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.
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About this Item
Today Cos d'Estournel is without doubt the leading estate in St-Estéphe. It is located in the south of the appellation on the border with Pauillac and its vineyards are superbly sited on a south-facing gravel ridge with a high clay content, just north of Lafite. Cos d'Estournel was given its name in 1811 from founder Louis Gaspard d’Estournel. Its popularity spread among wine lovers and royalty and soon the wines were being exported globally. With a large portion of the exports going to India, the château was influenced by, and took inspiration from India as can be seen in the unique Indian designs in Cos d'Estournel today.
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
‘Blended of 60% Cabernet Sauvignon, 38% Merlot and 2% Cabernet Franc, the 2000 Cos d'Estournel is deep garnet in color with a touch of brick and sporting a lot of tertiary evolution on the nose. It leaps from the glass with opulent sandalwood, Chinese five spice, cigar box and leather scents over a core of prunes, baked cherries, dried mulberries and eucalyptus plus a touch of potpourri. Medium-bodied, the palate is laden with fragrant fruitcake and exotic spice layers, framed by wonderfully plush tannins and a refreshing line, finishing with an exhilarating menthol lift.’ - Lisa Perrotti-Brown, Wine Advocate, 97/100 (Nov 2018)
‘The 2000 Cos d’Estournel, which never quite grabbed me from barrel, is maturing nicely in bottle. AS it approaches two decades, it continues to offer an intense, almost ambitious bouquet with blackberry, hints of dark chocolate, tobacco and scorched earth. Both vigor and delineation is present here. The palate is medium-bodied rather than full-bodied these days, very well balanced if not possessing the poise and precision of the 2001. It fans out with confidence towards the finish that is lithe, yet provides sufficient grip and persistence to suggest it will give another two decades of drinking pleasure.’ - Neal Martin, Vinous, 94/100 (Oct 2018)