comprising all the leading names and the best vintages produced between 2000 and 2010 with an impressive quantity of First Growths. Highlights include the now legendary 2000 and 2005 vintages with cases of Lafite and Mouton 2000 together with rarities such as Le Pin 2005 in magnum. This is evidently the cellar of a wine lover with true passion and extremely discerning tastes and a collection that is sure to have global appeal.
The second cellar (Lot 284-598) located further South in Europe is a tribute to the life and tastes of one of the late members of this family. The Classic taste of the late owner is obvious, with an impressive depth of Cru Classé Bordeaux on offer from the 1990s to 2010s, with an extensive representation across First Growths to Fifth Growths, together with an outstanding representation of some of the greatest Crus recently produced in Saint-Emilion and Pomerol. Beyond Bordeaux, we glimpse more of the collector’s tastes with a small selection of Super Tuscans and iconic Californian gems. Great vintages are a gift from Mother Nature and this collection has assembled some of the best wines produced in Bordeaux for the past decade in tremendous quantities with a large variety of formats from half bottles to double magnums.
From Bordeaux to Tuscany, via Burgundy and Champagne, a sublime cellar to excite the most discerning tastes with an extraordinary focus on mature stocks. With perfect provenance, the property of a noteworthy European family, this collection allows access to some of the best vintages of the 80s and 90s with a clear focus on Domaines Barons de Rothschild with parcels of the famed Châteaux Lafite, Duhart Milon and the wonderful Château Rieussec, Premier Cru Classé Sauternes. The cellar also brings to light cases of the most prestigious Italian estates at perfect maturity with a great offering of Sassicaia, Solaia and Tignanello.
Vega Sicilia is a name that resounds throughout the world, a vinous flagship for its country and a landmark for serious wine collectors everywhere. The wine is a true reflection of its region, climate and the area's oenological traditions. Ribera del Duero, with its affinity with the Tempranillo grape, its high altitude and its hot days and cold nights, is one of the world's classic wine regions. These treasures are part of Spain's patrimony and shining examples of what can be achieved when terroir and dynamism meet.
This cellar is the result of a wonderful story of a wine passionate with refined tastes who met the founder of Vega Sicilia, Don Alvarez Mezquirizat, at his very first path in the wine world. Decades later, it results with an astonishing collection of the Finest Vintages of Vega Sicilia, one of Spain’s most legendary and longest-lived wines
Spanning two centuries, this collection includes some of the best vintages produced by this illustrious property, consistently perceived as the one and only ‘First Growth’ of the Iberian Peninsula. The full trinity of Cuvées, Valbuena 5°, Unico, and the rare Vega Sicilia Unico Grand Reserva Especial are all present, with a sublime offering of those rare bottles in their original wooden cases with landmark vintages such as 1962, 1968 and 1974 together with rare magnums. Vega Sicilia stands the test of time as one of Spain’s most celebrated wines and is amongst the world’s greatest producers of age-worthy reds. Needless to say, this collection will capture the attention and excitement of the foremost collectors around the world.
Completing this very exciting auction, are a string of highly attractive collections with excellent provenance from Bordeaux to Burgundy via the Rhône region and beyond. Highlights include collections of Petrus, more Domaine de la Romanée Conti! Leroy, Comte Armand, parcels of Bouchard together with the famed “LA LA LA ‘s from Guigal and cult wines such as Domaine de la Grange des Pères, a treasure-trove for every discerning collector!
Champagne is synonymous with celebrations and with the end of year festivities around the corner, this sale has plenty to offer for every Champagne enthusiast from a large selection of the finest bottles from Maison Taittinger to Champagne Salon with a rare cuvée S vintage 1990, to the Finest bubble of Maison Krug and Louis Roederer together with rising stars such as Jacques Selosse.
