Century of Cheval Blanc for sale

A century of vintages sourced directly from St-Emilion superstar Château Cheval Blanc is going under the hammer at Sotheby’s next month.

On 17 June at Sothebys London, collectors can bid on 287 lots comprising more than 1,000 bottles spanning vintages from 1900 to 1995, including such legends as the 1921, 1928, 1947 and 1949.

Every format is offered in an original wooden case. Bottles from vintages 1900 to 1976 were all re-labelled and re-capsuled at Cheval Blanc in April.

Many of the older bottles, some of which are hand-blown, have also been re-corked and sometimes topped up with a wine of the same vintage at the château at various times over recent decades.

Serena Sutcliffe MW, international head of Sotheby’s wine department, said, ‘This represents a large section of the château’s private cellar and is the first time it has sold wines from its historic library.’

Also up for grabs are some less-lauded rarities like the 1938 which, according to Sutcliffe, was ‘simply stunning’ when she tasted it at the château.

According to auction observers, the global auction market has re-ignited recently, with strong demand for the rarest blue-chip wines.

At a recent London auction, Sutcliffe said that she hadn’t seen so many people in the room since the Lloyd-Webber sale in 1997.

Moreover, several sales in London, New York and Hong Kong have seen totals well over their high estimates.

Written by John Stimpfig