Wines from the collection of Dr A. Botenga: ‘Every bottle that leaves the cellar is a part of my heart’

Anyone walking past the house of retired radiologist Dr Botenga, on a quiet cul-de-sac in The Hague, would have no clue what lies beneath.

Stretching as far as the eye can see is an underground labyrinth of three separate cellars housing tens of thousands of bottles of precious wine, which have been quietly ageing while the decades passed by. Stacked from floor to ceiling, each one has been individually wrapped in cellophane to protect its label, and their details are all meticulously recorded in ledgers containing the original invoices and exact measurements of the distance between the liquid and the cork, known as ‘ullage’.

‘Not only is this one of the greatest collections of wine in Europe, with all the classic vintages present as far back as 1914, it’s also a very personal collection that tells a wonderful story,’ says Edwin Vos, Christie’s international head of Wine and Spirits.

Between November and December 2023, Part I and II of Dr Botenga’s collection were offered at Christie’s in Hong Kong and London. Combined, some 17,500 bottles achieved more than £6 million.

Until 18 February 2025, more than 500 lots making up Part III are being offered as part of Fine and Rare Wines & Spirits Online: London Edition.

Dr Botenga began collecting wine almost 70 years ago, in 1956, while a student at Utrecht University. It was a passion ignited when, during a meeting of the institution’s wine society, he was poured a glass of 1947 Château Léoville Las Cases, which a friend had driven to France to source.

‘That was really the moment I started going very deep into wine,’ he recalls in the short film above, adding that a bottle of the same vintage would be opened to celebrate his 90th birthday.

At the height of his collecting, Botenga would drive all over Europe, visiting dealers and domaines to expand his knowledge and fill his car. He remembers turning down cases of wine from the revered Burgundy producer Henri Jayer because there was no more room in his boot, regretting that decision many years later when those bottles became particularly sought-after.

At its peak, his collection numbered around 55,000 bottles — and he tasted every single wine in it. Assembling the collection was certainly a labour of love: ‘Every bottle that leaves the cellar is a part of my heart.’

‘Dr Botenga never bought for investment. Every bottle was bought to be enjoyed with friends and family,’ explains Vos. ‘But he knows the time has come to streamline his collection and let others share in the pleasure he has got from it.’

‘Everyone can become a great wine lover, starting with simple wines, building up the capacity to see the difference in taste, difference in smell,’ says Botenga. ‘In the end, it’s all emotion. At that moment, you are ripe for it. Your senses are open. Wine which can do that is rare.’

Among the highlights of Part I and II were a group of Vieux-Château-Certan vintages, including 1950, 1952 and 1961, which Vos says are so rare he has never seen them in any other cellar. Six bottles of Château Mouton-Rothschild 1945 — of which only around 6,000 cases were ever produced — achieved HK$875,000. ‘It’s probably the most sought-after bottle in the world,’ adds the specialist. And a single imperial of Petrus 1982 realised HK$562,500.

‘Part III has a focus on the great 1982 vintage, and contains more than 80 lots from top premier cru producers as well as rarely seen wines produced in Pomerol and Saint-Emilion. The range of wines from the 1961 vintage is also unique. I learned a great deal about it from Dr Botenga while packing the collection — he generously shared a number of bottles.’

Below, Vos spotlights some of his favourite lots from the upcoming sale.

Château Pichon-Longueville, Lalande 1961

‘Dr Botenga’s collection includes the largest number of half-bottles from great vintages I have ever seen. These wines from 1961 are just perfect now.’

Mouton d’Armailhac 1953 and Mouton Baron Philippe 1961

‘The year 1953 is one of the greatest vintages in Bordeaux. The vintage is rarely seen these days, let alone one from Mouton d’Armailhac, a chateau awarded the title of Fifth Grand Cru Classé. I tasted this wine from the cellar with Dr Botenga, and was deeply impressed by the fruit and length of taste. It would make a wonderful tasting pair with the 1961.’

La Mission Haut-Brion 1948, 1949 and 1950

‘One of my favourite lots. All from the golden age, when this chateau rivalled its neighbour across the road, Haut-Brion. The 1948 was a success for the vintage, while the 1949 is reputed to be the best, as the Woltner family — who owned the chateau until 1983 — themselves admitted.’

La Mission Haut-Brion 1966

‘A great La Mission Haut-Brion, very rare in the half-bottle, especially in this condition.’

Domaine de la Romanée-Conti 1980

‘This vintage was long overlooked, but now the wine is fully showing its class. A rarely seen Romanée-Conti.’

‘There are so many amazing bottles that even someone with my job hardly ever sees,’ adds the specialist. ‘It’s been such a pleasure spending six months packing this cellar with Dr Botenga, and I look forward to seeing a new generation of collectors enjoy it.’