King’s College Cambridge wine cellar rarities go under the hammer
Ever wondered what’s in the cellars of the UK’s most historic universities? Now may be the time to find out, as Christie’s is holding a sale of fine wines that includes rarities from the cellars of King’s College, Cambridge.
The collection forms part of Christie’s Fine and Rare Wines & Spirits online sale, which closes on 29 April, London.
Christie’s wine specialist Charles Foley called The King’s College cellar one of the UK’s “most distinguished institutional collections”
“The wines were acquired on release for long‑term cellaring, not speculation, and have been stored consistently in the College’s historic cellars,” he said. “Overseen by only a small number of custodians over decades, the collection offers exceptional quality and alongside maturity.”
The greatest interest was likely to centre on the mature Rhône wines from Château Rayas and Clos des Papes, which represent “the pinnacle of Châteauneuf, and mature examples from both estates are increasingly rare at auction”, he said; red Burgundy from Emmanuel Rouget, who Foley noted as “the successor to the great Henri Jayer” and among the most sought‑after in Vosne-Romanee; and the “superb” white Burgundies from Pierre-Yves Colin-Morey and Fontaine-Gagnard.
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“These lots combine scarcity, pedigree, and great provenance,” he added.
The highlights include : a Domaine Dujac, Charmes-Chambertin 2006, 12 bottles, (pre-sale estimate: £4,800–£6,500) ; Emmanuel Rouget, Echézeaux 2015, 6 bottles, (estimate £3,200–£4,200); and Château Rayas, Châteauneuf-du-Pape 2000, 2 bottles (estimate : £8,500–£12,000).
In addition to the King’s College wines, the sale includes several outstanding private collections, featuring top Burgundy from producers such as Domaine de la Romanée‑Conti and Domaine Leroy, rare white Burgundy from Arnaud Ente and upcoming star Bernard Bonin, alongside leading names in Bordeaux, Italy, Spain and the United States. This includes a “superlative cache of wines from Sine Qua Non”, Foley said.
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