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Zachys is proud to present an incredible single-owner cellar representing a lifetime of passionate, studied, and focused collecting. This sale has the perfect wine for every occasion with extra points for Burgundy aficionados, ranging from age-worthy DRC to ready-to-drink village wines. For those with palates that wander away from the Cote d’Or, this cellar meets the need with the rarest of Californians hailing from the heydays of the 60’s and ’70s, extending to an eye-widening pristine case of 1982 Latour in magnum, and more.
The story of this consignor could fill a book. Every conversation delightfully drifts into a history lesson on the early days of California winemaking, or an in-depth discussion of the merits of the various vineyards in Vosne. Our consignor caught the wine bug early in his life while working in advertising and his curiosity propelled him into the cellars of Napa when Highway 29 was still a dirt road (figuratively). He recalls the days when you could pick up the phone and call Joe Heitz and Chuck Wagner and Dick Steltzner. Today he can still rattle off the yields for what would become the first vintage of Phelps Insignia (an astounding 10.2 tons per acre!) or tell you how much Chenin Blanc was in the famed ’74 Villa Mount Eden (7%) that Nils Venge had to add to the Cabernet to jump-start a stuck fermentation. Possessed with an extraordinary memory, he was able to amass encyclopedic knowledge in a short amount of time just by asking questions, showing up early and often, and buying in depth. He made strategic bets on excellent vintages like ’74 California Cabs and purchased an astounding 10 cases of the Heitz Martha’s 1974 before it was even released to market.
Nils Venge, a close friend of the consignor, labeled him as “extraordinarily meticulous.” Our consignor laughs recalling this: “This was a nice way of saying that I was neurotic.” Indeed, all of these early purchases from Napa were picked up and immediately transported by hand down to a temperature and humidity-controlled cellar, somewhat of a rarity in the mid 70’s. The consignor would then line up all the bottles and rate them one through twelve based on minuscule differences in fill level. Number twelve would be consumed first, leaving the best fills to age longer. As the recipient of more bottles that we can count over decades of drinking together, I can confidently recommend that you want to buy your wines from the cellar of a neurotic, as nearly every single bottle has shown far younger than counterparts.
Our consignor wasn’t merely a trophy hunter. He loves village level Burgundies as much as the Grand Crus and finds intellectual interest in these more “entry-level wines.” A true academic, he found his way to Burgundy and never left, amassing several thousand bottles one by one. Nearly 90% of the wines in his collection are from Burgundy and he can tell you where he bought each one. It's important to note that in the early 90’s, Burgundy didn’t hold cult-like fascination for wine lovers as it does now. If you had strong relationships with proven retailers, when they received their allocations of DRC, you could buy what your cellar could hold. It boggles the mind today, but at one point our consignor owned five cases of 1990 La Tache purchased directly on release.
Having become close friends with some legendary restauranteurs in Los Angeles in the early 90’s, our consignor helped build several wine lists in exchange for free dinners. He sharpened his palate by working with trade reps and attending industry events where he could taste hundreds of wines at a time. Over time our consignor became a big supporter of charitable causes, leveraging his relationships with chefs and trade to organize wine dinners and auction events which raised hundreds of thousands of dollars.
Though nearly 4,000 bottles are on offer for lucky bidders in this sale, this is a small portion of his overall collection. Our consignor has enjoyed an active cellar for many decades and has been able to drink every great wine in the world on multiple occasions. Stacks of cases are also still on hold for future charity donations. Highlights include bottles of Leroy Chambertin and Romanee-Conti, as well as a gorgeous case of 1982 Latour magnums. Verticals of vineyards and producers echo the focused and consistent buying methods of our consignor.
Provenance and storage are, in a word, as good as it gets. Original receipts stacked high document the source and price of nearly every single bottle. Packing up the cellar was a journey through California retail history as each case came with a story of why it was purchased, from whom, and for how much. Often a detailed tasting note and suggested food pairing were included! Almost all wines were sourced on release, either directly from the producers in California or from local retailers, and were removed from Ideal 55, one of the best professional storage facilities in Southern California.
It should be said that in all of our years of advising and working with collectors, there isn’t a kinder, more thoughtful one to be found. Every dinner with him includes a birthday vintage sourced from his cellar, and often one for a spouse for good measure. His prodigious memory stores more wine trivia than we’ll forget in a lifetime, and yet he still remembers important personal interests and milestones without fail. It is a tremendous pleasure to bring this important and beloved cellar to market.
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Clos de Vougeot Chateau de la Tour 1962
elongated neck, 6cm, damp-stained label, lightly oxidized capsule, signs of old seepage
Current Bid: None Estimate: $400 - $600
1 Bottle 750ML
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174
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Grands Echezeaux Domaine de la Romanee Conti 1972
5cm, scuffed and damp-stained label, lightly protruding cork, lightly corroded capsule
Current Bid: None Estimate: $1,200 - $1,900
1 Bottle 750ML
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184
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Richebourg Domaine de la Romanee Conti 1972
4.5cm, lightly scuffed, wine-stained, and damp-stained label, oxidized capsule, signs of old seepage
Current Bid: $2,400 Estimate: $3,000 - $4,400
1 Magnum 1.5L
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266
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Clos de Vougeot Maison Leroy 1978
2cm, heavily bin-soiled, heavily damp-stained, and deteriorated label, heavily damp-stained and deteriorated back label, lightly protruding cork
Current Bid: None Estimate: $1,000 - $1,500
1 Bottle 750ML
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315
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Beaune Rouge Theurons Maison Henry Duprey 1961
one 4.5cm, one 5cm, one bin-soiled label, two heavily damp-stained labels, one scuffed label partially obscures producer name
Current Bid: $100 Estimate: $140 - $220
2 Bottles 750ML
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362
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Richebourg Francois Gros 1969
one 4cm, one 5cm, two lightly scuffed labels, one damp-stained vintage tag, two damp-stained labels, two oxidized capsules
Current Bid: None Estimate: $1,200 - $1,800
2 Bottles 750ML
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384
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Nuits St Georges Clos des Porrets St Georges Henri Gouges 1969
4cm, damp-stained vintage tag, heavily damp-stained label, lightly depressed cork
Current Bid: $220 Estimate: $120 - $200
1 Bottle 750ML
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586
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Pommard Les Vignots Lahaye Pere et Fils 1976
three 2cm or better, one 2.5cm, one bin-soiled label, one scuffed label, two damp-stained labels, two heavily damp-stained labels, one with signs of old seepage
Current Bid: None Estimate: $400 - $600
4 Bottles 750ML
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663
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Chambertin Pierre Bouree 1976
2.5cm, bin-soiled, scuffed, and lightly damp-stained label
Current Bid: $160 Estimate: $200 - $300
1 Magnum 1.5L
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682
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Pommard RD Herville 1959
2.5cm, faded label, lightly depressed cork
Current Bid: None Estimate: $140 - $220
1 Bottle 750ML
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844
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Latour 1975
upper shoulder, lightly glue-stained, damp-stained, and handwriting on label
Current Bid: None Estimate: $700 - $1,100
1 Magnum 1.5L
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846
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Margaux 1953
mid shoulder, bin-soiled and torn label, oxidized capsule, lightly corroded capsule
Current Bid: None Estimate: $2,000 - $3,000
1 Bottle 750ML
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848
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Petrus 1971
top shoulder, lightly torn and bin-soiled label, heavily oxidized capsule
Current Bid: $1,400 Estimate: $1,800 - $2,800
1 Bottle 750ML
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849
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Petrus 1975
two upper mid shoulder, two lightly bin-soiled labels, one lightly scuffed label, two oxidized capsules, one lightly protruding cork, two with signs of old seepage
Current Bid: $2,200 Estimate: $2,800 - $4,400
2 Bottles 750ML
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860
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Pichon Longueville Comtesse de Lalande 1952
very top shoulder, bin-soiled and lightly torn label
Current Bid: $600 Estimate: $600 - $900
1 Magnum 1.5L
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864
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Gilette 1955
top shoulder, wine-stained label, signs of old seepage
Current Bid: $160 Estimate: $160 - $260
1 Bottle 750ML
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877
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Dow Silver Jubilee 1977
original wood case
twelve bottom neck or better, one oxidized capsule
Current Bid: $360 Estimate: $400 - $600
12 Bottles 750ML
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878
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Fonseca 1977
five into neck, five oxidized capsules, two with signs of old seepage
Current Bid: $420 Estimate: $460 - $700
5 Bottles 750ML
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879
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Graham 1977
original carton
twelve bottom neck or better, twelve damp-stained labels
Current Bid: $460 Estimate: $550 - $800
12 Bottles 750ML
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886
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Taylor Fladgate 1977
two into neck, two bin-soiled labels
Current Bid: $180 Estimate: $200 - $300
2 Magnums 1.5L
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889
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Warres 1977
three bottom neck, two just below top shoulder, one upper shoulder, six damp-stained labels
Current Bid: $180 Estimate: $160 - $240
6 Bottles 750ML
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890
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Tokaji Aszu Essencia Monimpex 1964
one top shoulder, two just below top shoulder, two bin-soiled labels, three scuffed labels, one lightly torn label
Current Bid: $320 Estimate: $400 - $600
3 Bottles 500ML
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892
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Beaulieu Vineyard Georges de Latour Private Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon 1970
into neck, lightly torn and damp-stained label, lightly oxidized capsule
Current Bid: $100 Estimate: $100 - $160
1 Bottle 750ML
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893
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Beaulieu Vineyard Georges de Latour Private Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon 1973
bottom neck, damp-stained label
Current Bid: $90 Estimate: $120 - $180
1 Bottle 750ML
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894
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Beaulieu Vineyard Georges de Latour Private Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon 1976
bottom neck, lightly faded and damp-stained label, lightly oxidized capsule
Current Bid: $180 Estimate: $100 - $160
1 Bottle 750ML
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