Johannesburg Auction Week
Live Virtual Auction, 6 November 2022
Coats Family Cellar | Iconic Bordeaux
About the SessionThe 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.
About this Item
Château Ausone is named after the fourth century Roman poet Ausonius who owned over 100 acres of vineyard around Saint-Émilion. The modern château and its 7 hectares of vineyards (Cabernet Franc and Merlot) date back to the 18th century. Ausone holds the distinction of Premier Grand Cru Classé “A” status - and one of only two estates to hold this status since the inception of the classification in 1955. A very limited production of fewer than 2000 cases annually makes Château Ausone one of the most expensive and sought-after Saint-Émilion and Bordeaux wines.
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
‘As soon as the cork was drawn, an intensely sweet, ripe bouquet filled the room. Nuanced ruby hues. Very sweet and rich on the nose with a (not unpleasant) hint of dried fruit. Intense graphite as the wine hits the palate but there is still masses of tannin. Needs a long decant...Very, very long and with masses of tension between the dry and the sweet.’ - Jancis Robinson MW, JancisRobinson.com, 18/20 (Feb 2017)
‘Amazing! The limestone soils of Ausone appear to have been the perfect foil for resisting the extreme heat and drought of June, July and August, 2003. This black/purple-colored effort boasts a glorious nose of violets, truffles, lead pencil shavings, blueberry and blackberry liqueur. Full-bodied with staggering concentration, a voluptuous texture, low acidity and well-integrated, melted tannins, this deep, multidimensional, profound Bordeaux is beginning to drink exceptionally well. It should continue to do so for another two decades or more.’ - Robert Parker, Wine Advocate, 100/100 (Aug 2014)
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