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
This leading Bordeaux château dates back to the fourteenth century. The estate is located at the southern edge of Pauillac, bordering the Saint-Julien vineyards of Château Léoville-Las Cases. It was purchased in 1993 by the French industrialist François Pinault, whose empire has grown to include Yves Saint Laurent, Gucci, and Christie’s Auction House. Under the presidency of Frédéric Engerer, a major program of investment has taken place, leading Château Latour to rise to an undisputed pre-eminent position in the Bordeaux wine hierarchy. Rated as a First Growth in the 1855 Bordeaux Classification, which is a testament to its esteemed status in the wine world, Château Latour has become one of the most sought-after and expensive wine producers on the planet. It produces powerfully structured Cabernet Sauvignon-dominant wines capable of lasting many decades.
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 colour was extremely dark – almost black – but the nose was initially overwhelmingly volatile at first and the palate disconcertingly high in acidity. Amazingly, some fruit was eventually revealed, but this was virtually impossible to guess blind. It deserves praise as a relic rather than a delicious drink.’ - Jancis Robinson MW, JancisRobinson.com, 18/20 (Mar 2011)
‘Phenomenal quality. Like pure silk. Aromas of tobacco, cigar box, leather and wet earth. It's full-bodied, with fine tannins and a long finish. Aftertaste goes on for minutes.--Latour vertical.’ - Wine Spectator, 100/100 (Aug 2000)
‘A revelation at the very least, the 1863 Latour possesses a dark garnet color as well as a terrific nose of ginger, allspice, smoke, mint, cedar, and briny fruit. As this medium-bodied wine sat in the glass, acidity began to push its way through the fragile aromatics and fruit flavors, revealing elements of singed leather. The wine is alive, with an impressive bouquet and a surprising amount of fruit and depth - a testament to the extraordinary longevity of some Bordeaux vintages. Amazingly, after a half-hour of airing, the wine seemed to stabilize in the glass!’ - Robert Parker, Wine Advocate, 90/100 (Jun 2000)
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