Above 11 magnums per lot
Details
AN EXCEPTIONAL AND UNIQUE ELEVEN MAGNUM LOT FROM THE LEGENDARY 1961 VINTAGE
Consigned by a European Collector and now lying EHD
Offered duty-paid, but available in bond
On Friday, October 20th, a unique tasting took place in the Salle
Mediterranée of the Metropole Hotel in Monte Carlo. Thirty tasters sat down to enjoy a unique eleven magnum tasting drawn from the legendary 1961 vintage - ten top Chateaux of Bordeaux plus Hermitage La Chapelle from Jaboulet. The tasting was co-hosted by Christie's and Vira S.A. of Monaco and commentary on the wines was supplied by Michael Broadbent M.W. of Christie's and Dominique Fornage of Vira. It was, by anybody's standards, a most memorable event.
All the wines were inspected by Christie's in detail during decanting and prior to pouring. All were pronounced to be in excellent condition and each with known provenance including the Hermitage which had recently been released from Jaboulet's own private reserve. Tasting notes made during that evening appear here alongside the wines in this lot, a near to identical set of the same eleven magnums with the same superb appearance, ownership and history as those opened that night in Monte Carlo.
Magnums of this quality appear only rarely on the market and then mostly in odd, single magnum lots - full cases are hardly ever seen. The opportunity to purchase this 1961 'horizontal' lot is certainly unique as each wine would become a highlight in its own right at any wine event and the chance to acquire all eleven merely adds to the appeal.
Château Latour--Vintage 1961
Ex Nicolasmagnum (1)
Tasting note: deepest colour of the tasting. Intense core.
Immediate rush of intense sweetness and ripeness on first approach. Still slumbering, dense and brooding in the glass, seeming to yield its aromas resentfully. With more air, a wonderful velvety fragrance with sweet toffee/mocha notes. Amazingly vibrant with a wall of ripeness and extract. Still intensely tannic and tightly packed with flavours that may need a further 10-20 years to become fully evolved.
Château Margaux--Vintage 1961magnum (1)
Tasting note: good colour, fairly deep with pronounced maturity at rim.
Fragrant aroma, elegant character. Palate of considerable richness and power, showing age and maturity. Medium weight with subtle tannins in evidence, elegant, lingering aftertaste. Still improving in the glass over a period of 2 hours.
Château Haut-Brion--Vintage 1961magnum (1)
Tasting note: a fairly deep colour, back to pronounced maturity on rim. In this company, seems almost restrained by comparison. Certainly fragrant at first with more earthy character in support. Not a powerhouse wine, elegant, rounded and perfectly blanced - a real 'food' wine. Touch of sweet fruit and spice rounds it out nicely. Lingering, classy and subtle.
Château Cheval-Blanc--Vintage 1961magnum (1)
Tasting note: impressive deep colour.
First impression is one of fragrance, followed swiftly by the underlying power and obvious richness of the aromas present. Mouth-filling, broad and sweet with balance and elegance as main characteristics. Cedary, slightly smokey with elegant and somehow herbaceous element. Floating on air with the crisp acidity and freshness that is only found in mature Bordeaux of top quality.
Château Pétrus--Vintage 1961
Ex Nicolasmagnum (1)
Tasting note: deep colour, not quite as 'black as Egypt's night' but pretty close.
Explosive aromas of spice, ripe fruit and white pepper combining in a delectable and inviting entry. Immediately mouth-filling and with enormous extract and weight. References to subtle combinations of fruit, dried meats, spices and herbs occur to one, but are ethereal and seem impossible to capture with any accuracy. By contrast, the aftertaste is again elegant and somehow more subtle, tempting you to retaste until the last drop is consumed. Deserving of its reputation.
Château La Mission-Haut-Brion--Vintage 1961
Damaged label. Level upper-shouldermagnum (1)
Tasting note: marginally deeper colour than the Haut-Brion
Earthy and powerful, packed with ripe fruit and complex character. Exciting, spicy aroma, leading to fleeting notes of charcuterie, cinnamon and coffee. Intense fleshy character, broad and full-bodied in the mouth. Layered flavour that continues to reveal new sensations and tastes. Beguiling in its complexity and overall quality. Long, long aftertaste.
Château Lafleur--Vintage 1961magnum (1)
Tasting note: again a deep and intense colour.
Immediate impression of sweetness and fragrance overlaying depth and harmonious character. Raspberry sweet with darker fruits in balanced support. A revelation of subtlety and power in perfect combination and needless to say, a long, long luscious finish. Close to perfect.
Château Trotanoy--Vintage 1961magnum (1)
Tasting note: again a deep impressive colour with some maturity on rim.
Sweet fruit on entry with just a touch of damp wood and bitter flavour that lessened with aeration. Intense, ripe fruit flavour, plum and damson character with soft tannins and good overall acidity. After 1 hour, enhanced ripeness and sound, lingering finish.
Château L'Evangile--Vintage 1961magnum (1)
Tasting note: deeper colour, less rim gradation.
Impressive aroma of ripe, plummy fruit backed with spice and herb character which continues on the palate. Rich and seamless with a silky texture that lingers on the finish. Not blockbusting but retaining considerable charm and elegance.
Château Latour-à-Pomerol--Vintage 1961magnum (1)
Tasting note: very deep attractive colour with particularly dense core.
Super ripe aroma and intense character of dark fruits and fleshiness. Opulent and impressive with considerable tannins and acidity keeping everything aloft. Delicious.
Hermitage La Chapelle--Vintage 1961
Paul Jaboulet Aînémagnum (1)
Tasting note: Deep colour, very little rim gradation.
An honorary Claret for the purpose of this tasting and comparing well to its counterparts. Deep, rich and smokey aromas, great sweetness and exotic fragrance. Huge and mouth-filling, sensational sweet and silky flavours. Rich and fairly chunky with sensational rich, damson jam aftertaste. Bullet proof and will last for 30 years+.
According to the new owners, one of two only magnums (the other included in this lot) of HLC 1961 ever 'officially' released by the property.
Above 11 magnums per lot
Consigned by a European Collector and now lying EHD
Offered duty-paid, but available in bond
On Friday, October 20th, a unique tasting took place in the Salle
Mediterranée of the Metropole Hotel in Monte Carlo. Thirty tasters sat down to enjoy a unique eleven magnum tasting drawn from the legendary 1961 vintage - ten top Chateaux of Bordeaux plus Hermitage La Chapelle from Jaboulet. The tasting was co-hosted by Christie's and Vira S.A. of Monaco and commentary on the wines was supplied by Michael Broadbent M.W. of Christie's and Dominique Fornage of Vira. It was, by anybody's standards, a most memorable event.
All the wines were inspected by Christie's in detail during decanting and prior to pouring. All were pronounced to be in excellent condition and each with known provenance including the Hermitage which had recently been released from Jaboulet's own private reserve. Tasting notes made during that evening appear here alongside the wines in this lot, a near to identical set of the same eleven magnums with the same superb appearance, ownership and history as those opened that night in Monte Carlo.
Magnums of this quality appear only rarely on the market and then mostly in odd, single magnum lots - full cases are hardly ever seen. The opportunity to purchase this 1961 'horizontal' lot is certainly unique as each wine would become a highlight in its own right at any wine event and the chance to acquire all eleven merely adds to the appeal.
Château Latour--Vintage 1961
Ex Nicolasmagnum (1)
Tasting note: deepest colour of the tasting. Intense core.
Immediate rush of intense sweetness and ripeness on first approach. Still slumbering, dense and brooding in the glass, seeming to yield its aromas resentfully. With more air, a wonderful velvety fragrance with sweet toffee/mocha notes. Amazingly vibrant with a wall of ripeness and extract. Still intensely tannic and tightly packed with flavours that may need a further 10-20 years to become fully evolved.
Château Margaux--Vintage 1961magnum (1)
Tasting note: good colour, fairly deep with pronounced maturity at rim.
Fragrant aroma, elegant character. Palate of considerable richness and power, showing age and maturity. Medium weight with subtle tannins in evidence, elegant, lingering aftertaste. Still improving in the glass over a period of 2 hours.
Château Haut-Brion--Vintage 1961magnum (1)
Tasting note: a fairly deep colour, back to pronounced maturity on rim. In this company, seems almost restrained by comparison. Certainly fragrant at first with more earthy character in support. Not a powerhouse wine, elegant, rounded and perfectly blanced - a real 'food' wine. Touch of sweet fruit and spice rounds it out nicely. Lingering, classy and subtle.
Château Cheval-Blanc--Vintage 1961magnum (1)
Tasting note: impressive deep colour.
First impression is one of fragrance, followed swiftly by the underlying power and obvious richness of the aromas present. Mouth-filling, broad and sweet with balance and elegance as main characteristics. Cedary, slightly smokey with elegant and somehow herbaceous element. Floating on air with the crisp acidity and freshness that is only found in mature Bordeaux of top quality.
Château Pétrus--Vintage 1961
Ex Nicolasmagnum (1)
Tasting note: deep colour, not quite as 'black as Egypt's night' but pretty close.
Explosive aromas of spice, ripe fruit and white pepper combining in a delectable and inviting entry. Immediately mouth-filling and with enormous extract and weight. References to subtle combinations of fruit, dried meats, spices and herbs occur to one, but are ethereal and seem impossible to capture with any accuracy. By contrast, the aftertaste is again elegant and somehow more subtle, tempting you to retaste until the last drop is consumed. Deserving of its reputation.
Château La Mission-Haut-Brion--Vintage 1961
Damaged label. Level upper-shouldermagnum (1)
Tasting note: marginally deeper colour than the Haut-Brion
Earthy and powerful, packed with ripe fruit and complex character. Exciting, spicy aroma, leading to fleeting notes of charcuterie, cinnamon and coffee. Intense fleshy character, broad and full-bodied in the mouth. Layered flavour that continues to reveal new sensations and tastes. Beguiling in its complexity and overall quality. Long, long aftertaste.
Château Lafleur--Vintage 1961magnum (1)
Tasting note: again a deep and intense colour.
Immediate impression of sweetness and fragrance overlaying depth and harmonious character. Raspberry sweet with darker fruits in balanced support. A revelation of subtlety and power in perfect combination and needless to say, a long, long luscious finish. Close to perfect.
Château Trotanoy--Vintage 1961magnum (1)
Tasting note: again a deep impressive colour with some maturity on rim.
Sweet fruit on entry with just a touch of damp wood and bitter flavour that lessened with aeration. Intense, ripe fruit flavour, plum and damson character with soft tannins and good overall acidity. After 1 hour, enhanced ripeness and sound, lingering finish.
Château L'Evangile--Vintage 1961magnum (1)
Tasting note: deeper colour, less rim gradation.
Impressive aroma of ripe, plummy fruit backed with spice and herb character which continues on the palate. Rich and seamless with a silky texture that lingers on the finish. Not blockbusting but retaining considerable charm and elegance.
Château Latour-à-Pomerol--Vintage 1961magnum (1)
Tasting note: very deep attractive colour with particularly dense core.
Super ripe aroma and intense character of dark fruits and fleshiness. Opulent and impressive with considerable tannins and acidity keeping everything aloft. Delicious.
Hermitage La Chapelle--Vintage 1961
Paul Jaboulet Aînémagnum (1)
Tasting note: Deep colour, very little rim gradation.
An honorary Claret for the purpose of this tasting and comparing well to its counterparts. Deep, rich and smokey aromas, great sweetness and exotic fragrance. Huge and mouth-filling, sensational sweet and silky flavours. Rich and fairly chunky with sensational rich, damson jam aftertaste. Bullet proof and will last for 30 years+.
According to the new owners, one of two only magnums (the other included in this lot) of HLC 1961 ever 'officially' released by the property.
Above 11 magnums per lot
Special notice
Offered duty paid, but available in bond. VAT at 17.5% will be charged on the hammer price on removal of the lot from bond.