Rare bottle: Dreweatts is excited to offer for auction an exceptionally rare bottle of 1900 Château d’Yquem (re corked at the Chateau in 1996). In the year this particular bottle of wine was produced Queen Victoria was on the throne, the second Boer war was in full-swing and the composer Claude Debussy had just written his famous Nocturnes.
Rare bottle
Château d’Yquem is a Premier Cru Supérieur, which translates as ‘Superior First Growth’, referring to the high-quality of the earth or ‘terroir’ that the vine is grown in. Château d’Yquem was the only sauterne (a full-bodied sweet white wine from the Bordeaux region of France, which is considered the best sweet wine in the world), that was given this special classification in the Bordeaux Wine Official Classification of 1855.
It is coveted the world over for its concentration, complexity and sweetness, which is balanced perfectly with its acidity. These elements enable the aging potential of the wine, alongside its high sugar content and as it ages wonderful aromas evolve, such as fresh brioche, crème brulée and salted caramel, adding to the overall complexity and exquisiteness of the final taste. It is therefore with great excitement when a bottle of this age appears on the open market.
Mark Robertson, Wine Consultant at Dreweatts, said: “Having been re-corked at the Chateau in 1996 and stored beautifully by a collector and restaurateur ever since, this 1900 Château d’Yquem is a compelling combination of a mouth-watering colour, provenance and historical importance. Château d’Yquem’s enchantment is her ability to age and I often tell my clients to buy Château Climens for themselves, but Château d’Yquem for their descendants. Dreweatts is privileged to be able to offer the opportunity to own this great bottle and create unique memories. At 123 years of age, I believe this is one of the finest and most important bottles of mature Chateau d’Yquem on the market today.”
Notes for the 1900 Château d’Yquem are as follows: “Poor weather in April foretold a late start to the growth cycle, but the weather improved, becoming warm and dry. There was every indication of great potential, both in terms of quality and quantity. The first pass was on the 20th of September, before 68 mm of rain arrived and produced widespread botrytisation. This was followed by 4 weeks (26 days) of uninterrupted picking of extremely sweet grapes. The average yield was greater than 20 hl/ha. A vintage reminiscent of 1893, which was very great indeed.”1.
Château d’Yquem has many famous fans both past and present, including Thomas Jefferson, when he was Minister Plenipotentiary to France. Having visited the château he wrote, “Sauterne. This is the best white wine of France and the best of it is made by Monsieur de Lur-Saluces.” On tasting it, he ordered 250 bottles of the 1784 vintage for himself and additional bottles for George Washington. Wine experts such as the renowned critic Robert Parker described the wine as having “exceptional longevity” with Parker scoring the 1811 Château d’Yquem a perfect 100 points when he tasted it in 1996. A bottle of the 1811 Château d’Yquem sold privately for £75,000 to a private collector Christian Vanneque in 2011, making it the most valuable bottle of white wine in the world!
This bottle will be offered in Dreweatts upcoming sale of Wine, Champagne and Spirits on July 4, 2023. It has a conservative estimate of £3,200-£4,200. Dreweatts anticipates competitive bidding from around the world.
1. Source Wine Searcher
About Dreweatts
Dreweatts auctioneers was established in 1759 and is one of the foremost auction houses in the UK. It comprises 22 specialist departments ranging from Fine Art (Old Master Paintings, British & European Pictures, Modern & Contemporary art), Jewellery and Watches, Silver, Wine, Books and Manuscripts, British & European Ceramics & Glass, Decorative Arts & Modern Design, Ephemera, Furniture, House Sales & Collections, Clocks, Barometers and Scientific Instruments, Asian Ceramics and Works of Art and Live Steam and Model Engineering. It holds regular specialist sales from a highly-qualified expert team, totalling more than 70 sales per year including curated Interiors sales, single owner collections and house sales.
Dreweatts is a member of the Gurr Johns group of international art advisory businesses. Its’ main saleroom is Donnington Priory in Newbury, Berkshire. It has a London showroom on Pall Mall, St James’s and caters to a global clientele.
As well as auctions, the company offers valuation services for private individuals, lawyers, executors, family offices and fiduciary agents to provide the necessary advice to assist with probate and estate management and market valuations, for possible sale. Dreweatts valuation services include free online auction valuations, virtual valuations, home visits and valuation days at our salerooms, where clients can receive advice on buying and selling from Dreweatts market-leading specialists.
Website: www.dreweatts.com