Rare collections of the world’s leading wines to be sold as single bottles

Strauss & Co Fine Wine Auctions, part of Africa’s Leading Auction House, proudly offers significant collections of the world’s greatest wines, now available as single bottles.

Superb provenance and meticulous authentication

Collected over many decades by the Coats family as part of an extensive cellar, the wines were imported into South Africa via refrigerated container and each bottle is in top condition. “Mr Coats had a clear passion for Penfolds Grange and Mouton-Rothschild, but there are few great wines from the 20^th century that weren’t in the cellar. The d’Yquem collection is also expansive and very special!,” says Roland Peens, Strauss & Co wine specialist. Leading International fine wine expert, Michael Egan, scrutinised and authenticated every bottle, as well as tasted many along with the Strauss & Co wine team.

Birthyear bottles and different times

The auction offers opportunity to buy young wines from these four iconic producers, but also birthyear bottles from the last 13 decades. “Few wine producers have such rich wine making history and these wines are not only hugely rare, but also the pinnacle of drinking! A bottle of the 1949 Mouton-Rothschild stopped us in our tracks! Just so haunting, fresh, dazzling and sumptuous! It is one of the greatest wines I have ever tasted and it’s 74 years old! A string of special post-war vintages from 1945-1949 must surely have contributed to the 1973 first growth re-classification of Mouton,” continues Peens.

The wines

The Penfolds Grange collection spans the first 58 years of Penfolds, including the maiden 1951 vintage. The New-World’s most famous wine was produced by visionary Max Schubert, and the collection includes a signed 375ml bottle of the 1952. The 232 bottles and 42 Magnums is close to a complete vertical.

Château Mouton-Rothschild famously added artwork to their labels with the legendary 1945, although occurred as far back as 1924. To commemorate the allied victory, Baron Philippe de Rothschild commissioned unknown artist Phillippe Julian. The 1945 turned out to be a legendary wine and the artist labels became a huge drawcard for collectors. This impressive 176 bottle collection holds a bevy of large format bottles, including 33 double-magnums and a strong showing of the great vintages of 1982, 1986 and 2000.

The world’s greatest sweet wine, Château d’Yquem is showcased over 119 years and includes four bottles from the 19^th century. d’Yquem is famous for its extremely long ageing and it turns progressively darker with age, gaining complexity. Great vintages such 2001, 1976, 1967, 1947, 1945, 1928 and 1899 are included.

The world’s most hallowed producer, Domaine de La Romanée Conti, includes 80 bottles from 1999-2015. This prolific period for Burgundy is highlighted by a mix of red wines from their various vineyards including 17 bottles of La Tâche, and 2 bottles each of the 2009 and 2010 La Romanée Conti.

MichaeI Egan 

Michael Egan is an expert in fine and rare wines with more than thirty-five years of experience. From 1981 to 2005 he worked in the wine department at Sotheby’s, becoming a director. Michael moved to Bordeaux in 2005 and since then has been authenticating private and commercial wine collections around the world.

Thanks to many years spent inspecting old and rare wines in European cellars for auction, where in many instances the wines had lain undisturbed since original purchase shortly after bottling, he is in the fortunate position to know what a genuine bottle should look like, hence his specialty in detecting counterfeit bottles. Michael has been the principal expert for the plaintiff in the two major wine counterfeiting trials that have occurred concerning fine wine: Koch v. Eric Greenberg and United States v. Rudy Kurniawan, both of which occurred in 2013. 

The auction

The timed online auction opens for bidding on Tuesday 15 August  and will close on Monday, 28 August from 10am with lots closing consecutively at 1 minute intervals.

To view the lots:  https://www.straussart.co.za/auctions/browse/14-aug-2023-wine/1/1