Sotheby’s auctions Lafite private and ex-château cellar wines
Auction house Sotheby’s has announced the €1 million sale of Château Lafite wines from two cellars belonging to a member of the Rothschild family.
The ‘Legends from Château Lafite’ sale is comprised of 61 lots with a combined value in excess of €1 million, including 40 released directly from the cellars of Château Lafite. The ex-Château wines have only recently been removed from the cellars of Château Lafite Rothschild itself.
The remaining wines come from the private cellar – in France – of the same Rothschild family member.
Taking place in December, the sale offers wines “that have remained within the Rothschild family for generations – and in many cases, within Château Lafite itself”, according to Frédéric Guyot du Repaire, Sotheby’s deputy head of wine, EMEA, who described the wines as “pieces of the Lafite story itself”.
Lots 1-40 include the 1870 pre-phylloxera vintage through to the 1895, to post-war vintages such as 1945 and 1949, extending through to the 1982. Among the highlights is an assortment vintage case specially created for this sale, bringing together bottles from 1928, 1945, 1949, 1953, 1955 and 1982.
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Each bottle was inspected between September and October 2025 by Sotheby’s at the Château. Originally in “tiré-bouché”, these bottles were labelled, capsuled, engraved and proof tagged specifically for this sale.
Lots 41-61, from the private cellar of the Rothschild family member, span vintages from 1878 to 1970 presented in a variety of formats, including a unique Jeroboam of 1924. These bottles were originally shipped from Lafite many years ago, before being returned to the Château this October to be inspected by Sotheby’s and consequently repacked in newly engraved original wooden cases under the supervision of the château’s technical team.
Serena Sutcliffe MW, honorary chairman, Sotheby’s wine, said: “Lafite has an aura to it that, through the centuries, shows in magisterial fashion. It is always an experience that marks the palate and lingers long in the memory – it has a huge place in my wine life.”
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