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Avery’s cellar auction includes 1875 Lafite

19th-century Lafite-Rothschild and a selection from the acclaimed 1945 vintage will be among the highlights when Christie’s auctions wines from the Avery family’s cellar in London next month.

Avery’s cellar auction

The Averys established their family wine business in Bristol in 1793 and have run it for six generations. This continuity, Christie’s said, allowed it ‘unprecedented access’ to the greatest Old and New World wines – chiefly under the leadership of Ronald and John Avery.

John Avery MW was known for importing wines from Australia, New Zealand, South Africa and California during the 1960s and 1970s at a time when they were little-known.

Now the family is selling a selection of wines from its cellar to ‘make space’ for the arrival of newer vintages.

The sale on 20 October includes a wide selection of Bordeaux back to 1875 Lafite, plus Burgundy from 1923 Richebourg, as well as Champagne, vintage Port and wines from the Rhône.

The 900-lot auction also includes five bottles of Clos de Tart 1945, 11 bottles of Latour 1945, five bottles of Mouton-Rothschild 1945, plus ‘extensive’ vintages of Penfolds Grange.

‘This is undoubtedly one of the finest and most comprehensive collections of old and rare wine ever to appear at auction,’ said Michael Broadbent MW, consultant to Christie’s and close friend of the Avery family.

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