Immortal Vintages | 200 Years of Bordeaux

Live Auction: 17 April 2026 • 12:00 PM EDT • New York

S otheby’s Wine is proud to present Immortal Vintages | 200 Years of Bordeaux, a live auction drawn from the personal collection of an avid collector. The sale showcases a staggering array of Bordeaux, led by vintages of Château Lafite Rothschild spanning three centuries. Top highlights include 3 pre-phyloxera Lafites from the legendary 1865 and 1870 vintages, never moved until the 70s, along with 1945, and 1959 in formats ranging from bottle to Imperial. True gems such as 1947 Château Cheval Blanc and 1961 Château Palmer, in magnum and double magnum respectively, speak to the depth and careful curation of this remarkable offering.

The collector’s passion is evident throughout, defined by an uncompromising commitment to sourcing only the finest examples, with impeccable provenance and exceptional condition at the forefront. His storage is no different, with a meticulously built temperature controlled cellar leaving no detail overlooked. The result is a cellar that not only captures the history and greatness of Bordeaux, but also offers rare opportunities for both the discerning collector and the connoisseur seeking wines of true pedigree and distinction.

The auction will close live on April 17th, with lots beginning to close at 12:00 PM, at Sotheby’s Breuer Building on Madison Avenue and 75th Street in New York City.

It is always especially heartwarming for me when a fellow winelover is also a truly creative person as, I feel, there is close kinship with the wondrous agricultural product that is wine and the cultural, creative spirit that enhances our lives.   The owner of this sensational collection is a great example of such a rewarding combination of talent and passion.

The wines from this cellar are mythical - and I do not use this word lightly.   There are vinous myths from the long-distant past and others from more recent years we have lived, but the qualifying factor is the sheer brilliance of both vineyard and winemaking skill.   When you taste it, you know it.

Bordeaux is the touchstone for this winelover and he pursued his fascination for the subject with dedication and knowledge.   So the bordelais stars of the last century (and the one before!) were hunted down and acquired from perfect sources.   They were enjoyed to the maximum and now we are lucky enough to be able to bring those that remain to an international audience who appreciate the best.

It is almost invidious to pick out the brightest in the firmament, but the justifiably legendary Lafite 1865 and 1870, the latter in magnum, might whet the appetite - or palate, to be more accurate.   I, perhaps increasingly, feel that Lafite has the greatest longevity of all the mighty First Growths and the Lafites in this sale certainly give one the chance to test this theory to the full, from the 1945, the magical 1953 and 1959, the on-song 1982, or the stunning 1989 again experienced the other day.

In fact, to be totally honest, we juxtaposed this formidable 1989 with another fabulous First from this vintage, Mouton Rothschild.   What heaven that was, with Mouton showing in all its glory.   In reality, this whole sale is a mouth-watering opportunity to have comparative wine dinners with friends, looking at the characteristics of each bottle and seeing them evolve and glow in the glass.   One could do it with Haut Brion and La Mission, Latour and neighbouring Léoville Lascases, Margaux 1982 and 1983 (endlessly intriguing), or take the rare opportunity of seeing four decades of the luscious Trotanoy.

And then there are the glittering large formats, led by an Imperial of 1959 Lafite and Jeroboams of 1961 Latour and 1959 Haut Brion, followed by superlative Pichon Lalande 1982 in both Double Magnum and Jeroboam (two of the latter!).   There is also Palmer 1961 in Double Magnum, perhaps the best way now to see the absolute splendour of this wine. Oh, and there is a Magnum of Cheval Blanc 1947.... 

And, as for Haut Brion 1945 - my memories of this go back to finding a stash of it in the Dordogne, decades ago, and deciding that it really was, and remains, a landmark beverage.

The Bordeaux line-up fans out to every top area of the region, finally alighting on a breathtaking array of Yquem.   Every time I drink Yquem (which is not often enough, surprisingly), I find my vocabulary is stretched still further.   Its beauty and complexity can silence the room.   Here we start with the 1921 - and continue to fly.   Perhaps 1937 and 1947 would make a heavenly marriage, or 1949 and 1959, or 1967 and 1975 - do not even bother about food!

There is a majestic selection of Vintage Port that should not be missed, from Noval 1931 to perhaps comparing Fonseca and Taylor's 1948 - I should prefer Taylor's 1945 (don't ask!), but I am still working on it.   And there are shining gems from Germany in small quantity, but in vintages that are eternal.

We are indeed honoured to bring this collection to auction and wish all who take these wines into their own cellars the greatest of pleasure.

Serena Sutcliffe, M.W.
Honorary Chairman, Sotheby's Wine

This magnum of 1870 Lafite is distinguished not only by its rarity, but by its exceptional provenance from Glamis Castle, one of Scotland’s great historic estates and the ancestral seat of the Earls of Strathmore and Kinghorne. The castle’s cellars were maintained with meticulous care over generations, as evidenced by original bin labels and detailed cellar books recording the purchase of 48 magnums of 1870 Lafite in 1878.

Provenance from Glamis carries particular weight in the world of fine wine. The cellar achieved legendary status following the landmark Christie’s 1971 sale, where bottles were discovered still resting in their original bins, untouched for decades. These wines had benefited from remarkably consistent storage conditions, and tastings at the time confirmed their extraordinary preservation—most notably, magnums of 1870 Lafite that were described as nothing short of perfection at over a century of age. Such history firmly establishes Glamis as a source of wines of both impeccable care and proven longevity.

The Château Lafite 1865 is one of the most legendary and important pre-phylloxera wines ever made in Bordeaux and by Lafite. The Lafite 1865 is characterized by a very deep color and concentrated nose. When first released, the 1865 vintage was already one of the most expensive wines of the period.

Very rarely seen in auction and extremely rare to find in this condition and provenance, this bottle of 1865 was originally from the cellar of Sir George Meyrick and remained untouched until 1970. According to auction catalogs, Sir George Meyrick’s impressive wine cellar included 9 dozen bottles of Lafite 1865 lying in the Meyrick family estate in North Wales. The contents of the cellar were then sold in auction for the first time in 1970, which included this present bottle.