New York, NY – Aulden Cellars • Sotheby’s May 17th sale of Finest and Rarest Wines will feature Wines from the Cellar of William S. Morris III. This magnificent cellar consists of over 3,000 bottles, including 123 magnums, 43 double magnums, 8 Jeroboams and 16 imperials. The many highlights include cases of 1982 Château Lafite Rothschild, which are also available in large-formats. The sale, which will also include Wines Direct from Château Angelus and The Sir Peter and Lady Michael Foundation (separate release available upon request) is expected to bring $2/3 million.*
Billy and Sissie Morris have been passionate wine collectors throughout their fifty year marriage and have enjoyed sharing their cellar through generous entertaining with friends, family and fellow collectors. Their visits to wine-producing regions around the world continually inspired new purchases when they would discover a new vintage or an entirely new region. France was a favorite destination, and they made regular trips to Bordeaux, Burgundy and the Rhône Valley as well as touring the wine regions in Germany, Italy, South Africa and California.
“We are delighted to offer part of Billy and Sissie’s outstanding cellar, which includes a wonderful range of mature wines.,” said Jamie Ritchie, Head of Sotheby’s Wine department in North America. “Billy and Sissie started enjoying and collecting wines long before it became so popular in the U.S., and it is very rare to find such quantities of great Bordeaux from the 1960s and 1970s. We were fortunate to taste many of their wines during our inspection of their collection, which proved that their temperature-controlled underground cellar provided excellent storage conditions. Like so many collectors, the Morris’s bought more than they could consume, so they have decided to sell part of their cellar so that these wines can be enjoyed by other collectors.”
Their cellar was originally designed as a bomb shelter. Its thick, poured concrete floor, walls and ceiling provide a dark, cool, humid and vibration-free environment, with a constant 55-57 F temperature – ideal for storing fine wine. Almost all the wines were purchased on release from excellent retail sources and carefully shipped to the cellar where they have rested ever since.
The cellar includes such gems as those listed below, with their estimates:
* 12 bottles of Lafite Rothschild 1982 (est. $20/30,000)
* Six magnums of Lafite Rothschild 1982 (est. $22.5/32,500)
* Three double magnums of Lafite Rothschild 1982 (est. $22.5/32,500)
* One imperial of Lafite Rothschild 1982 (est. $14/18,000)
* 15 cases of Château Cheval Blanc including 3 cases of 1982 (est. $12/20,000 each)
* Six bottles of Château Latour 1959 (est. $6/8,500)
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* Six bottles Château Haut Brion 1959 (est. $7.5/12,000)
* Six bottles Château Pétrus 1964 (est. $7.5/11,000)
* Six bottles Château Pétrus 1966 (est. $6/9,000)
* One case of 1970 Château Pétrus in bottles
(est. $13/20,000)
* One case of 1970 Château Pétrus in magnums (est. $20/30,000)
* 12 bottles of Château Mouton Rothschild 1982
(est. $11/15,000)
* 12 bottles Château Margaux 1982 (est. $9.5/15,000)
* 12 bottles Château Haut Brion 1982 (est. $6.5/8,500)
Wines Direct from The Peter Michael Winery/The Sir Peter and Lady Michael Foundation
The Peter Michael offering will highlight the full range of their wines: Mon Plaisir, Belle Côte, Ma Belle Fille, Cuvée Indigène, La Carrière, Point Rouge, Les Pavots, Le Moulin Rouge and L’Après Midi, including verticals, complete historic verticals and many in large-format. These wines are being sold to benefit the Sir Peter and Lady Michael Foundation to support the fight against cancer.
Wines Direct from Château Angelus
The Château Angelus offering features vintages ranging from 1989 to 2005 – with a quantity of large-format bottles, from magnums, double magnums, jeroboams and imperials, as well as wines from their sister property at La Fleur de Bouard.
Lunch will be served to registered bidders at the sale and everyone attending is encouraged to bring their own bottles of wine from their cellars to enjoy during the auction (there is no corkage). Alternatively, wines can be purchased at Aulden Cellars retail shop, located in Sotheby’s lobby.
*Estimates do not include buyer’s premium.
Please note that the new buyer’s premium rate of 21% of the hammer price for Aulden Cellars • Sotheby’s wine auctions in New York took effect as of January 1, 2008.
