Collectors will vie for the finest Bordeaux wines of the 2000 vintage - known as a particularly good year - in Sotheby's Finest and Rarest Wines auction, held on June 18 in London.
 A combination of perfect weather conditions and some changes to the winemaking process made 2000 an excellent vintage |
The sale presents a fine opportunity to get hold of bottles from 2000, which is known for its consistency and quality, with ideal weather conditions and improvements in winemaking making for one of the better harvests in recent years.
"It's no coincidence that the 2000 vintage has been talked up as one of the best," Hugo Campbell, an expert with London merchants Ehrmanns, told the Guardian newspaper back in 2003.
"And anyway, the really top Bordeaux 2000 wines haven't been released yet and are still sleeping in their bottles."
Petrus will lead the selection offered, with 6 bottles estimated to sell for between £13,000 and £17000 ($21,500-28,500).
According to Sotheby's Serena Sutcliffe, who tasted the vintage in 2011, it produces "an incredible 'Christmas pudding' bouquet…Plums and cloves, in that inimitable Petrus way."
An assorted collection of 2000 Bordeauxs includes 3 bottles each of Latour, Margaux, Petrus and Haut Brion, leaving the buyer with plenty of options for ageing and storing.
Estimated at $8,000-10,000 ($12,862-16,077), it's a strong buy for the Bordeaux novice looking to make a profit in years to come.
Another highlight of the sale is the 12 bottle lot of 1999 Musigny Cuvee Vieilles Vignes from Domain Comte Georges de Vogue - a highly sought after wine. It is estimated at £9,000-12,000 ($15,000-20,000).
Sign up to Paul Fraser Collectibles free newsletter.
