1 bottle per lot
Details
PRISTINE OLD WORLD CLASSICS
Property of a Gentleman
When my colleagues and I flew out to inspect this consignment, we were pleasantly surprised. In a custom temperature and humidity controlled cellar maintaining a chilly 50 degrees (perfect for that delicate old Burgundy, not perfect for my colleague, who forgot a sweater) we came upon one of the greatest caches of untouched, aged wine I've seen in quite a while. What makes this collection so unique is threefold: the wines, the vintages and the conditions.
First, the wines. For this sale, we selected the greats. Pétrus. Lafite. Mouton. Latour, Leroy, DRC. OK, I couldn't resist a few bits of esoterica, like a 1953 Oppenheimer Sackträger whose color looked so good, I couldn't not take it. I may have included a few bottles of 1964 Tokaj. And yes, I snagged a few bottles of the rarely-seen-at-auction 1984 Mouton, just in case there's someone working on a complete vertical, and wanted a few pristine bottles. But for the most part, the wines represented here are the top of the top.
Second, the vintages. As you peruse this section, you'll note that many of the all time greats are present. 1961 and 1982 Pétrus? Got it. 1982 Lafite? Check. 1978 La Tâche? Of course. 1974 Martha's? Yep. 1927, 1934, 1963, and 1977 Port? All there. And there are more--but I'll let you discover them for yourself.
Most importantly, however, are the conditions. When we arrived at the consignor's home, we were pleased to see that he still had the receipts for much of the Bordeaux in this cellar, even most of the 1982s (including the Lafite), all of which he bought as futures. Most astonishing is the condition of the DRC and Leroy. The levels and color of these wines speak for themselves. I, for one, have never seen DRC Montrachet look so good! The consignor informed me that he never bought in auction. Most of the wines, including the DRC, were bought on release, often in the vintages of the consignor's children (late '70s). As proof of this, check out the 1978 La Tâche, the 1979 Romanée-Conti and the 1979 Montrachet. These three lots consist of almost unheard of consecutively numbered bottles.
Some of the older bottles were bought from a reputable and well-known merchant in the midwest. Because the wines were racked in the cellar, and the conditions were both cool and very humid, you'll notice that many of the bottles are stained or have oxidized capsules. This, if anything, is reassuring. It means the corks stayed moist and the wine stayed cool. Bid with confidence!
Please contact Michael Moser at MMoser@christies.com at least seven days before the sale for photographs.
Happy hunting,
Charles Antin
ROMANÉE-CONTI
Just three lots in this consignment are Romanée-Conti, but what a fantastic three lots they are. A single bottle of the 1969 (see photo), a magnum of the 1976 in great condition, and six bottles of the 1979 with amazing levels and in consecutively numbered bottles. Romanée-Conti needs no introduction. But these three lots stand out due to their amazing condition. Kept in a very chilly cellar, perfect for old Burgundy, and untouched for over 30 years, this is a rare opportunity.
Romanée-Conti--Vintage 1969
Côte de Nuits, Domaine de la Romanée-Conti
Level: 4.5cm; lightly bin soiled label
1 bottle per lot
Property of a Gentleman
When my colleagues and I flew out to inspect this consignment, we were pleasantly surprised. In a custom temperature and humidity controlled cellar maintaining a chilly 50 degrees (perfect for that delicate old Burgundy, not perfect for my colleague, who forgot a sweater) we came upon one of the greatest caches of untouched, aged wine I've seen in quite a while. What makes this collection so unique is threefold: the wines, the vintages and the conditions.
First, the wines. For this sale, we selected the greats. Pétrus. Lafite. Mouton. Latour, Leroy, DRC. OK, I couldn't resist a few bits of esoterica, like a 1953 Oppenheimer Sackträger whose color looked so good, I couldn't not take it. I may have included a few bottles of 1964 Tokaj. And yes, I snagged a few bottles of the rarely-seen-at-auction 1984 Mouton, just in case there's someone working on a complete vertical, and wanted a few pristine bottles. But for the most part, the wines represented here are the top of the top.
Second, the vintages. As you peruse this section, you'll note that many of the all time greats are present. 1961 and 1982 Pétrus? Got it. 1982 Lafite? Check. 1978 La Tâche? Of course. 1974 Martha's? Yep. 1927, 1934, 1963, and 1977 Port? All there. And there are more--but I'll let you discover them for yourself.
Most importantly, however, are the conditions. When we arrived at the consignor's home, we were pleased to see that he still had the receipts for much of the Bordeaux in this cellar, even most of the 1982s (including the Lafite), all of which he bought as futures. Most astonishing is the condition of the DRC and Leroy. The levels and color of these wines speak for themselves. I, for one, have never seen DRC Montrachet look so good! The consignor informed me that he never bought in auction. Most of the wines, including the DRC, were bought on release, often in the vintages of the consignor's children (late '70s). As proof of this, check out the 1978 La Tâche, the 1979 Romanée-Conti and the 1979 Montrachet. These three lots consist of almost unheard of consecutively numbered bottles.
Some of the older bottles were bought from a reputable and well-known merchant in the midwest. Because the wines were racked in the cellar, and the conditions were both cool and very humid, you'll notice that many of the bottles are stained or have oxidized capsules. This, if anything, is reassuring. It means the corks stayed moist and the wine stayed cool. Bid with confidence!
Please contact Michael Moser at MMoser@christies.com at least seven days before the sale for photographs.
Happy hunting,
Charles Antin
ROMANÉE-CONTI
Just three lots in this consignment are Romanée-Conti, but what a fantastic three lots they are. A single bottle of the 1969 (see photo), a magnum of the 1976 in great condition, and six bottles of the 1979 with amazing levels and in consecutively numbered bottles. Romanée-Conti needs no introduction. But these three lots stand out due to their amazing condition. Kept in a very chilly cellar, perfect for old Burgundy, and untouched for over 30 years, this is a rare opportunity.
Romanée-Conti--Vintage 1969
Côte de Nuits, Domaine de la Romanée-Conti
Level: 4.5cm; lightly bin soiled label
1 bottle per lot