Berkshire – In the run up to the festive season the wine Specialists at Dreweatts, with auction partner Bid for Wine, have picked out their top bottles from the upcoming sale of Wine, Champagne, Port & Spirits to warm you through the winter months. The sale will be held on Thursday 20th November at Dreweatts’ Donnington Priory saleroom in Berkshire.
“With the family around I like to indulge my favourite passion and open some really serious wines to share with them, so here are my top selections from the sale”
The star attraction in the Champagne section, and Chris’ personal favourite, is a magnum of Pol Roger Sir Winston Churchill. He explains; “1982 was an excellent champagne vintage and this is a rich, toasty and very full bodied champagne. A great start to the festivities, but this could also work really well with a traditional Christmas lunch” [Lot 108, Est. £400-500]
For those looking for a glass of red to complement their turkey and trimmings, Chris suggests the rich, opulent and spicy Hermitage Rouge 1995 from Northern Rhone; “You are spoilt for choice in terms of red in this sale, but this 1995 from Rhone Legend JL Chave is in perfect condition and unavailable retail in the UK. This bottle would be a rare treat” [Lot 214, Est. £80-120]
Hugely appropriate in this important anniversary year is Chris’ choice to round off your meal. He suggests opening one or more bottles of the Coronation Port, believed to be either 1934 or 1935. A luggage label from the vendor, that accompanies these three bottles, states that one of the original case was opened in 1945 to celebrate peace being declared. Chris added; “All we can see on the cork is the ‘ion’ of coronation, so half the fun with this port will be finding out which vintage it actually is. Both were good vintages, so this is well worth a look.” [Lot 68, Est. £500-600]
Lionel’s Picks for the Festive Season
“This sale includes parcels of mature wines that are perfect for the party season, alongside some incredibly rare gems that would be perfect as gifts for others or for indulging yourself!”
For buyers looking for cases of wines, Lionel has selected his top lots from the sale, all of which are sold in bond. His first suggestion, the Muscadet Cuvee Clisson, has a great provenance, coming directly from an old merchant. Domaine de la Pepiere is one of the best producers in the Loire area and Clisson is their top wine. Lionel explains; “I bought a case of this myself and it is incredible stuff with a mouthfeel and minerality which reminds me of Grand Cru Chablis. Don’t let the age put you off, these are wines made for serious ageing and it will happily last another 10 years.” [Lot 371-371E, Est. £70-90]
Also from the Loire Valley is Lionel’s second suggestion, the Bonnezeau La Montage 1995, Rene Renou; “Rene Renou was president of the INAO (the French body in charge of the appellation system) and one-time mayor of Bonnezeau, the town whose name this wine bears. He died in 2006 but this wine would be a fitting tribute to a man widely recognised as a superstar of the area.” [Lot 372 & 372A, Est. £50-70]
Lionel’s final festive recommendation is Portuguese; Andreza Reserva 2009. Made from three classic Port varieties Touriga Nacional, Touriga Francesca and Tinta Roriz, Lionel suggests that this would be a great introduction to the region; “Whilst we all know and love a good bottle of Port, red table wines from the Douro often get overlooked. With rich, dark fruit and good structure this would be a great pairing with venison casserole or other game during the winter months.” [Lot 416-416J, Est. £60-80]
The sale of Wine, Champagne, Port & Spirits will be held on Thursday 20th November at Dreweatts’ Donnington Priory saleroom in association with Bid for Wine. The catalogue is available to view online at www.dreweatts.com and live.bidforwine.com where real time internet bidding will also be available.
