1 Marie-Jeanne per lot
细节
The following section of the catalogue celebrates the coming together of two of France's greatest wine families, one from Bordeaux, one from Champagne. Their wines are Château Pichon Longueville Comtesse de Lalande, deuxième cru classé of Pauillac, and Champagne Louis Roederer of Reims, the makers of Cristal.
CHATEAU PICHON-LONGUEVILLE COMTESSE DE LALANDE
A TIME TO CELEBRATE: MAY-ELIANE'S LIFE IN WINE
In 2006, Ch. Pichon Longueville Comtesse de Lalande, one of Bordeaux's greatest classed growths, changed hands. The property had for many years belonged to the Miailhe family, whose history as Bordeaux wine brokers dates back to 1783. The Miailhes were partners in Ch. Palmer, as well as owning Ch. Pichon Longueville, as well as Cru Bourgeois Châteaux Siran and Citran. The middle years of the 20th century were very tough for château owners, however. International demand was virtually non-existant during the 1930s, then the Germans occupied Pichon during the war. Many wines were unsold at the time, and properties in disrepair. There was little money to modernise wine-making facilities, indeed the rain often came in through the château's roof.
May-Eliane de Lencquesaing, née Miailhe, was born in Bordeaux in 1925. As a child, she criss-crossed the Médoc by bicycle and horse, picking grapes at Pichon, and working on the family estates during her school holidays. After the war, she married a French Resistance fighter, half-Belgian, half French (from Saint-Omer, in the north). He was a military man, who was to become a General, and they had many postings in France, the USA and Algeria. On the general's retirement in 1974, May-Eliane expected to take up a political career in Saint-Omer, but fate decided otherwise. In 1978, the Miailhe family needed someone to revive Pichon, so lots were drawn to find an heir for the property. May-Eliane drew the winning lot, but it was a weighty responsibility, for she and her husband had no wine-making knowledge. They decided to live year-round at the property (which few Médoc owners were doing at the time). They enrolled in oenology classes, and vowed to transform the estate within 5 years. The vats, storage cellars, barrels, staff quarters, vines and château itself - all needed regeneration, repair and investment.
A new vat-house was constructed in 1980, and an expanded barrel cellar completed in 1988. Additional quantities of wine were being set aside each year for the second label, Réserve de la Comtesse, which gained in reputation in its own right. Talented young people were recruited to join the teams in vineyard and cellar.
This château has a higher proportion of Merlot grapes in the blend than is common in the central Médoc, which certainly contributes to its silky, plump, inimitable middle-palate character. Unusually, a number of vineyards which lie in the adjoining village of Saint-Julien are - perfectly legally - incorporated into the Grand Vin blend, and this too contributes to its seductive, fleshy texture, and its exceptional finesse. Unlimited attention to every possible detail by Madame de Lencquesaing, living at the property, resulted in her (Châ teau) Pichon-Lalande taking its place amongst the very greatest of Bordeaux's "Super-Second" châteaux. The style of the wine became defined and polished under her tenure, to create a unique, recognisable character. She travelled tirelessly to all the world's markets where great claret is appreciated, to promote her wines, while also raising the profile of Bordeaux.
28 years after she inherited the property, and having just celebrated her 80th birthday, May-Eliane de Lencquesaing decided to put her family affairs in order. Her husband, General de Lencquesaing, had passed away in 1990. She chose to hand Pichon on. "I did not want to sell to a financial group, bank or foreign investors", she said. "What is the personality of Pichon ?" she asked herself. "It's a family estate. None of my children are wine professionals, but we needed to get organised, and to arrange a steady, long-term future for Pichon. The Rouzaud family has been making wine since the 1780s, just like the Miailhe family, so our backgrounds are very similar. And the Rouzauds were dreaming of this venture".
Is Madame de Lencquesaing retiring? Of course not. She has a new adventure in South Africa, where vineyards have been planted in Stellenbosch, and five levels of wine-making facility are being built into the Simonsberg mountainside. "I decided I wanted to do another new venture," she says. "As long as we are alive on earth we must be creative." With this celebratory sale, it is a privilege for us at Christie's to salute this great lady of the world of wine, and wish her many more years of happiness, health, adventure and success.
CHAMPAGNE LOUIS ROEDERER, REIMS
Champagne has been shipped from Reims under the name of Louis Roederer since 1833. The origins of the firm, however, go back further, to 1776, when it was founded by a father and son named Dubois. Coincidentally, this is just 10 years after James Christie founded his auction house, selling wines in his first-ever auction.
The first Louis Roederer concentrated on selling to Russia, the United States and Great Britain. By 1873, 27 of the firm's production was going to Russia, including Tsar Alexander II's own table. In 1876, a special Cuvée named Cristal was created, for the exclusive use of the Tsar. It was shipped in a clear, extra strong bottle without a punt, thus giving rise to the concept of the "Cuvée de Prestige".
In the aftermath of the 1917 revolution, the company lost its No.1 market in Russia. However, members of the family set off to find new consumers, in South America and across the world. A formidable lady of Champagne, the widow Camille Olry-Roderer, lead the company for 40 years, from 1932. The firm embarked on a vineyard expansion programme, which has left them in an envious position. Today they own 215 hectares of vineyard, overwhelmingly in prime sites (those classified 95100. This is sufficient to supply 2/3 of their annual needs. The vineyards are situated in all three of the greatest Champagne districts : Montagne de Reims, Valley of the Marne - both planted with Pinot Noir - and Côte des Blancs (Chardonnay).
Camille was joined by her grandson Jean-Claude Rouzaud in 1967. Unusually for a Champagne house boss, he had qualified as an oenologist. His passion for wine quality, consistency and individuality was to mark the house's progress for the next 40 years.
Louis Roederer remains a relatively small player, in terms of bottles sold, amongst the great Champagne houses, selling approximately 2.8 m. bottles per year. But sales of vintage wines represent 25 of their turnover, an exceptional total. And they have outstanding levels of old-wine reserves, ageing in large oak tuns, in their climate-controlled "Reserve Wine" cellars in Reims. The reserves amount to approximately 1 million bottles, which is the greatest in Champagne, as a proportion of their despatches. These reserve wines are essential to the creation of consistent, non-vintage wines of the highest quality, such as Brut Premier. They are also invaluable for making the finest, most appropriate styles of "liqueurs d'expédition", which are added to all champagne bottles, to top them up, after disgorging.
CRISTAL
The secret of the success of this legendary, vintage Prestige Cuvée resides in many factors, but particularly from the fact that the grapes come only from Louis Roederer's own vineyards, with a high proportion of Chardonnay grapes. All bottles are still hand-riddled, including the 1990 Millennium Mathusalem (of which one example is included in this sale). For finesse, delicate yet sumptuous bouquet, length of flavour and perfect balance, this wine is without peer - and it ages with the greatest distinction, as rare examples in this auction, shipped specially from the Louis Roederer cellars in Reims, will attest.
ROUZAUD FATHER AND SON
Following periods as technical, then production director, Jean-Claude Rouzaud became director-general of Louis Roederer in 1979. He refined the pursuit of quality and steadily built up the firm's production, while maintaining the principal of two-thirds of wines always coming from the house's own vineyards. In parallel, he established Roederer Estate in Mendocino County in California, later acquiring the port house Adriano Ramos-Pinto, Domaines Ott in Provence, and Ch. de Pez, Saint-Estèphe, amongst other wine interests. In January 2007, he stepped up to become president of the company, handing the director-general's reins to his son Frédéric Rouzaud, who had served a 10 year apprenticeship, before taking over.
"For 15 years we have been investing in Bordeaux" says Frédéric, "with two lovely châteaux in Saint-Estèphe : Haut-Beauséjour, and Ch. de Pez. Also we are partner-owners of the collection of legendary, old vintages at Maison Jean Descaves, in Bordeaux. To be able to add Pichon-Lalande to our family holdings has indeed been a dream. My father and I are delighted to join with Christie's in New York to salute May-Eliane, and thank her for everything she is achieving on our behalf."
Anthony Hanson M.W.
September 2007
Lots 91-118 were all shipped from the cellars of Château Pichon Lalande in September under the most ideal conditions having never left the property. All wines are presented in pristine original wooden cases. This sale is an ideal opportunity to acquire impeccable examples of these incredible wines.
Château Pichon-Longueville, Lalande--Vintage 1953
Pauillac, 2me cru classé
In original wooden case
1 Marie-Jeanne per lot
CHATEAU PICHON-LONGUEVILLE COMTESSE DE LALANDE
A TIME TO CELEBRATE: MAY-ELIANE'S LIFE IN WINE
In 2006, Ch. Pichon Longueville Comtesse de Lalande, one of Bordeaux's greatest classed growths, changed hands. The property had for many years belonged to the Miailhe family, whose history as Bordeaux wine brokers dates back to 1783. The Miailhes were partners in Ch. Palmer, as well as owning Ch. Pichon Longueville, as well as Cru Bourgeois Châteaux Siran and Citran. The middle years of the 20th century were very tough for château owners, however. International demand was virtually non-existant during the 1930s, then the Germans occupied Pichon during the war. Many wines were unsold at the time, and properties in disrepair. There was little money to modernise wine-making facilities, indeed the rain often came in through the château's roof.
May-Eliane de Lencquesaing, née Miailhe, was born in Bordeaux in 1925. As a child, she criss-crossed the Médoc by bicycle and horse, picking grapes at Pichon, and working on the family estates during her school holidays. After the war, she married a French Resistance fighter, half-Belgian, half French (from Saint-Omer, in the north). He was a military man, who was to become a General, and they had many postings in France, the USA and Algeria. On the general's retirement in 1974, May-Eliane expected to take up a political career in Saint-Omer, but fate decided otherwise. In 1978, the Miailhe family needed someone to revive Pichon, so lots were drawn to find an heir for the property. May-Eliane drew the winning lot, but it was a weighty responsibility, for she and her husband had no wine-making knowledge. They decided to live year-round at the property (which few Médoc owners were doing at the time). They enrolled in oenology classes, and vowed to transform the estate within 5 years. The vats, storage cellars, barrels, staff quarters, vines and château itself - all needed regeneration, repair and investment.
A new vat-house was constructed in 1980, and an expanded barrel cellar completed in 1988. Additional quantities of wine were being set aside each year for the second label, Réserve de la Comtesse, which gained in reputation in its own right. Talented young people were recruited to join the teams in vineyard and cellar.
This château has a higher proportion of Merlot grapes in the blend than is common in the central Médoc, which certainly contributes to its silky, plump, inimitable middle-palate character. Unusually, a number of vineyards which lie in the adjoining village of Saint-Julien are - perfectly legally - incorporated into the Grand Vin blend, and this too contributes to its seductive, fleshy texture, and its exceptional finesse. Unlimited attention to every possible detail by Madame de Lencquesaing, living at the property, resulted in her (Châ teau) Pichon-Lalande taking its place amongst the very greatest of Bordeaux's "Super-Second" châteaux. The style of the wine became defined and polished under her tenure, to create a unique, recognisable character. She travelled tirelessly to all the world's markets where great claret is appreciated, to promote her wines, while also raising the profile of Bordeaux.
28 years after she inherited the property, and having just celebrated her 80th birthday, May-Eliane de Lencquesaing decided to put her family affairs in order. Her husband, General de Lencquesaing, had passed away in 1990. She chose to hand Pichon on. "I did not want to sell to a financial group, bank or foreign investors", she said. "What is the personality of Pichon ?" she asked herself. "It's a family estate. None of my children are wine professionals, but we needed to get organised, and to arrange a steady, long-term future for Pichon. The Rouzaud family has been making wine since the 1780s, just like the Miailhe family, so our backgrounds are very similar. And the Rouzauds were dreaming of this venture".
Is Madame de Lencquesaing retiring? Of course not. She has a new adventure in South Africa, where vineyards have been planted in Stellenbosch, and five levels of wine-making facility are being built into the Simonsberg mountainside. "I decided I wanted to do another new venture," she says. "As long as we are alive on earth we must be creative." With this celebratory sale, it is a privilege for us at Christie's to salute this great lady of the world of wine, and wish her many more years of happiness, health, adventure and success.
CHAMPAGNE LOUIS ROEDERER, REIMS
Champagne has been shipped from Reims under the name of Louis Roederer since 1833. The origins of the firm, however, go back further, to 1776, when it was founded by a father and son named Dubois. Coincidentally, this is just 10 years after James Christie founded his auction house, selling wines in his first-ever auction.
The first Louis Roederer concentrated on selling to Russia, the United States and Great Britain. By 1873, 27 of the firm's production was going to Russia, including Tsar Alexander II's own table. In 1876, a special Cuvée named Cristal was created, for the exclusive use of the Tsar. It was shipped in a clear, extra strong bottle without a punt, thus giving rise to the concept of the "Cuvée de Prestige".
In the aftermath of the 1917 revolution, the company lost its No.1 market in Russia. However, members of the family set off to find new consumers, in South America and across the world. A formidable lady of Champagne, the widow Camille Olry-Roderer, lead the company for 40 years, from 1932. The firm embarked on a vineyard expansion programme, which has left them in an envious position. Today they own 215 hectares of vineyard, overwhelmingly in prime sites (those classified 95100. This is sufficient to supply 2/3 of their annual needs. The vineyards are situated in all three of the greatest Champagne districts : Montagne de Reims, Valley of the Marne - both planted with Pinot Noir - and Côte des Blancs (Chardonnay).
Camille was joined by her grandson Jean-Claude Rouzaud in 1967. Unusually for a Champagne house boss, he had qualified as an oenologist. His passion for wine quality, consistency and individuality was to mark the house's progress for the next 40 years.
Louis Roederer remains a relatively small player, in terms of bottles sold, amongst the great Champagne houses, selling approximately 2.8 m. bottles per year. But sales of vintage wines represent 25 of their turnover, an exceptional total. And they have outstanding levels of old-wine reserves, ageing in large oak tuns, in their climate-controlled "Reserve Wine" cellars in Reims. The reserves amount to approximately 1 million bottles, which is the greatest in Champagne, as a proportion of their despatches. These reserve wines are essential to the creation of consistent, non-vintage wines of the highest quality, such as Brut Premier. They are also invaluable for making the finest, most appropriate styles of "liqueurs d'expédition", which are added to all champagne bottles, to top them up, after disgorging.
CRISTAL
The secret of the success of this legendary, vintage Prestige Cuvée resides in many factors, but particularly from the fact that the grapes come only from Louis Roederer's own vineyards, with a high proportion of Chardonnay grapes. All bottles are still hand-riddled, including the 1990 Millennium Mathusalem (of which one example is included in this sale). For finesse, delicate yet sumptuous bouquet, length of flavour and perfect balance, this wine is without peer - and it ages with the greatest distinction, as rare examples in this auction, shipped specially from the Louis Roederer cellars in Reims, will attest.
ROUZAUD FATHER AND SON
Following periods as technical, then production director, Jean-Claude Rouzaud became director-general of Louis Roederer in 1979. He refined the pursuit of quality and steadily built up the firm's production, while maintaining the principal of two-thirds of wines always coming from the house's own vineyards. In parallel, he established Roederer Estate in Mendocino County in California, later acquiring the port house Adriano Ramos-Pinto, Domaines Ott in Provence, and Ch. de Pez, Saint-Estèphe, amongst other wine interests. In January 2007, he stepped up to become president of the company, handing the director-general's reins to his son Frédéric Rouzaud, who had served a 10 year apprenticeship, before taking over.
"For 15 years we have been investing in Bordeaux" says Frédéric, "with two lovely châteaux in Saint-Estèphe : Haut-Beauséjour, and Ch. de Pez. Also we are partner-owners of the collection of legendary, old vintages at Maison Jean Descaves, in Bordeaux. To be able to add Pichon-Lalande to our family holdings has indeed been a dream. My father and I are delighted to join with Christie's in New York to salute May-Eliane, and thank her for everything she is achieving on our behalf."
Anthony Hanson M.W.
September 2007
Lots 91-118 were all shipped from the cellars of Château Pichon Lalande in September under the most ideal conditions having never left the property. All wines are presented in pristine original wooden cases. This sale is an ideal opportunity to acquire impeccable examples of these incredible wines.
Château Pichon-Longueville, Lalande--Vintage 1953
Pauillac, 2me cru classé
In original wooden case
1 Marie-Jeanne per lot