LONDON.- Sotheby’s wine season will draw to a spectacular close on 16 & 17 December 2015, with a two-day sale of The Exceptional Cellar of a Connoisseur. This classic and exciting collection is a reflection of a man who was passionate about art and gastronomy, as well as being an oenophile of great distinction. The cellar was assembled over many years with infinite care and knowledge, and stored in perfectly temperature-controlled conditions. The 1632-lot sale, estimated to bring in excess of £1.9 million, is one of the finest wine collections to be offered at Sotheby’s in London in over a decade. The range of majestic Bordeaux is impressive, spanning 1928 to 2010, with First Growths and Super Seconds in abundance in a variety of formats. The number of Châteaux on offer from some of the most desirable vintages is staggering: 28 each for 1961 and 1982, 47 for 1996, 35 for 1998, and 37 for the magnificent 2000. The same unerring quest for perfection was pursued in the Burgundy collection, where the list of growers is show-stopping.

Serena Sutcliffe MW, Honorary Chairman, Sotheby’s Wine, said: “We are very honoured to bring to auction this superb collection of wine. The sale is custom-made for wine lovers, brimming with the best crus, vineyards, producers and vintages.”

France was undoubtedly ‘the ultimate’ for this connoisseur. The first session on 16 December comprises a star-studded array of top red Bordeaux, with a superlative range of both Left and Right Bank wines.

The sale opens with First Growths and top St. Emilion in the landmark 1945, 1947, 1953, 1959 and 1961 vintages, including all five First Growths in the 1959 and 1961 vintages.

Highlights include a single bottle of Mouton Rothschild 1945, estimated at £3,000-4,000 (7), three bottles of Cheval Blanc 1947 with an estimate of £12,000-15,000 (9), and the 'flawless' Mouton Rothschild 1953, which is expected to bring £2,600-3,400 per three bottles (18). Three magnums of Lafite 1959 carry an estimate of £11,000-13,500 (30), and a single bottle of Cheval Blanc 1959, 'one of the best wines Bordeaux has ever produced', is estimated at £600-700 (38). The ‘mythical’ Latour 1961 is estimated to bring £10,500-13,500 per seven bottles (43), while Mouton Rothschild 1961 – ‘a wonder of the wine world’ – is also on offer in a seven-bottle lot, estimated at £8,500-11,500 (47).

More recent standout vintages such as 1982, 1990, 1996, and 2000, have a remarkable presence, with all five First Growths in bottle, magnum and double-magnum formats. The magnificent 1982 vintage features a complete case of Lafite, estimated at £17,000-19,000 (157).

Also in the spotlight is the 'phenomenal' Haut Brion 1989, estimated to bring £6,000-7,200 per 12 bottles (434-435).

Right Bank stars in top vintages from the 1980s and 1990s include Pétrus, Cheval Blanc, Ausone, Lafleur and Le Pin. Peerless Pétrus is distinguished by the 1989 vintage, estimated at £11,000-16,000 per six bottles (441) and £22,000-32,000 per six magnums (442).

The roll-call of great Châteaux from the Right and Left Banks continues with the 2003, 2005 and 2009 vintages.

The first session draws to a close with a tempting range of mixed lots spanning vintages from 1947 to 2008 (998-1082), with verticals of Cos d’Estournel, Léoville Las Cases and La Mission Haut Brion vying for attention (1001, 1002, 1007).

Session Two on 17 December opens with delectable dry white Bordeaux from 1953 to 2008, distinguished by two bottles of the ‘absolutely ageless’ Laville Haut Brion 1961, estimated at £300-400 (1084), and the 1989 vintage, in three-bottle and 12-bottle lots (1102-1103). The ‘silky smooth’ Haut Brion Blanc 1994 is available in half-bottle, bottle and magnum formats (1109-1111).

The owner’s penchant for Sauternes is evident in a breath-taking selection that encompasses all the great Châteaux in vintages from 1899 to 2009. A treasure trove of Yquem begins with the 1921 vintage, ‘a pinnacle of its century’, on offer in both half-bottle and bottle, estimated respectively at £1,200-1,600 and £2,400-3,200 (1143-1144), followed by the 1929, 1937, 1945, 1947, 1949, 1953, 1959, 1961 and 1967 vintages. These stunning wines are bookended by Suduiraut 1899, ‘one of the greatest Sauternes ever made’, estimated at £800-1,100 per two bottles (1140), and half bottles of L’Extravagant de Doisy Daëne 2009 (1263).

The list of Burgundy growers in the collection is extraordinary, from DRC to Rousseau, Leflaive to Leroy, de Vogüé to Prieuré-Roch. The first two lots are indicative of the quality of the collection: the 1978 vintages of DRC’s Romanée Conti and La Tâche, estimated respectively at £10,000-12,000 and £3,000-3,600 per two bottles (1286, 1287). A magnum of Romanée Conti 1996, ‘a pillar of the vinous century in Burgundy’, carries an estimate of £10,000-12,000 (1295), while two magnums of La Tâche in the same vintage are estimated to bring £4,000-5,200 (1297). Romanée Conti 2002 is estimated at £5,000-6,000 per bottle (1301).

The selection of Leroy is astounding in both quantity and quality, beginning with a magnum of Bonnes Mares 1959, estimated at £1,400-1,800 (1304). The line-up features Musigny 1995 and Chambertin 1996, estimated respectively to bring £4,000-5,000 and £3,600-4,600 per five bottles (1314, 1318).

A stellar offering from Henri Jayer comprises three bottles of Richebourg 1976, estimated at £6,500-9,000 (1400). From de Vogüé, five bottles of the ‘beautiful’ Musigny Cuvée Vieilles Vignes 1971 carry an estimate of £7,000-9,000 (1362).

White Burgundy is represented with an impressive group from Domaine Leflaive, featuring Chevalier Montrachet 1996 in bottle and magnum formats, with estimates starting at £1,400 (1423-1425).

The Rhône wines are a catalogue of gems, from Chave to Rayas to grand Guigal. The ‘divine’ Côte Rôtie La Mouline 1978 is available in six-bottle and 12-bottle lots, estimated respectively at £6,000-8,000 and £12,000-16,000 (1459-1460).

Champagne enthusiasts will be drawn to the mouth-watering scents and flavours of Krug Clos du Mesnil 1979, on offer in single-bottle and three-bottle lots (1521-1524).

However, this remarkable collector did not confine himself to France. From Spain, a selection of legendary vintages of Vega Sicilia ‘Unico’ features the ‘marvellously original’ 1994 vintage, available in seven-bottle and 12-bottle lots estimated respectively at £1,050-1,400 and £1,800-2,400 (1591-1592).