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‘Fabled’ Rhône wines lead Sotheby’s sale

Sotheby’s next London sale will feature Hermitage La Chapelle dating back to 1961 and other rare wines sourced from a Bavarian castle.

Taking place on 25 November, the first part of the sale is the collection of Konrad Bernheimer, which has been stored in the 11th-century castle, Burg Marquartstein in Bavaria.

Said to be “brimming with ‘hidden gems’,” the main focus of the collection is Bordeaux spanning the vintages 1928 to 2004. Highlights include Mouton Rothschild 1945 (one bottle, £3,200-£3,800), Latour 1961 (10 bottles, £6,000-£8,000), Petrus 1989 (five bottles, £7,200-£8,000), Yquem 1967 (three bottles, £1,600-£2,200) and Ygrec 1996 (£850-£1,050 per case).

There are also appearances from Burgundy, Champagne and the Rhône, such as the exceptionally rare Vosne Romanée Cuvée Duvault-Blochet 2002 from Domaine de la Romanée-Conti (£4,800-£5,800 per case), 2002 Bâtard Montrachet from Domaine Leflaive (£2,600-£3,200 per case) and five bottles of 1955 Dom Pérignon (£2,000-£2,600).

Serena Sutcliffe MW, honorary chairman of Sotheby’s Wine, said: “It is a pleasure to bring to auction a wine collection with this pedigree. The conditions of the castle cellar were impeccable for the life of the wines. Nearly all the wines are ready to drink, at their apogee, so it is an ‘instant gratification’ collection that is made for wonderful occasions over this festive season and beyond.”

The second part of the sale is comprised of a collection of Hermitage La Chapelle, Château La Lagune and ‘Duo’ offered by the Jaboulet and Frey families.

The collection of La Chapelle spans the famous 1961 vintage – three bottles of which are estimated to make £20,000 to £30,000 – through to the 2012 in a variety of formats.

The La Lagune offering likewise features a variety of bottle sizes from 1975 to 2011 and there is also the opportunity to bid for the chance to spend a night at the Médoc property for four people (starting price £4,000).

Vintages of the 2006, 2010, 2011 and 2012 Duo (an extremely rare blend of La Chapelle and La Lagune) will be available in magnum and Jeroboam formats.

Sutcliffe added: “We are thrilled to bring this very special collection of fabled wines to auction in London. This is a wonderful winter wine collection that has been prised away from the cellars of two of France’s great wine estates.”

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