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
Château Mouton Rothschild is not only one of the finest Bordeaux wines, but it is also one of the world’s greatest. The First Growth from Pauillac holds an incredible track record for the most consistent and long-lived wines in all of Bordeaux. It can be argued that the modern age of Chateau Mouton Rothschild arose along with the modernization of the entire Bordeaux wine region.
Each year since 1945, the Château Mouton Rothschild label has been illustrated with an artwork by a leading painter, specially created for the vintage. Thus, the most famous names in contemporary painting have been brought together in a collection to which a new work is added each year. From one label to another, Mouton Rothschild has thus brought together some of the most celebrated artists of their day, including Miró, Chagall, Braque, Picasso, Tàpies, Francis Bacon, Dali, Balthus, Jeff Koons and even Prince Charles, the Prince of Wales. The artists have complete freedom of creation, though certain themes, such as the vine, the pleasure of drinking and the ram, the Mouton Rothschild emblem, have proved a particularly rich source of inspiration.
In 1945, to commemorate the Allied victory, Baron Philippe de Rothschild had the idea of embellishing the Mouton Rothschild label with art-work: in this instance, a symbolic design intended to celebrate the return of peace. He commissioned this from a young unknown artist, Philippe Jullian (1921-1977). Having displayed early promise as a designer, he was to go on to become a successful dramatist. He submitted several drafts for the label: this one is based on the famous “V for Victory” that Churchill used throughout the war to rally the forces of freedom. This lot contains bottle number 61416.
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
‘This bottle of 1945 Mouton Rothschild is my fourth encounter and actually showed better than one poured three months earlier that came directly from the château. Ethereal as always on the nose, that distinctive menthol scent is present and correct, and this bottle is perhaps more elegant and almost Burgundian in style. The palate has heavenly balance, quite opulent and velvety, with morello cherry, raspberry preserve, orange pith and a delicate touch of cedar on the never-ending finish. Monumental.’ - Neal Martin, Vinous, 100/100 (May 2020)
‘Medium to deep brick in color, the nose of the 1945 Mouton Rothschild is ATOMIC. It explodes from the glass with the most vibrant, spritely black cherry compote, kirsch and raspberry pie notes you can possibly imagine. This is backed up with beautifully fragrant rose oil, dried lavender, fallen leaves and wild mushroom scents, followed by waves of eucalyptus, cigar box, woodsmoke, incense and dark chocolate coming through as it transforms in the glass over the course of 30-45 minutes. The full-bodied palate is rich, decadent and very densely layered, strutting exquisitely ripe, fine-grained, silt-like tannins. The overall character is paradoxical: at once profoundly mature and yet so jaw-droppingly youthful. If this finish does not bring a tear to your eyes, nothing will.’ - Lisa Perrotti-Brown, Wine Advocate, 100/100 (Oct 2019)
‘Remarkable vintage, a famous wine by any standard. The nose was very, very slightly tired but on the palate there was all the vigour and spice I remember from the previous tastings I was lucky enough to experience. Great sweetness – typical of the vintage – and intensity. Just the right side of porty. Essence of ripe claret.’ - Jancis Robinson MW, JancisRobinson.com, 19/20 (Sept 2019)
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