S otheby’s first Wine Sale of 2022 in France comprises an outstanding selection of wines sourced from impressive cellars across Europe. Currently held at Sotheby’s facility in Beaune, the bottles share rock-solid provenance and a lifetime’s passion for collecting, in addition to having been kept in optimum conditions.
Bordeaux has a strong presence, with great collections from across the last 9 decades with rare gems such as Château Mouton Rothschild 1957 and Petrus 1959 to legendary vintages from the 80s and 90s together with a stunning array of young First Growths, Super Seconds and many more from Bordeaux's greatest Châteaux.
Moving to Burgundy, this sale includes a stellar line-up led by a mouth-watering array from Domaine de la Romanée-Conti, spanning three decades, along with celebrated estates such as Domaine Leroy, Armand Rousseau, Roumier and Leflaive to name a few, confirming the historic richness of this region.
Moving further afield, we have a sparkling selection of Champagne Louis Roederer Cristal. The lion's share comes from the mythical 2002 vintage, alongside the 1997, 1999 and 2000 vintages in bottles and magnums.
The remainder of the sale is an invitation to travel, through Spain with Vega Sicilia Unico, Italy with Tuscan icons such as Solaia, and Portugal, with an exciting selection of highly attractive Port, including Niepoort, Taylor and Fonseca in vintages spanning a century, from 1900 to 2000.
Spanning over a century, the first collection opening this wonderful auction has been carefully put together and nurtured for over 4 decades by a passionate collector who had a focused taste for the very best wines of Burgundy. The names alone are enough to excite any true Burgundy lover, from the famed Domaine de la Romanee-Conti to Domaine Jacques Prieur, Domaine Leroy and the highly coveted Georges Roumier. All these wines have been stored in perfect condition since their purchase mostly direct from the Domaines and despite their rarity the quality of vintages on offer mean that there is truly something for everyone!
A 1950s cellar with perfect pedigree leads the outstanding and extensive Bordeaux selection of this sale with a treasure trove of Château Mouton Rothschild 1957 and rare parcels of Petrus 1959, considered by many as one of the finest wines from this magnificent vintage.
“Glorious scent which I sometimes prefer to the prunes of the 1961. So elegant. Such balance and harmony. Heavenly chocolate flavour. Classic, with everything integrated. Silky magnificence. Sheer breed on the texture - only great growths have this.”
“A fascinating, concentrated, aromatic bouquet of great depth. One sees the aromatic tannins even on the nose. Very thick, velvety texture. Pure, intense, cassis Mouton. Superb wine. The phenolic richness is outstanding. This is an amazing wine for the year.”
Serena Sutcliffe, MW
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Bordeaux has a strong presence, with great collections from across the last 9 decades with rare gems such as Château Mouton Rothschild 1957 and Petrus 1959 to legendary vintages from the 80s and 90s together with a stunning array of young First Growths, Super Seconds and many more from Bordeaux's greatest Châteaux.
Focusing mainly on young Claret, two tremendous collections complete this journey through Bordeaux. Lots 98-189 and 243-389 have been amassed in the past two decades by enthusiastic collectors with a keen eye for only the best. There is an incredible breadth and depth across the First Growths and Right Bank superstars covering all the great vintages between 1999 and the present day. With pristine cases of all the world’s greatest wines, there is something to please every palate.
The 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.
SERENA SUTCLIFFE, MW
Founded in Reims in 1776, and still in the same family, Roederer is one of the few remaining independent Champagne Houses. In 1833, Louis Roederer inherited the House and decided to expand the vineyard. Cristal is the benchmark cuvée that has made Roederer what it is today. In 1876, Tsar Alexander II of Russia asked for a distinctive sign on his bottles of Champagne. Cristal was born and the shape and transparency of the bottle live on to the present day. Now, Frédéric Rouzaud, the 6th generation of the family is at the head of this House, which owns 240 hectares, composed of 410 plots and located exclusively in Premiers and Grand Crus regions. This is an exceptional wine heritage, which provides 100% of the House's needs. The wines are very regular and consistently excellent.
Perfectly stored mature Champagne is one of the wine world’s great hedonistic experiences. All too often this wine is popped open and consumed early in its life but give it the chance to age and Cristal assumes otherworldly levels of complexity and character.
This Cristal collection has a focus on the iconic vintage 2002. Growing conditions were just about perfect: a mild spring, warm, but not hot summer with dry, sunny days in the Fall. Alcohol levels were high enough, combined with enough acidity to balance the wines. Cristal 1997, 1999 and 2000 finish off this outstanding single cuvée collection.
Winemaking occupies a space right on the boundary between Art and Science, and never is that clearer than in the bottles from Port's leading addresses. Looking at the performance of Port over the past two years, there is absolutely no doubt that they are experiencing a moment in the sun right now. It seems that there is an almost insatiable worldwide demand for pristine, aged examples. Top Port producers are represented here, with some painfully rare gems available, as well as attractive lots at prices which are sure to please.
A private collector offers an exciting selection of Niepoort, Taylor and Fonseca. Firmly in the forefront is a rare Niepoort Colheita 1900, follow by an impressive list from the same winery in different vintages with excellent storage conditions. Fonseca is also on parade, with a great Fonseca Guimaraens 1991 and 1995 as well as Taylor with lots of Taylor 1977 and 1985.
