Rare and Fine Wine from Italy and Spain
Live Virtual Auction, 14 May 2023
Rare and Fine Wine from Italy and Spain
About the SessionAn exquisite selection of highly sought-after collectables of Fine and Rare Italian and Spanish wines.
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About this Item
Producer Notes: Not easy to exceed an impressive year such as 1997, yet 1998 too can certainly lay claim, in Bolgheri, to the title of vintage of the decade. Another warm summer yielded a powerful, concentrated Masseto, one of amazing character. Density, breadth, and depth of fruit are all well-supported by a superbly-supple mass of tannins, giving the wine an overwhelming impression of solidity and youthfulness. Still under-developed but already showing significant impact, this is a Masseto destined for long cellaring.
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
'Very deep crimson. Aromatic and Cabernet Franc-like on the nose. Lovely combination of Merlot ripeness and the vintage's freshness. At a perfect stage of evolution. Tighter and more focused than the 2001.' - Jancis Robinson MW, JancisRobinson.com, 18.5/20 (Sep 2019)
'The 1998 is even better. It shares much of the richness of the 1997, but with more delineation and nuance. The wine blossoms beautifully on the mid-palate and finish, with layers of expressive fruit and fabulous overall balance. This is a stunning Masseto. Anticipated maturity: 2011-2018.' - Antonio Galloni, Wine Advocate, 97/100
'Herbaceous, with bell pepper, wild herb, coffee and cocoa notes set against a background of cherry and plum fruit. Nonetheless, this is silky and fluid, with a fine structure building to a lingering finish. Merlot. (October 2017). Drink now through 2032.' - Bruce Sanderson, Wine Spectator, 97/100 (2018)
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