Sotheby’s Wine is proud to offer a complete collection of Château Pichon Longueville Baron from the outstanding 2009 vintage in Finest & Rarest Wines (21 April, New York), and a complete collection of Château Montrose 2010 in Finest & Rarest Wines (18 April, London). Both collections include all ten bottle formats currently made, from half bottles to the 18-litre Melchior.
This very unique offering is perfect for both new and seasoned collectors: for the new collector building a wine cellar, this collection is an opportunity to instantly acquire a complete series of the wine, instead of spending years sourcing each bottle; while for the seasoned collector, this set of wines will add another dimension to their collection.
Serena Sutcliffe MW, Sotheby’s Honorary Chairman. wrote in 2013, “A spicy, aromatic nose. Stunning cassis taste, so deep and profound, with a huge glycerol finish and length. Terrific wine.”
What makes this offering so remarkable is the unparalleled breadth of all ten bottle formats packaged in pristine conditions in their original wooden cases. This opportunity allows the collector to experience this wine in many different formats during its lifetime – from a quick taste of the half-bottles to the slow-aging larger formats, the collector can experience the wine’s evolution through the decades.
Aside from the drama and aesthetic grandeur commanded by large format bottles, there is also a more practical perk to collecting and consuming them – they are considered to be superior aging vessels. Because a smaller ratio of the wine’s surface area is exposed to air, large format bottles allow for a slower and more nuanced aging process. For most wine collectors, tasting mature wines from larger formats almost always results in wines that are fresh and vibrant and, almost defying time, a more complex expression of the wine.
As with all types of collecting, provenance plays a big role in the overall enjoyment and value of the collection. There is no other better established provenance than this unique lot, which has been directly sourced from Château Pichon Longueville Baron, and then stored perfectly in Mestrezat’s cellars in Bordeaux until removed for this auction.
Mestrezat Grand Cru is a leading Bordeaux négociant that was founded in 1815 by Domeine-Guillaume Mestrezat, the former consul of Switzerland in Bordeaux. Mestrezat flourished through several generations and owned two classified growths, Château Rayne-Vigneau and Château Grand Puy Ducasse, for a few decades. Over the course of its history, Mestrezat Grand Crus has established itself as one of the leading wine merchants of Bordeaux, concentrating on its finest wines.
Bottle sizes, or “formats” as they are known, can be confusing – click through to learn about Jerobaums, Melchiors and more with our handy guide.
