Rare collections of the World's leading wines to be sold as single bottles

Timed Online Auction, 15 - 28 August 2023

Chateau d’Yquem

Sold for

ZAR 70 350
Lot 7
  • d'Yquem; Sauternes; 1914; 1 (1 x 1); 750ml


Lot Estimate
ZAR 70 000 - 95 000
Selling Price
Incl. Buyer's Premium & VAT
ZAR 70 350

About this Item

1914 Sauternes
1 (1 x 1) 750ml

Château d`Yquem, often described as the greatest sweet wine in the world and the only Sauternes First Growth of Bordeaux. Few wines in the world have produced consistently noble quality for more than 4 centuries.

Established in 1593, the property consists of a 110-hectare vineyard planted with 80% Semillon and 20% Sauvignon Blanc. The wines are created from botrytized fruit that is picked by hand in several passes ‘tiers’ by up to 150 harvesters. Château d'Yquem is the product of meticulous work in the vineyard, along with the estate’s exceptional terroir, and centuries of inherited knowledge since 1593, it has gained the reputation of the world’s finest sweet wine.

In the Bordeaux Classification of 1855, Château d'Yquem was given the unique and unsurpassable rank of Premier Cru Supérieur, ahead of all other Sauternes, indicating its perceived superiority and ability to command by far the highest prices. The wines of Château d'Yquem are characterised by their complexity, concentration and longevity. In a good year, a bottle will only begin to show its qualities after a decade or two of cellaring and with proper care, will keep for a century or more, gradually adding layers of complexity.

Michael Egan Authentication code - 485

This bottle has been recorked by Château d'Yquem.

Provenance

The Coats Family Cellar is arguably the most prestigious fine wine collection ever offered in South Africa. It contains an expansive 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 refrigerated container. 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

‘A quite extraordinary wine in every sense. It came at the end of a series of Cheval Blancs of vintages ending in 0. This wine gained its place because it was – gasp – 100 years old. By this stage in its life it was not all that sweet but had amazing balance and refreshment value. Very pale tawny with a red tinge and so very, very lively. Quite extraordinarily reverberant for its age. Still very much alive and kicking.’ – Jancis Robinson MW, JancisRobinson.com, 19.5/20 (Jan 2014)

View all d'Yquem lots for sale in this auction