Tawfiq Khoury was a true gentleman and a titan of wine collecting. In fact, he was one of the last of the “great generation” of wine collectors, who gained access to a wider range of wines as the trade in fine wine expanded in the 1970s and 1980s. Much of the Khoury Collection was amassed in an intense period of purchasing from auctions conducted by Christie’s London and Chicago, Sotheby’s and reputable retailers, in the late 1970s and 1980s. During this period Tawfiq kept meticulous records of his purchases in handwritten ledger books organized by wine. Zachys’ wine auction team have been given access to these records, along with several fascinating diaries recording tastings and travel in the 1980s. Quotes from the latter have been excerpted for this catalogue.
Yquem and Madeira fascinated Tawfiq. He collected an extraordinary quantity of both, and an amazing range will be offered in this sale. The range of Yquem offered here is astounding—sixty-one vintages dating back to 1890. How recently have you seen magnums of Yquem 1937, if ever? And drier whites such as Haut-Brion Blanc 1937 and Château Ygrec 1959 (the first vintage)? Twenty different 18th and 19th century Madeiras? Tawfiq loved Champagne and purchased it in multiple case quantities. Dozens of magnums and bottles of Dom Pérignon from 1964 through 1982, carefully stored since original purchase. Not to mention six of the twenty-five (!) Roederer Cristal 1990 vintage millennium methuselahs Tawfiq purchased directly from Roederer. Collectors of great classic wines will not want to miss an opportunity to purchase magnums of Cheval Blanc 1947 and Mouton Rothschild 1945, thirteen vintages of Latour back to 1930, nine vintages of La Tâche back to 1937, rarest German sweet wines of the golden era 1920-1971, and many “onesies” and “twosies” of wines that will be highlights for tastings by collectors keen to gain an appreciation the finest wines of the last two centuries. All bottles in this sale will carry a “Khoury Collection” sticker to mark their important provenance.
Much has been written about Tawfiq Khoury: his immigration to the U.S. as a teenager, great academic success at the University of Michigan, business prowess as a home builder in Southern California, extraordinary devotion to his wife Richel and his family, his philanthropy, and his entertaining and connoisseurship of food and wine. “Wine was my passport to the world,” Tawfiq explained. “Wine and food were just the medium, the reason, or the excuse to get together with friends and to share and learn from one another. Friendships were what mattered most.”
Tawfiq Khoury was widely known to add additional wax to bottles he felt needed it—often large formats which are, by their nature, more prone to “weeping,” as Michael Broadbent MW called it when he wrote about Mr. Khoury’s waxing habit in the introduction to Tawfiq Khoury’s single owner sale in 1997. Some bottles in this auction have wax added by Mr. Khoury. Due to the historical nature of this auction, Zachys decided to offer them, despite a standard policy against this. Zachys reserves the right not to accept these wines in future auctions, should a buyer attempt to re-offer them.