1 dozen bottles per lot
Details
PROPERTY FROM A WINE CONNOISSEUR
A third and final installment from a long-time Christie's client, with an impeccable selection of fine wines. Pruning his enviable collection simply to make space in an ever-growing cellar, the client now offers a third tranche that includes an enviable selection of Bordeaux from the 2000 vintage, all in wood; an interesting assortment of large-format Bordeaux; and an excellent range of top-flight California wines from the 1990s and 2000s.
The Millennial Vintage in Bordeaux
The 2000 growing season began well, and a fairly large crop appeared after flowering. The weather later in June, however, gave rise to a certain pessimism amongst the growers, and the mood was relatively somber during a visit that I made in early July. Periods of rain alternated with cloudy, cool days, and the vines were attacked by a severe case of mildew. I returned from my visit with little hope for the millennial vintage.
The tables turned, however, at the end of July. The cloud cover dispersed under the influence of a high-pressure system, and temperatures began to rise. What followed was 60 glorious days of sunshine and warmth. The dry weather concentrated the fruit and carried it to perfect ripeness, while ample sunshine ensured ripe, silken tannins.
"Too much of a good thing" can be one possible danger under these conditions. If vines have not enough water and too much sun, they can close themselves up, stopping the development of the vine and preventing maturity, and yielding tannic wines with little charm. Fortunately, the temperatures stayed just under this threshold and everything developed evenly, aided by a short rainstorm on August 25th that refreshed the vines, particularly in the Graves and Médoc.
The harvest began on the right bank on September 14th, and continued for the next three weeks in almost uninterrupted sunshine. While there was a bit of rain over the last weekend in September, it refreshed the grapes without causing any damage to the thick skins. Nearly the entire crop was harvest in perfect health with optimal ripeness.
2000 is indisputably a great vintage, and one of the hallmarks of a great vintage is consistency - in 2000 everyone made great wine! From top to bottom, these wines are near-perfect, and should continue to age for decades to come.
Charles Curtis MW
Head of North American Wine Sales
February 2009
Château Montrose--Vintage 2000
Saint-Estèphe, 2me cru classé
All lots in original wooden cases
"Very impressive, layered nose with licorice and black fruit. Concentrated, but not overly so - still retains fine balance and elegant character. Very long. Very successful indeed." CC, Tasted October 2004
1 dozen bottles per lot
A third and final installment from a long-time Christie's client, with an impeccable selection of fine wines. Pruning his enviable collection simply to make space in an ever-growing cellar, the client now offers a third tranche that includes an enviable selection of Bordeaux from the 2000 vintage, all in wood; an interesting assortment of large-format Bordeaux; and an excellent range of top-flight California wines from the 1990s and 2000s.
The Millennial Vintage in Bordeaux
The 2000 growing season began well, and a fairly large crop appeared after flowering. The weather later in June, however, gave rise to a certain pessimism amongst the growers, and the mood was relatively somber during a visit that I made in early July. Periods of rain alternated with cloudy, cool days, and the vines were attacked by a severe case of mildew. I returned from my visit with little hope for the millennial vintage.
The tables turned, however, at the end of July. The cloud cover dispersed under the influence of a high-pressure system, and temperatures began to rise. What followed was 60 glorious days of sunshine and warmth. The dry weather concentrated the fruit and carried it to perfect ripeness, while ample sunshine ensured ripe, silken tannins.
"Too much of a good thing" can be one possible danger under these conditions. If vines have not enough water and too much sun, they can close themselves up, stopping the development of the vine and preventing maturity, and yielding tannic wines with little charm. Fortunately, the temperatures stayed just under this threshold and everything developed evenly, aided by a short rainstorm on August 25th that refreshed the vines, particularly in the Graves and Médoc.
The harvest began on the right bank on September 14th, and continued for the next three weeks in almost uninterrupted sunshine. While there was a bit of rain over the last weekend in September, it refreshed the grapes without causing any damage to the thick skins. Nearly the entire crop was harvest in perfect health with optimal ripeness.
2000 is indisputably a great vintage, and one of the hallmarks of a great vintage is consistency - in 2000 everyone made great wine! From top to bottom, these wines are near-perfect, and should continue to age for decades to come.
Charles Curtis MW
Head of North American Wine Sales
February 2009
Château Montrose--Vintage 2000
Saint-Estèphe, 2me cru classé
All lots in original wooden cases
"Very impressive, layered nose with licorice and black fruit. Concentrated, but not overly so - still retains fine balance and elegant character. Very long. Very successful indeed." CC, Tasted October 2004
1 dozen bottles per lot
Special notice
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