We are always filled with great pride presenting our Fine and Rare wine auctions and August is no exception. An evening spent with family and friends over a bottle of fine wine is always enjoyable and we believe that there will be something for all palates and wallets in our latest offering.
This auction features many wines with perfect scores of either 100 or 20/20. Not to mention the 99+ or 19.5/20 wines that also feature. These high scoring wines are across all sections of the catalogue covering vintages from the early and mid-90s through to more recent vintages.
The New Zealand section gets us underway with the usual suspects featuring numerous vintages of Stonyridge, Destiny Bay and Te Whau from Waiheke backed up by Frenchman’s Hill and Te Motu. The Tamaki-Makaurau region also has wines from Providence and The Real Review favourite – Puriri Hills. Hawkes Bay is always front foot when it comes to Bordeaux blends and we have many including Te Mata Coleraine in bottle and magnum, Babich, Coopers Creek, Vidal and Craggy Range.
NZ pinots are always sought after, and we have some of the very best around. Covering all serious regions from Central Otago’s Gibbston Valley and Quartz Reef heading north to Waitaki with Valli we then head to Canterbury presenting Greystone and Pegasus Bay and up into Marlborough and Novum. Crossing the straight we head to Martinborough with Ata Rangi in both bottle and magnum format, Dry River, Craggy Range, Escarpment, and, of course, Martinborough Vineyards. Te Mata’s Alma is the sole Hawkes Bay example but what an example it is!
Syrah gets a knowing nod with Craggy Range Le Sol and Trinity Hill Homage leading a supporting cast of Sacred Hill and Te Mata Bullnose from Hawkes Bay. Man O’War and Mudbrick from Waiheke and the always very good Dry River from Martinborough.
The rarely seen New Zealand Zinfandel spices things up to complete the reds from these fine shores.
We round out the New Zealand section with some succulent Chardonnays from Tony Bish, Vidal, Te Mata, Bone Line and the first vintage of the Prophets Rock Cuvee aux Antipodes Blanc.
No auction in Australasia is complete without Penfolds and we have some of their best wines; headlining with Block 42, Bins 707, 407 and 389 as well as Magill, Yattarna, St Henri and RWT. Special mention must go to the 1979 St Henri. The “lucky country” also showcases Henschke with Cyril and Mt Edelstone, Jim Barry Armagh and Wendouree from South Australia as well as Giaconda and personal fav Yarra Yering from Victoria.
Italy has its head held high with Ornellaia, Tignanello, Sassicaia, Tignanello, Gaja,Lisini, Felsina, Fontodi, Montevertine and Il Poggione from Tuscany all jostling for position. Piedmont comes in fast with a few beauties of its own with Cantina Fantino, Massolino, Vietti and the awesome Produttori del Barbaresco.
Spain puts its hand up to be noticed with Vega Sicilia with La Rioja, Artardi and Muga.
The Champagne section may be smaller this month but it doesn’t get any bigger than names like Dom Perignon, Krug Vintage and Henri Giraud.
The always popular Rhone section has some real gems with Guigal Lalas from Cote Rotie, Guy Farge from St Joseph and Chave Hermitage Blanc from the north. Chateauneuf du Pape is dominant in the south with Mordoree, Charvin and Beaucastel.
The fastest growing category presently is Burgundy, and we have some absolute belters! Leroy, Lamarche, de Vogue, Bonneau du Martray, Bruno Clavelier and Meo-Camuzet offer their silky pinot noirs. While Chablis always has plenty to offer with Vincent Dauvissat, William Fevre and Jean-Paul & Benoit Droin. Plenty of wines there to bring a sparkle to one’s eye.
As far as Sauternes goes it doesn’t come much bigger than a 5 litre bottling of the 1990 Chateau d’Yquem.
Bordeaux is always very popular, and it is easy to see why. First Growths Haut Brion and Mouton Rothschild, Super Seconds Pichon Lalande, Cos d’Estournel, Leoville Barton and both with 100 point wines Montrose and La Mission Haut Brion. More 100 point wines with two vintages of Pontet Canet makes this section one not to miss. The Left Bank is equally as strong with Cheval Blanc from St Emilion and Vieux Chateau Certain and Hosanna from Pomerol.
We finish the auction with a wonderful selection of Fortifieds with examples from Oporto and Madeira as well as a 1930s/40s bottle of Fino Sherry.
As with buying any second-hand goods there can be risk. This risk can be mitigated through reviewing widely available vintage reports and critic reviews and imposing realistic expectations. The reward however, of a fine wine at its absolute peak of maturity, offering its full range of primary, secondary and tertiary flavours should be significant enough for most to negate the occasional disappointment.
So, if the risk-reward scales are deemed favourable, we have a lovely selection of wines at various stages of maturity available in our current auction. Happy browsing and please bid responsibly.
All bids are binding.
