Press Release

Selections from An Important Bordeaux Collection

Published on Dec 15, 20

While each lot in An Important Bordeaux Collection is remarkable in their own right, here are a few selections that should not be missed.

Chateau Latour 1966 (5 bottles)

For a vintage largely overlooked, “[T]he 1966 Latour remains an exemplar of the vintage, certainly one of the best, if not the best Left Bank wine of the vintage,” (N. Martin for TWA, 96 pts. 10/16). In fact, 1966 was rated four stars in Michael Broadbent’s Vintage Wine who wrote “[O]ne of my favourite vintages which I have always described as a lean, long distance runner,” with the Latour as “the slowest maturing of all the ‘66s” and “a flavoury, beautifully textured wine, with time in hand.” (10/00)

Lot 1019, Estimate: $1,800-3,000. Lot details here.

Chateau Palmer 1961 (1 bottle)

Although many seemed surprised by the breakout performance by Chateau Palmer, praise was abundant upon release for this wine, catapulting this third growth to surpass many first growths in scores and price. But after nearly 60 years, the reviews remain firm and the wine has held up to the hype. Michael Broadbent compares 1961 to 1945 as two legendary vintages. After tasting two bottles in 2016 Neal Martin for TWA predicted the drinking window to extend until 2030 and bestowed it a perfect 100 points.

Lot 1067, Estimate: $3,000-4,000. Lot details here.

Chateau Laville Haut Brion 1981 (4 bottles) & 1982 (4 bottles)

Tasted by Skinner specialists, both vintages offer up lively freshness. The wines change tempo throughout the night making them enthralling to taste over a period of time. Although, if forced to choose between the two, specialist Anna Ward would pick the 1982 with its delicate yet complex lime oil and eucalyptus notes and a glycerin-like quality. A white wine for red wine drinkers, the herbaceous savoriness balanced by salinity and fruit is very appealing and cements these as true food wines. “The thought of pairing these wines with scallops makes my stomach grumble and my knees weak.” -APW

Lot 1086, Estimate: $300-500. Lot details here.

Lot 1087, Estimate: $600-1,000. Lot details here.

Chandon de Brailles Savigny les Beaune Les Fourneaux 1989 (10 bottles)

Neither a Grand Cru nor a producer heavily traded on the auction market, this wine has everything one loves about Burgundy. Notes of warm forest floor, the bloom of fresh mushrooms and racy cranberry accentuates the others. The delicacy of this Pinot stretches into a massive beast of a wine after a few hours, proving once again just how mischievous Pinot can be. An absolute pleasure to drink.

Lot 1113, Estimate: $450-700. Lot details here.

Ceretto Barolo Prapo 1985
Bruno Giacosa Gallina de Nieve 1985
Barolo Le Rocche di Castiglione Falletto 1982

A small, but no less significant representation in An Important Bordeaux collection is Piedmont and should not be passed over. Approachable vintages and price points offers all the glories of aged Nebbiolo, which takes wing when coming from a well-maintained cellar temperature. Give these lots of Ceretto Barolo Prapo 1985 (5 bts, $400-600), Bruno Giacosa Gallina de Nieve 1985 (2 bts, $500-750) and Barolo Le Rocche di Castiglione Falletto 1982, 4 bottles ($1,600-2,000) the attention they deserve.