Under The Hammer

Four very rare bottles of 19th Century Château d’Yquem are up for grabs at Bonhams’ auction in London next month, according to The Drinks Report, and they’ll fetch between £5,000 and £6,000 each.

    They’re from an “English Country House”, where they have been lying peacefully in the cellar

1869 Yquem

 for more than 50 years.

    The 1869 is one of the great vintages of the 19th century in Bordeaux, especially in Sauternes. The vines flowered 5 June after a hot April and the summer temperatures were “extreme”. The harvest took place from 24 September to 22 October and the average-sized crop was of extraordinary quality.

    Bonhams’ Richard Harvey MW says: “This is a great vintage of the world’s most revered dessert wine. It has been described as perfect in its concentration and balance, and those fortunate enough to have tasted it have praised its lingering freshness and staying power nearly 150 years after it was produced.”

    Also in the sale are four bottles of 1840 Grande Fine Champagne Cognac (£500-600 a bottle) and a bottle each of 1874 Verdelho and 1875 Boal Madeira (£400-500 apiece).

    Almost ho-hum by comparison, there are lots of collectibles such as red Burgundy from Domaine de la Romanée-Conti (including two cases of 1972 La Tâche, a half case of the 1980 and six bottles of 1974 Romanée-Conti) and a case of Georges Roumier Morey St Denis Clos de la Bussiere 1978.

    Other red Burgundies hail from domaines such as Dujac, Henri Jayer, Rousseau and de Vogüé and plus white Burgundy from Coche-Dury, Leflaive, Comte Lafon, Ramonet and Roulet.Claret lovers can compete for cases of 1982 Mouton-Rothschild, 1988 and 1999 Le Pin and 2005 and 2006 Lafite.