3 half-bottles per lot
Details
A REDISCOVERED CHALK CELLAR
Summer 2021 was a grave disappointment in England, climactically speaking. It could be described as an embarrassment of showers and of constantly diminishing expectations. That said, the first week of September was unusually warm, probably the first real heat since June.
It was during this week that Christie’s Specialists visited an English country house cellar in Surrey, to inspect a collection of wines that we’d been warned hadn’t been viewed in over twenty years. The owner of the wine had been a passionate and knowledgeable collector from 1960 through the 1990s right up to 2000, but after health problems, had stopped drinking, leaving the cellar and its contents to slumber for most of the last two decades, entirely undisturbed. We entered the cellar with modest expectations. The sun beat down on us as we approached the cellar and I worried that the heat of many summers might have taken their toll.
I needn’t have worried at all. The cellar we found was deep underground, and as we descended into the subterranean chamber, which had been hewn out of the raw chalk landscape of the Surrey Downs, the temperature dropped significantly. Where moments before we’d been extremely warm above ground, we were now cold and totally reassured that the storage was ideal for wine. The cellar was dark and extremely messy – nobody had entered for more than two decades. Our torches lit up the room, and as our eyes acclimatised to the dim light, we were faced by a vision that hitherto could only have existed in dreams.
The cellar was packed full of wine. Bottles filled every inch of space around us. Cardboard boxes had disintegrated over many years of storage in this cool, damp cellar, and looking down, we were startled to see unbelievable treasures. Rayas 1967, Chave’s inimitable Hermitage 1978, Mouton Rothschild 1961 and 1945, Latour 1961 and an original carton of Krug 1955 champagne.
Looking further back into the cellar, a wall of original wooden cases reared up in front of us, almost all cases bore the distinctive branding of the Domaine de la Romanée-Conti. Here in this hidden, all-but-forgotten cellar in the English countryside lay one of the finest collections of Romanée-Conti and La Tâche we’ve ever encountered.
Exceptional Provenance
The vast majority of wines in this collection were purchased by the owner between 1969-1988. The DRC wines were primarily acquired directly from the UK agents at the time of purchase, or from reputable UK merchants of the time. Christie’s have copies of the invoices for most key lots (available on request and reproduced in the catalogue). Some DRC wines from the 1950s and early 1960 were purchased at Christie’s and Sotheby’s in the 1970s. All DRC wines apart from these bottles from the 1950s and 1960s, were found in original wooden cases in the cellar. Most remain in cases, but some had been very degraded from damp and in some instances, woodworm, so these cases have been disposed of and re-packed into Christie’s cartons. Many cases were banded or unopened prior to specialist inspection. The older Bordeaux, Port and Madeira were purchased from Christie’s and Sotheby’s in the 1970s when the owners were good acquaintances of the late Michael Broadbent MW.
The owners confirm that once purchased and taken delivery of, these wines have remained in this cool chalk cellar until now. We estimate that the temperature has been somewhere between 11 and 13 degrees and the humidity between 60-70%. Many of the labels are badly bin soiled and damp stained as befits a collection which has been in a cool, damp cellar for the last 30-40 years. The Romanée-Conti and DRC Montrachet 1990, and Lafon Meursault Charmes 1989 and Roty Charmes-Chambertin 1993 were all removed from professional storage where they had been since purchase, specifically for this sale. Christie’s Specialists have tasted extensively through the collection, and were impressed by the vibrancy and freshness of the older wines and ports. Tasting notes from Tim Triptree MW feature on a selection of lots.
This is a unique opportunity for collectors. These wines haven’t been traded and have not shipped across continents, making this one of the last remaining cellars of its nature. To uncover cases of La Tâche 1971 and Romanée-Conti 1969, 1971 and 1990 was a privilege that the Christie’s team will remember for many years ahead.
Noah May, September 2021
RARE KRUG
Krug Private Cuvée Extra Sec 1953
Reims
Badly damaged foils. Badly damaged labels. Bin-soiled labels. Good colour and clarity. Levels: into-foil
3 half-bottles per lot
Summer 2021 was a grave disappointment in England, climactically speaking. It could be described as an embarrassment of showers and of constantly diminishing expectations. That said, the first week of September was unusually warm, probably the first real heat since June.
It was during this week that Christie’s Specialists visited an English country house cellar in Surrey, to inspect a collection of wines that we’d been warned hadn’t been viewed in over twenty years. The owner of the wine had been a passionate and knowledgeable collector from 1960 through the 1990s right up to 2000, but after health problems, had stopped drinking, leaving the cellar and its contents to slumber for most of the last two decades, entirely undisturbed. We entered the cellar with modest expectations. The sun beat down on us as we approached the cellar and I worried that the heat of many summers might have taken their toll.
I needn’t have worried at all. The cellar we found was deep underground, and as we descended into the subterranean chamber, which had been hewn out of the raw chalk landscape of the Surrey Downs, the temperature dropped significantly. Where moments before we’d been extremely warm above ground, we were now cold and totally reassured that the storage was ideal for wine. The cellar was dark and extremely messy – nobody had entered for more than two decades. Our torches lit up the room, and as our eyes acclimatised to the dim light, we were faced by a vision that hitherto could only have existed in dreams.
The cellar was packed full of wine. Bottles filled every inch of space around us. Cardboard boxes had disintegrated over many years of storage in this cool, damp cellar, and looking down, we were startled to see unbelievable treasures. Rayas 1967, Chave’s inimitable Hermitage 1978, Mouton Rothschild 1961 and 1945, Latour 1961 and an original carton of Krug 1955 champagne.
Looking further back into the cellar, a wall of original wooden cases reared up in front of us, almost all cases bore the distinctive branding of the Domaine de la Romanée-Conti. Here in this hidden, all-but-forgotten cellar in the English countryside lay one of the finest collections of Romanée-Conti and La Tâche we’ve ever encountered.
Exceptional Provenance
The vast majority of wines in this collection were purchased by the owner between 1969-1988. The DRC wines were primarily acquired directly from the UK agents at the time of purchase, or from reputable UK merchants of the time. Christie’s have copies of the invoices for most key lots (available on request and reproduced in the catalogue). Some DRC wines from the 1950s and early 1960 were purchased at Christie’s and Sotheby’s in the 1970s. All DRC wines apart from these bottles from the 1950s and 1960s, were found in original wooden cases in the cellar. Most remain in cases, but some had been very degraded from damp and in some instances, woodworm, so these cases have been disposed of and re-packed into Christie’s cartons. Many cases were banded or unopened prior to specialist inspection. The older Bordeaux, Port and Madeira were purchased from Christie’s and Sotheby’s in the 1970s when the owners were good acquaintances of the late Michael Broadbent MW.
The owners confirm that once purchased and taken delivery of, these wines have remained in this cool chalk cellar until now. We estimate that the temperature has been somewhere between 11 and 13 degrees and the humidity between 60-70%. Many of the labels are badly bin soiled and damp stained as befits a collection which has been in a cool, damp cellar for the last 30-40 years. The Romanée-Conti and DRC Montrachet 1990, and Lafon Meursault Charmes 1989 and Roty Charmes-Chambertin 1993 were all removed from professional storage where they had been since purchase, specifically for this sale. Christie’s Specialists have tasted extensively through the collection, and were impressed by the vibrancy and freshness of the older wines and ports. Tasting notes from Tim Triptree MW feature on a selection of lots.
This is a unique opportunity for collectors. These wines haven’t been traded and have not shipped across continents, making this one of the last remaining cellars of its nature. To uncover cases of La Tâche 1971 and Romanée-Conti 1969, 1971 and 1990 was a privilege that the Christie’s team will remember for many years ahead.
Noah May, September 2021
RARE KRUG
Krug Private Cuvée Extra Sec 1953
Reims
Badly damaged foils. Badly damaged labels. Bin-soiled labels. Good colour and clarity. Levels: into-foil
3 half-bottles per lot
Special notice
‡ For wine offered ‘in bond’ only. If you choose to buy the wine in bond no Excise Duty or Clearance VAT will be charged on the hammer.
If you choose to buy the wine out of bond Excise Duty as applicable will be added to the hammer price and Clearance VAT at 20% will be charged on the
Duty inclusive hammer price. Whether you buy the wine in bond or out of bond, 20% VAT will be added to the buyer’s premium and shown on the invoice
Brought to you by
Noah May
Head of Wine and Spirits EMEA