Treasure trove of legendary wines to fetch £ 370,000 at Sotheby’s London sale of Finest & Rarest Wines

Comprising 905 lots and with a pre-sale estimate in excess of £1.25 million, Sotheby’s London sale of Finest & Rarest Wines on Wednesday 26 March 2014 will be spearheaded by Two Magnificent Collections. The auction opens with a 32-lot treasure trove of legendary wines spanning seven decades, estimated to bring in excess of £370,000.

Serena Sutcliffe, worldwide head of Sotheby’s Wine Department, commented: "It is truly rare to experience a cellar such as this, with its extraordinary selection of wines which will give enormous pleasure to those who buy them. This is without doubt a snapshot of some of the greatest wines ever made."

The collection begins with an exceptional opportunity to acquire previously unopened cases of First Growth Bordeaux from the 1950s and 1960s, including Latour 1959, Latour 1961, and Mouton Rothschild 1961. Further top Bordeaux features Lafite 1982, the ‘extremely hard to come by’ Le Pin 1990, and Pétrus 2000. Domaine de la Romanée-Conti alone represents the Red Burgundy selection, boasting individual cases of each Grand Cru in the 1995 and 1996 vintages. A stand-out amongst the Rhône wines is Hermitage La Chapelle 1961.

Session Two comprises the second ‘Magnificent’ collection, embracing an exciting range of the greatest wines France has produced in recent memory. The 550 lots carry a combined estimate in excess of £545,000 and focus principally on Bordeaux vintages spanning the first decade of the new millennium. Outstanding wines from each vintage have been meticulously cherry-picked for their appeal to either cellar for the long term or to drink now. All the First Growths from the excellent 2000 and 2005 vintages are on offer, alongside top Right Bank wines including Cheval Blanc 2005.

Grand Cru Burgundy and a good range of Châteauneuf du Pape complete a stunning line-up that should not be overlooked by any collector wishing to build the ‘perfect’ cellar. Elsewhere in the sale, amongst an impressive range of Grandes Marques Champagne, comprising 115 lots, are parcels of Dom Pérignon Oenothèque 1996, Salon Le Mesnil Blanc de Blancs in the 1996, 1997 and 1999 vintages, and Krug Clos du Mesnil 2000, together with a measure of Glenlivet Whisky and Martell Cognac.