Lot 5
Greatness and Magnificence

5 – 6 Liter 2001 (1 each of: Château Lafite-Rothschild, Château Mouton Rothschild, Château Haut-Brion, Château Latour, Château Margaux)
5 – 3 Liter (1 each of: 1999 Louis Roederer Cristal, 1995 Dom Pérignon, 1999 Perrier-Jouët Fleur de Champagne Rosé, Perrier-Jouët Fleur Champagne Brut, 1990 Veuve Clicquot La Grande Dame Brut)

The best of the best. The cream of the crop. The pick of the litter. In the thesaurus of French wine, these phrases have two translations; the First Growths and the Tête de Cuvées.

Two adjectives characterize this outstanding lot; greatness and magnificence. Greatness in terms of size - these are immense bottles: five six-liter Imperials of First Growth Bordeaux and five three-liter Double Magnums of Tête de Cuvée Champagnes; and magnificence in terms of reputation and character. This is a stunning collection of hard to find bottles from the best French Chateaux and Champagne houses bottled at the end of the last and the beginning of the new millennium. Think of all the reasons for a celebration - birthdays, anniversaries, weddings, holidays - and then think of the dazzling statement that any of these bottles would make.

And what magnificent wines these are! The Bordeaux region in southwest France produces what many regard as the best French wines because of the magical combination of weather, terroir and expertise. The Chateaux in this lot are the best of the best, with centuries of experience creating and refining their wines, four originally achieving their exalted “First Growth” status in the legendary 1855 Classification and Mouton joining their ranks in an unprecedented revision.

Each produced remarkable wines in the 2001 vintage, true to their pedigrees. The Haut-Brion showcases its typical nobility, Latour is luscious and full-bodied and Mouton showcases its tell-tale cassis scented nose. Margaux should trademark the descriptor “elegant,” and this vintage is no exception - an opulent beauty. Similarly, this is a classic example of Lafite, intense and rich, elements of lead pencil play against black currant, plum and cedar.

To the north and east of Bordeaux is the Champagne region. The histories of its top houses are full of heroes and villains, tragedy and triumph. The finest wines of five of the top houses of Champagne are presented here in Double Magnums. The rare rosé bottling of Perrier Jouët’s iconic Fleur de Champagne along with its Brut. The legendary Dom Pérignon from Moët Chandon. The Grand Dame of Veuve Clicquot. The 98-point Cristal from Roederer that Robert Parker, Jr. once called one of the finest Champagnes he had ever brought to his lips.

The crème de la crème. It even sounds better in French.

DONORS: Rosann & Bill Nunnelly