The auction opens with a fabulous selection from Vandermeulen, the famous Belgian bottler, with parcels of Cheval Blanc and Margaux 1947, Petrus 1949 and 1952 and La Mission Haut Brion 1955. This collection is followed by a Talbot superlot, from 1926 to the exceptional 2010 vintage, all direct from the château. Further glamor is provided by the wines of the well-known French designer Jean Patou, the most elegant man of the roaring years.
THE GREAT VANDERMEULEN COLLECTION (Vandermeulen Cellar).
This superb townhouse is owned by a descendant of the original Vandermeulen family. The collection has always been in the family and therefore is offered with impeccable provenance. It has recently been removed from high-grade underground deposits in northern continental Europe. The bottles have been moved once, in the 80s, having sat undisturbed in their former country cellar since the original acquisition in the 40s and 50s. The Belgian firm of Vandermeulen is a superb example of the golden age of merchant bottling. The Vandermeulen-Decannières, as the company is properly called, have labels that are highly identifiable by their brand crest and ink-stamped vintages. This coat of arms represents the ancient walled city of Ostend with three keys for the three entrances. For fine wine collectors, this bottling is a solid indicator of quality and longevity and features the iconic wines and vintages the merchant has sold.
Vandermeulen barrels
The company was founded in the coastal city of Ostend in western Belgium by Jules Vandermeulen (b. 1865). The bottle labels bear his initial and familiar name, as well as that of his wife, Irma de Cannière (b. 1869), whom he married in 1892. Shortly after the vintage in Bordeaux and Burgundy, Jules Vandermeulen would select individual casks which would then be sent to Ostend for further maturation, a process common to major Belgian merchants of the time. However, this difficult and lengthy selection process was crucial to the long-term success of these wines. Early customers were the professional classes, factory owners and clergy, and collections of these fine wines were often passed down through families as dowries. The firm was later taken over by their sons, Polydore and Maurice.
This collection represents most of the Bordeaux chateaux managed by Vandermeulen. The wines, and especially the vintages, selected by the bottler have really been very successful. They may have ceased bottling in the late 50s, but this insistence on quality is what continues to give these bottles such fame today.
Auction highlights include Margaux 1947, Vandermeulen, 2 bottles, estimate £1.100-1.400 (1), 5 bottles, estimate £2.800-3.500 (2), 12 bottles, estimate £6.500-8.500 per lot (3-5 ); Petrus 1949, Vandermeulen, 2 bottles, estimate £4.000-5.200 (13), 8 bottles, estimate £14.500-19.000 (14), 12 bottles, estimate £22.000-30.000 (15); and Petrus 1952, Vandermeulen, 2 bottles, estimate £1.400-1.800 per lot (21-22), 12 bottles, estimate £8.500-11.000 per lot (23-28).
THE UNIQUE TALBOT COLLECTION, 100 YEARS OF THE CORDIER FAMILY (Lot 52) 128 bottles, 10 magnums, 3 double magnums and 1 Imperial, plus a private château tour and lunch for 4 with the Cordier family, approximately £30.000-60.000
This offering spans a century, from 1926 to the exceptional 2010 vintage, includes 128 bottles, 10 magnums, 3 double magnums and one imperial. Among these wonders are the vintages of 1926, 1945, 1949, 1953, 1959, 1961 and all the great years of the last four decades. What makes this vertical even more special is its impeccable provenance: not a single bottle of this collection has ever emerged from the chateau cellars and they are being offered for the first and last time to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the Cordier family ownership. The most successful bidder and three guests will receive an exclusive invitation to a private lunch at the Château with the Cordier family, where magnums of Talbot 1945 and 2003 and the very rare Caillou Blanc 2015 will be served.
RARE BOTTLES FROM JEAN PATOU'S PRIVATE CELLAR FROM THE CAPPON FINAL (Lots 53-67)
A selection of rare wines that belonged to designer and creator Jean Patou (1887-1936) is an exciting addition to the sale. A hedonist, he was considered the most flamboyant designer of the Roaring Twenties, who invented Joy, “the most expensive perfume in the world” and dressed stars from French actress Mistinguett to Josephine Baker. A true dandy, he had a reputation as the most elegant man in Europe and loved to entertain at his palatial villa, an Art Deco masterpiece in the hills overlooking Biarritz.
All wines were recently removed by a Sotheby's wine specialist from the cellar of this villa where they had lain undisturbed for almost a century. Most of the bottles were sourced from Bordeaux's famed Chapon Fin restaurant, one of the top three Michelin-starred restaurants and a destination for the company's crema.
Highlights include a bottle of 1916 Latour, estimate £2.000-3.000 (53) and two bottles of 1926 Cheval Blanc, estimate £2.200-2.800 (63), among other rarities.
