Johannesburg Auction Week

Live Virtual Auction, 6 November 2022

Coats Family Cellar | Iconic Bordeaux
About the Session

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.


Sold for

ZAR 16 415
Lot 115
  • d'Yquem; Sauternes; 1996; 3 (1 x 3); 750ml


Lot Estimate
ZAR 13 000 - 16 000
Selling Price
Incl. Buyer's Premium & VAT
ZAR 16 415
Delivery
Delivery within South Africa included
Shipping
Condition Report
May include additional detailed images

About this Item

1996 Sauternes
3 (1 x 3) 750ml

1996 Vintage Conditions: The weather was hot and dry throughout much of the growing season, except for 2 weeks of unexpectedly cool temperatures in September that made for the ideal ripening of grapes that were already in superb condition. Rain arrived at just the right time and soon after it was time to harvest a very homogeneous crop. This textbook vintage epitomises Yquem's balance, elegance, and sheer class! - Château d'Yquem Millésimes Report

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

'Served at The Clove Club's Bordeaux lunch with roast foie gras, loquat, hazelnut and amaranth - a particularly successful combination. Deep orangey gold. Masses of botrytis exhibited on the rich nose full of pungent lanolin. The finish was fresh and clean and the sweetness, if on a scale of 1 to 10, would be about 7. Lots of weight and presence - really very majestic. No hurry whatsoever to drink this.' - Jancis Robinson MW, JancisRobinson.com, 18.5/20 (May 2015)

'This leans toward the tropical side, with mango and guava notes out front, while maple, date, blood orange and citrus oil flavors fill in behind. The finish kicks into another gear, taking off with honeysuckle, orange blossom and frangipane accents. Has almost unbridled power today, while maintaining serious cut. A very impressive showing in a rather overlooked vintage. Drink now through 2035.' - James Molesworth, Wine Spectator, 96/100 (Jul 2014)

View all d'Yquem lots for sale in this auction