Introduction by Serena Sutcliffe, M.W,
It is a privilege, accompanied by much emotion, to introduce the final sale of one of the great private cellars in England, the collection of the late Adrian Bowden. He was a very dear friend, with whom we had a great deal in common, and his love of wine was a joy. He was also an astute judge of wine, with distinct preferences and a real sense of intrinsic quality. Above all, Adrian’s infectious enthusiasm enhanced every bottle we shared and we feel that he will somehow approve of other wine devotees discovering the extraordinary treasures that he amassed, after leaving us too early but with irreplaceable memories. His widow and family have lovingly cared for these wines, in the very best conditions, and now his children will find their own favourites and form their own tastes.
Adrian Bowden was a tall man with great presence and he loved wines with both stature and personality. So all these wines are the best of their kind, made by the greatest producers and from those stand-out vintages of enormous beauty and character. Where Bordeaux was concerned, Pomerol was a particular passion and that is reflected here with some wonderful wines – although happily he did consume many of them, which is the whole point of being a wine lover! The First Growths and Super Seconds are very much present and in stupendous vintages, such as 1982, 1986, 1989 and 1990. These are what the French call Les Incontournables and they exist in this sale in full cases of both bottles and magnums. Adrian was a magnum man and I share his opinion that it is the ideal size. This selection is just Perfection, a Sleeping Beauty of pristine Bordeaux just waiting to be consumed by connoisseurs everywhere. That would give much pleasure to Adrian Bowden who was very well travelled with friends in all the continents.
Burgundy received the same care and attention and the growers were all individually chosen, in the relevant shining vintages. It is now rare to see complete cases of top mature Burgundy, such is the demand and the limited quantity.
Adrian Bowden was an early admirer of the very best Rhône wines and somehow the tremendous power and force of flavour of these wines suited such an imposing man. Hermitage was a leitmotif of this part of the cellar, with both Chave and Paul Jaboulet Aîné vying for attention and comparison. He also loved Côte Rôtie and Châteauneuf du Pape and knew exactly where to find the best of the genre….
Dinners in the country often ended with majestic Vintage Port, so Fonseca, Graham, Warre and Taylor are all here, in vintages that can be opened right now.
The ne plus ultra of this stupendous collection lies perhaps in the town cellar, where there was a plethora of truly exciting bottles, lying nearby for those urban gatherings of wine-loving friends. Starry Burgundy and Bordeaux, often from years hardly seen now, are there to surprise us – Mouton 1945, Margaux 1953, Pétrus 1971, DRC Echézeaux 1959 and La Tâche 1952 are but examples. And then, a case of Montrose 1990 and two cases of magnums of Lafite 1990, so it pays to scrutinise this sale with special care.
We are honoured to bring to auction this final part of Adrian Bowden’s formidable collection of wines and, personally, I shall always think of him with gratitude for his friendship, his generosity and his sheer love of life.
Serena Sutcliffe, M.W.
Honorary Chairman, Sotheby’s Wine
This Collection, which is wholly Duty Paid, was recently removed from two cellars. One was at a truly beautiful country house. The other was at an address in an extremely elegant part of London. Both locations are meticulously temperature controlled. Those of us at Sotheby’s Wine Department who were lucky enough to make successive visits to these cellars well remember how carefully the cases were arranged, each in its proper place, and the timeless quality of the environment. Bottles inspected one decade ago were unchanged when re-examined the following decade. The excellent condition of the bottles and magnums shown here is a testament to the irreproachable storage conditions.
The bottles were bought from a handful of highly reputable UK wine merchants, often indicated on the original packaging, each a specialist in his field. The wines have never been moved since original purchase.
Here we have a golden opportunity to explore the difference in the ageing process between bottles and magnums. The Sale starts with examples of both from all the First Growths, led off by a bottle of Lafite 1955. The first amongst equals here is perhaps the splendid bottle of Mouton 1945. The Super Seconds follow closely behind. Léoville Lascases spans two full decades, from 1970 to 1990. The five full cases of Pichon Baron are counter-balanced by the 8 full cases of Pichon Lalande, including the 1982 in bottle and magnum. And on it goes – Cos d’Estournel, Montrose, La Lagune, Lynch Bages, each available in the 1982, 1986, 1989, or 1990 vintage. Sometimes all four!
The right bank features heavily. A single case of Ausone 1982 introduces a swathe of Angelus from 1989 and 1990. The usual suspects are lined up: a clutch of Magdelaine and Le Tertre Roteboeuf, La Conseillante and Evangile. We regret to inform you that the Lafleur 1986 and 1988 is only available in magnum!
The Bordeaux terminus is the Sauternes selection and here the Yquem stands out, from a bottle of 1955 to a full case of the 1986.
We are then amongst the Burgundy, and it is evident that Mr Bowden was just as passionate and focused here as he was with the Bordeaux. Domaine de La Romanée-Conti is first up, with a rarely seen bottle of La Tâche 1952. We meander through the vineyards to end up with 3 bottles of Grands Echézeaux 1985. In this section, the Collection has been organized alphabetically by grower and the next jaw-dropping moment is supplied by Musigny from Joseph Drouhin. There is, inter alia, a full case of the 1990.
Repeating themselves through grower after grower are the great blockbuster vintages of 1990 and 1993. The Charmes Chambertin 1993 from Dujac vies for your attention with the Musigny 1990 from JF Mugnier. Both are overshadowed (at least in terms of estimate!) by Mugnier’s Chambolle Musigny, Les Amoureuses 1993. And that still isn’t the summit. The Mount Everest, if you will, is a full dozen of the Chambertin, Clos de Bèze 1993 from Armand Rousseau.
After a whistle-stop tour of Champagne comes the Rhône section, starting with a great slab of Beaucastel, available in full cases from 1978, through the 1980s and onto the 1990 vintage. Bringing up the rear, inevitably, is a small offering of the hugely sought-after Hommage à Jacques Perrin. We are then greeted by an equally impressive array of Côte Rôtie, including La Turque 1986 and 1991 from Guigal, the 1990 from Jamet, too rarely seen at auction, and the Côte Blonde 1990 and La Landonne 1985, both from René Rostaing.
Glorious Hermitage Rouge from Jean-Louis Chave is next, offered in ten full cases and in great condition. Seeing these bottles together induces an almost dream-like trance and is sure to appeal to collectors everywhere. Who can resist the 1990, available in bottle and magnum?
Paul Jaboulet Aîné’s Hermitage, La Chapelle completes the selection, again with no fewer than 10 cases in a tightly curated run of vintages from 1985 to 1990.
Even now, the treasure chest is not exhausted. Whites from Germany and Alsace are followed by venerable Vega Sicilia and Napa wines, before we end up with benchmark Port, featuring a bottle of Croft 1945 and another of Taylor 1948. Even here, large formats intrude, in the form of 6 magnums of Fonseca 1977.
This amazing selection of wines is the labour of love of a truly great collector. They rarely come to market in these quantities and in such great condition.
James Reed
Director
