JEROBOAM OF 1864 LATOUR
The Property of the Most Honourable The Marquess of Salisbury
Removed from the cellars of Hatfield House and now lying at Christie's
Château Latour--Vintage 1864
Details
Château Latour--Vintage 1864
Pauillac, 1er cru classé.
Original mould-blown bottle with striated neck and brown paper tape bandaging with handwritten label superimposed. Contemporary, encrusted, wax capsule. Level difficult to judge but appears to be around mid-shoulder. No signs of seepage.
1864 was the greatest, best balanced vintage of the 19th century, and at the peak of the mid-victorian market for fine claret. Following a copybook growing season a good crop of perfectly ripe grapes were picked in great heat. 1864 could be regarded as the fulcrum of undoubtedly the most famous range of five-star vintages from the 1848 to the 1875, including 1858, 1865 and 1870 the top wines of which, if stored undisturbed and in perfect cellar conditions, can still be remarkably good drinking condition.
Coincidentally, in September 1989 Christie's sold the Windsor Castle cellarbook covering the period February 1873 to the 30 April 1875. First growth claret of the 1864 vintage featured in all Queen Victoria's dinner parties during this period, first Lafite and - when this ran out - from 28 February 1875 the 1864 Château Latour.
1864 claret first appeared in a Christie wines sale catalogue in February 1869: Lafite, sold for 106 shillings per dozen. The Royal Household could have bought a replenishment stock of 1864 Lafite, (bottled in 1866, by Nathaniel Johnstone & Sons, Bordeaux) for as little as 50 shillings per dozen at Christie's in June 1874. Stocks of 1864 Latour did not appear in our catalogues until 1877 when in February, we sold 2 dozen and 7 magnums for 180 to 190 shillings per dozen magnums, part of a large cellar of top quality wines from the cellar of 'Caroline, Duchess of Montrose of 45 Belgrave Square'
Regarding the binding or bandaging, we have only encountered this once before: a jeroboam of 1864 Château Lafite from the cellar of one of the Rothschild family and sold by Christie's for Heublein's in Chicago in May.... The purpose of the bandaging was to protect the valuable contents of the bottle from light which, after time, can seriously affect the condition and quality of the wine.
A very rare collectors item of unimpeachable provenance
1 jeroboam per lot
Pauillac, 1er cru classé.
Original mould-blown bottle with striated neck and brown paper tape bandaging with handwritten label superimposed. Contemporary, encrusted, wax capsule. Level difficult to judge but appears to be around mid-shoulder. No signs of seepage.
1864 was the greatest, best balanced vintage of the 19th century, and at the peak of the mid-victorian market for fine claret. Following a copybook growing season a good crop of perfectly ripe grapes were picked in great heat. 1864 could be regarded as the fulcrum of undoubtedly the most famous range of five-star vintages from the 1848 to the 1875, including 1858, 1865 and 1870 the top wines of which, if stored undisturbed and in perfect cellar conditions, can still be remarkably good drinking condition.
Coincidentally, in September 1989 Christie's sold the Windsor Castle cellarbook covering the period February 1873 to the 30 April 1875. First growth claret of the 1864 vintage featured in all Queen Victoria's dinner parties during this period, first Lafite and - when this ran out - from 28 February 1875 the 1864 Château Latour.
1864 claret first appeared in a Christie wines sale catalogue in February 1869: Lafite, sold for 106 shillings per dozen. The Royal Household could have bought a replenishment stock of 1864 Lafite, (bottled in 1866, by Nathaniel Johnstone & Sons, Bordeaux) for as little as 50 shillings per dozen at Christie's in June 1874. Stocks of 1864 Latour did not appear in our catalogues until 1877 when in February, we sold 2 dozen and 7 magnums for 180 to 190 shillings per dozen magnums, part of a large cellar of top quality wines from the cellar of 'Caroline, Duchess of Montrose of 45 Belgrave Square'
Regarding the binding or bandaging, we have only encountered this once before: a jeroboam of 1864 Château Lafite from the cellar of one of the Rothschild family and sold by Christie's for Heublein's in Chicago in May.... The purpose of the bandaging was to protect the valuable contents of the bottle from light which, after time, can seriously affect the condition and quality of the wine.
A very rare collectors item of unimpeachable provenance
1 jeroboam per lot