From classic Bordeaux to Iconic Burgundy, sought after Rhône, treasure trove from Italy and Spain to a large selection of shining stars from California and Australia, this sale showcases la crème de la crème with a vast array of iconic producers and remarkable vintages from the past 8 decades. It is a vintage journey where brilliant vineyards from the old words meet New Word Wines gems in generous fashion. All wines have been stored professionally since original purchase through reputable UK Merchants or Sotheby’s. All cautiously estimated and inspected by Sotheby’s experts.

A fantastic journey around the Globe of iconic wines

Vinous Voyage

Vineyards of Distinction

A wonderful line-up of extraordinary vintages produced the past 60 years starting with the legendary 1961 vintage, to a large offering of sought after Classed Growth and right bank superstars in a variety of formats from the 1980s, 1990s and 2000s including iconic 1st Classed Growth Château Haut Brion and La Mission Haut Brion 1989, powerful Cheval Blanc 1998 to now iconic Lafite and Mouton Rothschild 2000 to great monuments for laying down, such as the fabulous 2005, 2009 and 2010 along with parcels of the most recent vintages of 2018-2020, all reasons for living.

1961–2020: six decades of exceptional clarets

Bordeaux The Great

Exceptional Clarets

A brilliant array of Burgundy with a great selection of rarities including assortment cases of Domaine de la Romanée-Conti, Domaine and Maison Leroy, Domaine Armand Rousseau, Roumier, Mugnier, Lignier Ponsot to more recent vintages of Montrachet and other great whites from Domaine Leflaive and Michel Niellon.

DRC, Domaine and Maison Leroy, Roumier, Mugnier, Leflaive, Armand Rousseau…

Monumental Burgundy

This collection will appeal to all Rhône lovers, with a substantial offering of Châteauneuf du Pape from celebrated Domaines such as Château Rayas, Beaucastel, Domaine de Pegau, Usseglio and Vieille Julienne to the rarely seen Chimère, as well as a breath of Côte Rotie from Guigal from the 1980s, to Chapoutier and fantastic whites from Chave.

Hard-to-find gems for drinking or keeping

Superlative Rhône

The journey continues around some of Europe's most famous vineyards, from Champagne with magnums of Cristal and Salon Le Mesnil Blanc de Blancs, to large-format Barolos in vintage from the 1960s and 1970s produced by Mascarello to young Super Tuscan like Masseto, followed by Spain, with collector's vintage Castillo Ygay 1934 along with pre-1980 cases of Vega Sicilia, finishing with the more recent vintages of Contador, Alvaro Palacios and others.

Champagne, Piedmont, Tuscany, Rioja, Priorat…

Gems Of Europe

Wine Gems Of Europe

With over 100 lots, the best of California and Australia&nbsp; is prominently featured in this sale, showcasing the indispensable cult favourite Sine Qua Non in various formats and collector's cases along with other prestigious names like Harlan Estate, Colgin, Marcassin, Verite, Schrader Cellars, and Abreu, among many others. Concluding with a journey to the Southern Hemisphere, the collection includes the superb Penfolds Grange and the rarely seen Torbreck Shiraz The Laird.

New World Icons including Cult Sine Qua Non

California Cult and Classic

California and Australia's Finest

There truly is no wine producer like Sine Qua Non. Named after the Latin phrase meaning "without which, nothing" or "absolutely indispensable," each new bottle and vintage of SQN wine features a new name, label, and bottle shape, reflecting their unique approach to winemaking. The select few on their exclusive wine list have the opportunity to experience a fusion of art and wine at its finest. Achieving cult status rapidly, by 2008—just fourteen years after its founding in 1994—Sine Qua Non had seven wines that earned a perfect 100 points from Robert Parker.

The Uniqueness of Sine Qua Non

Director | Deputy Head of Wine EMEA | Senior Specialist 

Frédéric Guyot du Repaire

Director | Head of Wine Auction Sales UK

Claire Collini

Deputy Director | Senior Specialist

Finn Schauer

Director, |Senior Specialist | Inspections UK &amp; Europe

James Reed

Specialist, Property

Zofia Dalkowska

Meet our Specialists

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With perfect provenance - purchased either through UK reputable Wine Merchants or Sotheby’s - this wine collection, the property of a great Collector with discerning taste for the best, is the embodiment of a grand tour of the most brilliant vineyards around the world from Europe to California via Australia. Whether your preference lies with Haut Brion, Domaine de la Romanée-Conti or Sine Qua Non, this collector has consistently sought the best and we are thrilled to share this incredible vinous voyage. Vineyards of Distinction I From Burgundy &amp; Bordeaux to California I Icons from a Noted Cellar will open on Wednesday July 3 and close on Wednesday 17 July at 12:30 PM BST.

Vineyards of Distinction | From Burgundy & Bordeaux to California: Icons from a Noted Cellar