Collection of ‘rediscovered’ historic Bordeaux to be auctioned
Have you checked the outhouse lately? It might be worth it, after one lucky house buyer found a “sleeping” collection of rare Bordeaux bottles hidden in a cellar in an outhouse.
The collection, which is to be sold at Dreweatts auction house tomorrow (24 February), comprises a long-forgotten collection of historic Bordeaux, dating from between 1929 and 1964.
The wines, which are still in remarkable quality, offer a fascinating glimpse into decades of oenological preservation but what makes this find so extraordinary is how it came to light. For decades, the wines lay undisturbed in a concealed trap-door cellar in the outbuilding of a Hampshire home – until the property’s new owner uncovered the collection and sent Dreweatts a simple email: “I have found some wine in my new house.”
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Among the bottles, the team discovered historic Bordeaux of exceptional provenance, including celebrated vintages such as 1943 and 1945 Château Latour, which were originally purchased from Civil Service Stores. While the bottles show their age, tasting by Dreweatts’ experts suggests they may be among the few remaining examples in the world ready to be enjoyed exactly as intended.
Additional highlights include 1959 Chateau Leoville Barton (lot 66), which senior consultant Mark Robertson described as “a truly great claret”, that was “was just as fresh and incredible, and perhaps even better” 24 hours after initial tasting; a 1959 Chateau Haut Bages (lot 70) that “on paper I would have dismissed… on tasting however, I would have bitten your arm off for another glass”; and 1964 Chateau Batailley (lot 71) “the most perfect glass of balanced, silky mature Claret… [and] a testament to the conditions it had been stored in.”
The auction catalogue can be found here.
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