Christie's auction of fine and rare wines is almost upon us, led by its four bottle lot of the legendary 1990 Romanée Conti.

Also expected to set tongues wagging at the sale are two 12 bottle lots of Château Lafite Rothschild 1982, which impressed well-known wine critic Michael Broadbent in 2001:

"Most recently still impressively deep and comparatively youthful; a well developed, sweet and harmonious bouquet. Mouthfilling, so much on show, so much left to show. Another effortless 20 years."

The reference to the longevity of the wine may have an influence on its worth as an investment.

When buying wine at auction, a bidder intending to drink the wine can sometimes feel like they're making a bit of a gamble. It can be difficult to be certain that the wine has been properly stored.

In this case, however, the wine is sourced from a collection belonging to a friend of the Rothschild family. Much of their wine was given as a present straight from the vineyard and Christie's picked up the bottles directly from exemplary storage.

The sale takes place on Saturday, February 27 and will also feature a 12 bottle lot of 1990 La Tâche.