Christie’s Fine Wine and Spirits – Saturday October 24th, 2015

It’s been a few weeks, but I’m back. I’ve been around, tasting very old whiskey and generally working my butt off. A few long weeks at the office make wine so much more delicious. We’re now deep into fall and Christie’s has a great selection wine from legendary producers in their upcoming sale. These are a bit more expensive than I typically recommend, but for these producers, you have to consider what you would be paying otherwise. Now, to the lots.

Lot 9 – Château Latour 1995 (6 bottles)

To this day, I vividly remember my first taste of Latour. It was a bottle of the 1982 from my father’s cellar. He bought the 1982s on release, when they were significantly cheaper and undervalued.  Nowadays, almost all Bordeaux is aggressively priced, but these bottles are among one of the cheaper options you will see if you want to drink Latour. At roughly $400 a bottle, this is certainly no bargain wine, but for the maker, it is. This was not an amazing year, so you see it selling at a bit of a discount. I know I will be watching this lot.

Lot 32 – Pétrus 2000 (12 bottles)

Again, another wine that fills my mind and my heart with fond memories. I remember drinking a bottle of my 1992 to celebrate my brother’s birthday on one occasion. Years later, I was fortunate to visit the Château and see the famous blue clay soil. It is a certainly a wine for a great celebration. The prices here are high, but Scott Torrence points out that these are trading below the 5 year trend in price. Maybe don’t buy these for investment purposes, but know that you would be buying these at a price you would likely not see for many years.

Lot 35 – Pétrus 2003 (12 bottles)

Again, more Pétrus, this time around half the price of the last lot. Still quite expensive, but good luck finding these for cheaper.

Lot 180 – Gaja, Conteisa 2001 (3 bottles)

Founded in 1859, the famous Piedmont winery is currently led by the fourth and fifth generations of the family. Angelo Gaja and his daughters Gaia and Rossana oversee of the vineyards in both Barolo and Barbaresco. Today, I’m focusing on the Conteisa vineyard, a property which straddles the commune of La Morra and Barola. Roughly 92% Nebbiola and 8% Barbera, this blend is aged for 24 months in both barriques and large barrels. It is classified as Langhe Nebbiolo DOC. For roughly $100 a bottle, this is a relative steal.

Lot 223 – Château Latour 1959 (3 bottles)

More Latour! From a very, very old vintage. All things considered, this is a good price for this wine. Certainly would make for a legendary night.

Lot 224 – Château Lafite-Rothschild 1964 (4 magnums)

More incredibly old legendary Bordeaux for only $500 per magnum. What a weird world we live in. I’ll definitely try to convince my girlfriend to let me buy this.

Lot 256-259 – Ducru-Beaucaillou 2003 (12 bottles)

I first had this a few years back and was surprised at the quality. It is definitely an underrated maker within Bordeaux. I would highly recommend these lots.

Lot 321 – Comte Georges de Vogüé, Musigny, Vieilles Vignes (5 bottles)

Old bottles from one of the most legendary vineyards in Burgundy. The condition of these sounds inconsistent, so you have a bit of risk, but that is well priced into these. For $300 a bottle, this is definitely a good price for these bottles.

Lot 327 – Fonseca 1963 and Zind-Humbrecht, Clos St. Urbain Pinot Gris SGN 1989

Two really strange bottles in this lot. This could go low and make it a good bargain. I will be watching this lot in case it goes for a low price. This is my type of lot.

Lot 355 – Château Beychevelle 1988 (12 bottles)

Mature bottles of Beychevelle, a very underrated maker. This is ready to drink now and the seems to be kept in very strong condition. This is going for less than $100 a bottle. Another one to watch.

Lot 356 – Château Talbot 1990 (12 bottles)

This is another great lot. Well priced and in solid condition. Again, watch this one.

Lot 357 – Château Phelan-Ségur 1989 (12 bottles)

Roughly $40 a bottle for a hidden secret in Bordeaux. Pick this up before everyone else learns about this fantastic producer.

Lot 363 – Château Pape-Clément 1990 (12 bottles)

A bit more expensive than some of the lots that came before it, but Pape-Clément is worth paying for. This is fantastic grape juice. If you buy it, try not to drink it all at once.

Lot 430 – Château Figeac 1966 (9 bottles)

When I was in Bordeaux, I had the pleasure of visiting this great Château. The wine they make is delicious and this is definitely a cool lot. Not too obscenely priced considering how old this is. Irresistible.

Lot 460 – Château Climens 1995 and 1997 (10 bottles)

If you like Sauternes, the prices on these are fantastic. These are drinking now and are tough to come upon. Definitely a fun way to end a great evening.

Lot 461 – Château Suduirant 1989, 1995, and 1997  and Château Tirecul La Graviere (12 bottles and 5 500ml bottles)

A crazy amount of Sauternes at unheard of prices. Let’s watch this one. Just don’t take it out from under me.

Lot 462 – Château Rieussec 1995 and 1997 (12 bottles)

We will end my obsession with Sauternes here. Rieussec is fantastic. I have a bottle of the 1997 in my storage at the moment. (Note to self, write about storage in a future post). This again is crazy cheap for what this is. These bottles often go for over $100. Bid on this if you can.

Lot 506 and on – Overholt, Rye Whisky from over a century ago

I had the opportunity to taste this less than a week ago and it is fantastic. Additionally, the prices are not crazy. They are estimating that it will go for roughly $200-$400 a bottle. As a showpiece alone, it is worth the price for many potential buyers. I also know that these lots have no reserves. They will sell for sure. Definitely watch these. You will never have the chance to buy these again.

These come from a famous tycoon’s private collection. He owned the distillery and these were for personal consumption, which he never got around to. Let’s enjoy his booze for a reasonable price. If you want more details, just post in the comments and I will respond.