2 bottles per lot
Details
1960's: THE DECADE IN WINE
This decade saw some of the best and some of the worst-ever claret vintages. I regard this as a transitional period in wine, with changes of emphasis, though Bordeaux continued its dominant role.
In 1961 the abolition of resale price maintenance in the United Kingdom immediately resulted in a period of feverish price cutting. Although retail licenses were strictly controlled, by the mid-1960s supermarkets with superior tactics and finance, fought to obtain licenses. Tesco led the way, with my former colleague, Jimmy Duggan, at the helm. This became another nail in the British retailer's coffin, though the survivors, the remaining "carriage trade" merchants, continued to thrive. By this time, the entire structure of the wine trade had fragmented. This timely situation was particularly fortuitous for Christie's. It led to the resumption of wine auctions which had ceased during the war and not been able to restart straight away due to post-war restrictions. It was also fortuitous for me. I had reached the dizzy height of UK sales director of Harvey's of Bristol and was ripe for pastures new. In the summer of 1966 I resigned from Harvey's and joined Christie's to establish a new, specialist wine auction department. The first sale was held on 11 October that year. Among the 32 wine auctions in the first season was a ground breaking "Finest and Rarest" wine auction held on 31 May 1967. It put Christie's firmly on the map. The auction included a splendid array of great wines, including Lord Roseberry's two cellars of pre-phylloxera Lafite, and attracted, for the first time, collectors from overseas - for the international fine wine marker, as we know it today, did not exist prior to 1966. Christie's first season was the watershed. And then, as now, Bordeaux dominated the saleroom scene.
1961: A GREAT VINTAGE
A great vintage often compared to the 1945 for the two have several things in common. First of all, nature did the pruning: frosts severely reducing the potential crop in 1945 and heavy rain washing away the pollen in 1961. Though there was persistent rain in July, there was a drought in August, followed by a very sunny September, which resulted in a harvest of small, thick-skinned, well-nourished grapes in turn producing deeply couloured, ripe but concentrated and tannic wines.
Opinions vary, some sure of the '61s superiority - some, as I do - considering the 45s greater. The risk is that the tannin will outlive the fruit. Nevertheless some fabulous wines made.
Château Mouton-Rothschild--Vintage 1961
Pauillac, 1er cru classé
Levels: top shoulder; one lightly stained label, one lightly glue and badly-stained label, Nicolas stamped-label, lightly corroded capsules
"No longer opaque, mature; lovely, fragrant, spicy bouquet and flavour. Drier and crisper than the fully developed '59 which I thought the greatest at Aschau. Last tasted Feb 1997 ***** but I would enjoy it-if you can - while at its peak. However, it will not fade away for quite a time." MB, Vintage Wine
2 bottles per lot
This decade saw some of the best and some of the worst-ever claret vintages. I regard this as a transitional period in wine, with changes of emphasis, though Bordeaux continued its dominant role.
In 1961 the abolition of resale price maintenance in the United Kingdom immediately resulted in a period of feverish price cutting. Although retail licenses were strictly controlled, by the mid-1960s supermarkets with superior tactics and finance, fought to obtain licenses. Tesco led the way, with my former colleague, Jimmy Duggan, at the helm. This became another nail in the British retailer's coffin, though the survivors, the remaining "carriage trade" merchants, continued to thrive. By this time, the entire structure of the wine trade had fragmented. This timely situation was particularly fortuitous for Christie's. It led to the resumption of wine auctions which had ceased during the war and not been able to restart straight away due to post-war restrictions. It was also fortuitous for me. I had reached the dizzy height of UK sales director of Harvey's of Bristol and was ripe for pastures new. In the summer of 1966 I resigned from Harvey's and joined Christie's to establish a new, specialist wine auction department. The first sale was held on 11 October that year. Among the 32 wine auctions in the first season was a ground breaking "Finest and Rarest" wine auction held on 31 May 1967. It put Christie's firmly on the map. The auction included a splendid array of great wines, including Lord Roseberry's two cellars of pre-phylloxera Lafite, and attracted, for the first time, collectors from overseas - for the international fine wine marker, as we know it today, did not exist prior to 1966. Christie's first season was the watershed. And then, as now, Bordeaux dominated the saleroom scene.
1961: A GREAT VINTAGE
A great vintage often compared to the 1945 for the two have several things in common. First of all, nature did the pruning: frosts severely reducing the potential crop in 1945 and heavy rain washing away the pollen in 1961. Though there was persistent rain in July, there was a drought in August, followed by a very sunny September, which resulted in a harvest of small, thick-skinned, well-nourished grapes in turn producing deeply couloured, ripe but concentrated and tannic wines.
Opinions vary, some sure of the '61s superiority - some, as I do - considering the 45s greater. The risk is that the tannin will outlive the fruit. Nevertheless some fabulous wines made.
Château Mouton-Rothschild--Vintage 1961
Pauillac, 1er cru classé
Levels: top shoulder; one lightly stained label, one lightly glue and badly-stained label, Nicolas stamped-label, lightly corroded capsules
"No longer opaque, mature; lovely, fragrant, spicy bouquet and flavour. Drier and crisper than the fully developed '59 which I thought the greatest at Aschau. Last tasted Feb 1997 ***** but I would enjoy it-if you can - while at its peak. However, it will not fade away for quite a time." MB, Vintage Wine
2 bottles per lot