Part of Jacques Chirac’s wine collection became available last Friday – housed in a scale model of Paris City Hall by royal cabinet-maker Viscount Linley.
Wine merchant Stephen Williams of the London-based Antique Wine Company snapped up some of the most sought-after bottles when Chirac’s collection was auctioned in Paris last year for nearly €1m.
The 5000-bottle collection is dubbed ‘Chirac’s cellar’ as the former president was responsible for most of the stock during his lavish two-decade reign as mayor of Paris. It is alleged he and his wife spent equivalent of €2.13m on food and wine between 1987 and 1995.
The wines, which include Krug 1976 (the oldest wine), rarely seen Domaine de la Romanee Conti’s DRC 1986 and La Tache of the same vintage, and 11 vintages of every year of Chateau Petrus from 1987-1998, would have been served to visiting heads of state and royalty including Pope John Paul II, Brezhnev and George Bush.
Other highlights include six bottles of 1990 Haut Brion Blanc, and examples of Haut-Brion, Lafite-Rothschild, Margaux and Mouton-Rothschild.
Williams is expecting offers over £200,000 for the 362 bottles. To add to the effect, the most valuable wines are being housed in a ‘unique architectural scale model of Paris City Hall’ designed by the Queen’s nephew Viscount Linley.
Written by Conal Gregory MW and Adam Lechmere
