“Greatest ever” Bordeaux cellar up for sale

One of the “greatest ever cellars of Bordeaux” is to appear at auction next month.

The collection, to be sold over two days by Sotheby’s in London, is described as “one of the most comprehensive collections of first growth Bordeaux Sotheby’s has ever offered at auction” and includes vintages from 1955 to 2004.

In impeccable condition, the collection contains roughly 5,500 bottles, 730 magnums, 500 double magnums, 229 Jeroboams and 240 imperials.

The collection was housed in a “continental property” and was reportedly amassed over two decades by an entrepreneur and philanthropist.

The auction is expected to raise in excess of £2.1 million from the 1,475 lots.

Sotheby’s worldwide head of wine Serena Sutcliffe commented: “Sales such as this do not occur very often, when all the necessary criteria of quality, provenance and condition all come together to create a perfect buying opportunity.

“When this is combined with quantity, variety, desirable vintages and a mind-blowing range of formats, we know that we have to bring the collection to the attention of everyone who is fascinated by fine wine, wherever they are in the world.

“The owner of this collection has enjoyed many wines from his cellar but, as sometimes happens, he has found that he has more wine than he needs.

“He is a perfectionist who bought en primeur from the best sources and then stored his wines in optimum conditions – in this case, also in surroundings of architectural beauty. It was awe-inspiring to inspect and pack up this remarkable collection of wines, eliciting thirsty gasps as the process unfolded. As we saw favourite wines and Holy Grail wines, virtually all in original wooden cases, it was obvious that this was something special.”

First growths comprise a great deal of the collection but there are also a good number of other top châteaux.

The sale is scheduled for Wednesday 26 and Thursday 27 October.