1 bottle per lot
Details
PRISTINE PROVENANCE AND EXPERT COLLECTING
Lots 6-18, 33, 108-268
Among all the world's wine collectors, the consigner of the following lots is perhaps the most organized and fastidious in his purchasing, storage and record keeping. Upon signing the contract, he presented to Christie's a manilla folder filled with every receipt of his wine for the past 10 years and beyond. Every record documents that he purchased either on or very close to release from only the best retailers. He has long term relationships with these merchants and possesses a detailed knowledge of importing and shipping conditions.
At his impressive East Coast home he has built a gorgeous home cellar with a backup generator that guarantees his collection to remain at 55 degress and 70 humidity at all times. For the wines found in their original wood cases, Christie's was the first to open them in many cases. There is nary a nicked label or corroded capsule in the lot and samples from his consignment, including a '92 Lafon Meursault, were stunning and youthful.
One may suspect that a consigner this organized might be too analytical in his enjoyment of these beautiful wines, but that could not be further from the truth in this case. He is a generous and gregarious wine lover and a member of many prestigious international wine groups. His attuned attention to detail stems from his deep respect for the wines and his knowledge of how the wines will show when properly cared for. Bid with confidence from this impressive collection
HARLAN ESTATE
This year marks the 25th anniversary of Harlan Estate, a singular winery created through the vision of Bill Harlan, one of Napa's true pioneers. Harlan's goal throughout the past quarter century has remained constant - to create an American first growth by expressing the genius of one particular site.
H. William Harlan attended the University of California at Berkley and achieved early success in real estate. After founding the luxurious Meadowland Napa Valley resort in 1979, Harlan worked with famed winemaker Robert Mondavi to develop a Napa Valley version of the famous Hospices de Beaune auction held in Burgundy. It was during a research trip to Burgundy that Harlan conceived the ambition to create "an American first growth", a wine to equal the historic "Premier Cru" classification of 1855 that recognized the highest ranking wines of Bordeaux. With his keen eye for real estate, Harlan identified a property near the town of Oakville that had never been planted, and purchased the 23-acre nucleus of this property in 1984. Additional purchases and land trades eventually increased the total to 240 acres that soar to an elevation of 1225 feet. Harlan Estate vineyards, however, are limited to a steeply terraced band between 350-550 feet elevation in order to keep the grapes cool.
Twelve years elapsed between the purchase of the initial property and the release of the first wine in 1996. Being a perfectionist, Bill Harlan had rejected two vintages as unworthy before deciding to release the 300 case production of the 1990 vintage. Since this time, production has climbed, but still hovers at approximately 1800 - 2000 cases per vintage. All truly great wines have an essential nature that is difficult to pin down, since one of their common characteristics is great complexity. Charles Curtis MW, head of Christie's North American Wine Sales, explains, "there is something about Harlan that transcends the styled correctness of the fruit. Like few others, they encompass an exotic character that evokes the tangle of forest at the end of well-manicured rows of vines."
Harlan Estate--Vintage 1995
Napa Valley
Scuffed label
1 bottle per lot
Lots 6-18, 33, 108-268
Among all the world's wine collectors, the consigner of the following lots is perhaps the most organized and fastidious in his purchasing, storage and record keeping. Upon signing the contract, he presented to Christie's a manilla folder filled with every receipt of his wine for the past 10 years and beyond. Every record documents that he purchased either on or very close to release from only the best retailers. He has long term relationships with these merchants and possesses a detailed knowledge of importing and shipping conditions.
At his impressive East Coast home he has built a gorgeous home cellar with a backup generator that guarantees his collection to remain at 55 degress and 70 humidity at all times. For the wines found in their original wood cases, Christie's was the first to open them in many cases. There is nary a nicked label or corroded capsule in the lot and samples from his consignment, including a '92 Lafon Meursault, were stunning and youthful.
One may suspect that a consigner this organized might be too analytical in his enjoyment of these beautiful wines, but that could not be further from the truth in this case. He is a generous and gregarious wine lover and a member of many prestigious international wine groups. His attuned attention to detail stems from his deep respect for the wines and his knowledge of how the wines will show when properly cared for. Bid with confidence from this impressive collection
HARLAN ESTATE
This year marks the 25th anniversary of Harlan Estate, a singular winery created through the vision of Bill Harlan, one of Napa's true pioneers. Harlan's goal throughout the past quarter century has remained constant - to create an American first growth by expressing the genius of one particular site.
H. William Harlan attended the University of California at Berkley and achieved early success in real estate. After founding the luxurious Meadowland Napa Valley resort in 1979, Harlan worked with famed winemaker Robert Mondavi to develop a Napa Valley version of the famous Hospices de Beaune auction held in Burgundy. It was during a research trip to Burgundy that Harlan conceived the ambition to create "an American first growth", a wine to equal the historic "Premier Cru" classification of 1855 that recognized the highest ranking wines of Bordeaux. With his keen eye for real estate, Harlan identified a property near the town of Oakville that had never been planted, and purchased the 23-acre nucleus of this property in 1984. Additional purchases and land trades eventually increased the total to 240 acres that soar to an elevation of 1225 feet. Harlan Estate vineyards, however, are limited to a steeply terraced band between 350-550 feet elevation in order to keep the grapes cool.
Twelve years elapsed between the purchase of the initial property and the release of the first wine in 1996. Being a perfectionist, Bill Harlan had rejected two vintages as unworthy before deciding to release the 300 case production of the 1990 vintage. Since this time, production has climbed, but still hovers at approximately 1800 - 2000 cases per vintage. All truly great wines have an essential nature that is difficult to pin down, since one of their common characteristics is great complexity. Charles Curtis MW, head of Christie's North American Wine Sales, explains, "there is something about Harlan that transcends the styled correctness of the fruit. Like few others, they encompass an exotic character that evokes the tangle of forest at the end of well-manicured rows of vines."
Harlan Estate--Vintage 1995
Napa Valley
Scuffed label
1 bottle per lot