A t Sotheby’s, we have had the great honor and privilege of bringing to market many of the world’s most prestigious wine collections, whether from private collectors or direct from the most illustrious wineries. Provenance is critical for us and there can be no better source than direct from the cellars of a great winery. We are therefore thrilled to introduce this Single Owner sale: Rauzan-Ségla & Canon | From One Bank to Another | A Celebration Direct From The CHANEL Vineyards.
To be auctioned in London on 29 October 2021, this sale is a world-first for Château Rauzan-Ségla and Château Canon. It represents the only occasion, for many decades to come, on which more than a century of historic stock in truly pristine condition will be released directly from the properties’ cellars. Not stopping there, we are delighted to present a further selection of never-before-seen experiences, offered in collaboration between the Châteaux and CHANEL, which offer bidders the unprecedented chance to glimpse behind the scenes at CHANEL, and to fully understand the symbiotic relationship between these magical estates and mythical fashion house.
Lot 1-305: Château Canon – The CHANEL Era – 1996-2020
Lot 306-432: Château Canon – Historic Vintages – 1995-1917
Lot 433-435: Exclusive Experiences with CHANEL
Lot 436-803: Château Rauzan-Ségla – The CHANEL Era – 1994-2020
Lot 804-927: Château Rauzan-Ségla – Historic Vintages – 1993-1929
“Two historic wine châteaux, two Bordeaux appellations, both legendary but so different: Margaux on the Left Bank, Saint-Émilion on the Right Bank. Formerly lone rangers, Château Rauzan-Ségla and Château Canon today walk hand in hand with a common vision, after more than 25 years under the ownership of CHANEL. Through this unprecedented sale, the Sotheby’s team is consecrating the exceptional terroirs of Château Canon and Château Rauzan-Ségla. Plunge into the cellar darkness of our memories, linger over the labels marked by time to choose the best bottle, the one that will fit in perfectly with the emotion of the moment and the guests, the one that will exalt the food and captivate our taste buds. Then comes the magical moment of opening and decanting, when the wine reveals, with more or less modesty, the layers of the past, and lingers in the spirit of the times. When the adage of Gabrielle Chanel resonates on our palates: “Fashion goes out of fashion, style never does.”
“Under CHANEL’s ownership, we have been closely watching the steady resurgence of these two great Châteaux, whose reputations have been fully restored to their illustrious past, with each current vintage being one of the most sought-after by today’s collectors. Both properties have undergone a significant period of investment where every decision was based on how to make the very best quality wine, which reflects their superb and distinct terroirs. No shortcuts have been taken, and each decision has been made with the long term in mind. There are no other two properties where one can measure this philosophy so closely and see such clear results; combining purity, finesse and generosity, the wines made under the management of Nicolas Audebert define class.”
“From the vast, ancient limestone quarries that sprawl beneath the foundations and vineyards of Château Canon, to the quiet splendor of Château Rauzan-Ségla’s carrelet on the banks of the Gironde estuary, history seeps from every stone, floorboard and barrel throughout these splendid estates. For more than three centuries, they have stood as icons of their respective communes, and this superb auction simultaneously celebrates their history and their modernity. It marks twenty-five years of common ownership by CHANEL, as well as more than one-hundred years of winemaking on both banks, with vintages from 1917 up to 2020 offered for sale in a variety of formats, ranging from half-bottles to Melchiors.”
“Making wine is not a trivial job. It requires passion and a lot of humility. It also implies a special relationship with time. Being a winegrower is like being a craftsman who, through patient and gradual work, creates something that is made to last. The key words at Rauzan-Ségla and Canon are know-how, elegance and timelessness, values shared by CHANEL, which has been supporting the châteaux for 25 years. We are honoured to be entrusting Sotheby’s with the task of highlighting these 100 years of parallel histories in Saint-Émilion and Margaux. With this sale on an unprecedented scale, it is the longevity of our wines, and the emotions too, that we wish to share, throughout the world, with the wine lovers and friends of our houses.”
For the winning bidders of these unprecedented and incredible experience lots, offered amongst the century of perfectly stored bottles, the opportunity awaits to discover these very special estates, and their common vision and philosophy, first-hand. Our Specialists were lucky to spend a week with the teams at Rauzan-Ségla and Canon earlier this year, and from our own experience, we can confirm that exploring these places in person is the best way to truly appreciate the magic of the shared DNA that binds the two properties.
From overnight stays at the Châteaux accompanied by famous vintages from their cellars, to several exciting opportunities with CHANEL, including visits to Mademoiselle Chanel’s apartment in Paris, to their Provençal flower fields (the home of French perfumery) at Grasse, and the beating heart of CHANEL’s Maisons d’art, this sale includes some truly once-in-a-lifetime experiences for lovers of these two great Châteaux and CHANEL alike.
Our thanks go to the teams from Château Rauzan-Ségla, Château Canon and CHANEL, for making this sale possible and entrusting us with bringing to market such a truly historic collection from their cellars. Wine and fashion are two great art forms that have captivated human attention for millennia, and they are perfectly married in the expressions of these iconic Châteaux under CHANEL’s ownership. The special bond between these mirror estates, each an icon of its respective Left and Right Bank, is clear to see in everything they do, across all their teams From One Bank to Another, and it has been a pleasure to work with them in bringing this sale to fruition.
