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 Armagh vineyard – a northwest-facing sun trap – was planted to Shiraz by Jim Barry in 1968. A bottomless pit of perfumed, plush, liquorice-edged cassis, blackcurrant, blueberry and mulberry fruits, with bitter chocolate and roast coffee oak nuances, this spent 16 months in French (60%) and American oak hogsheads (85% new). Harmony trumps opulence here, and its supple tannins and acidity harness and extend the fruit, subtly tapering the finish, leaving you wanting more. Drinking window: 2019 - 2040.' - Sarah Ahmed, Decanter, 98/100 (Sept 2019)

'Deep garnet with a touch of purple, the 2010 Shiraz The Armagh offers a beautiful black fruit core, yielding notes of crushed blackberries and blueberries, with an undercurrent of coffee and spice box, plus touches of earth and raw meat. Full-bodied and built like a brick house, it has concentrated, very youthful fruit that reveals many layers in the long, long finish.' - Lisa Perrotti Brown, Wine Advocate, 99+/100 (Aug 2016)