Provenance

The Coats Family Cellar is arguably the most prestigious fine wine collection ever offered in South Africa. It contains a deep collection of the worlds finest, most sought-after wines, spanning over 150 years. Collected over many decades, the cellar was imported from Ireland to South Africa via reefer. Each bottle within the Coats Family Cellar was authenticated by Michael Egan in August 2022 and given an ID number for tracking.

Michael Egan is a world-expert in fine and rare wines with more than thirty five years of experience. He was the principal expert for the plaintiff in the two major wine counterfeiting trials in Koch v. Eric Greenberg and United States v. Rudy Kurniawan, both of which occurred in 2013.

Along with Michael Egan, the Strauss & Co Fine Wine team have tasted extensively through the cellar and are confident of the wine storage and hence quality. The entire collection is currently stored at Wine Cellar.

Critics Ratings

‘The impossible to pronounce 2013 He-li-an-thus, coming from purchased grapes, is a blend of 57% Cabernet Sauvignon, 20% Merlot, 18% Petit Verdot and the rest Cabernet Franc, bottled unfined and unfiltered. Aged in Darnajou oak, this is an elegant wine, but it has serious intensity, a blue/purple color, sweet black raspberry and blueberry fruit, some forest floor and spring flowers. It is my favorite of the three vintages to date, although the 2015 has the potential to match it. Drink it over the next 20 years.’ – Robert Parker, Wine Advocate, 96/100 (Oct 2016)

‘The 2013 He-li-an-thus is striking. Bright red cherry, plum, rose petal and cinnamon are some of the notes that give the wine its characteristic brightness and aromatic lift. This is an especially floral, gracious wine for the vintage. Drink it over the next decade or so.’ – Antonio Galloni, Vinous, 93/100 (Dec 2016)