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The Collection of Ian Mill QC Part 2, London, October 23

Click here to download the auction catalog for The Collection of Ian Mill QC
Click here to download a spreadsheet of the auction lots

In October of 2019, the wine collecting world gathered in person and virtually at Le Bernardin in New York City for The Collection of Ian Mill QC, the greatest offering of rare wine that year. The world has changed in innumerable ways since that auction, but one thing hasn’t: Ian’s focus on fine wines meticulously sourced and impeccably stored. In the introduction to the 2019 auction catalog we talked about the chapters in Ian’s wine-collecting life. Chapter 3, as we described it in 2019, was not the last chapter, but the first chapter in an entirely new book: the auction, and now its sequel, Part II. If you’ll recall from Part I, Ian is planning on retiring from his career as a renowned commercial Queen’s Counsel (a trial attorney) and is looking forward to opening Maison Healdsburg - a complement to, if not a carbon copy of, Cabotte, though located in Healdsburg, California. 

Why Healdsburg?

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There’s the obvious connection to Burgundy’s most famous varietals, of course. Beyond that, Ian’s wife though British spent her formative years in the Bay Area. When they met, she agreed to live in London with one caveat: that they would eventually move back to California. As retirement, or whatever facsimile of “retirement” is appropriate for a gentleman of Ian’s catholic interests, approaches, it’s not like Ian’s arm needed to be twisted to move to Healdsburg. In fact, he fondly remembers his second epiphany wine - the 1985 Williams Selyem Rochioli Pinot Noir - that convinced him of the potential for true excellence in Pinot Noir made on American soil. 

In the words of Maison’s co-founder Evan Hufford, “we are going to provide the same wine experience as a 3 Michelin Star restaurant, without the barrier to entry of a $350 ticket or 3+ hour meal. We’ll have a wine list with over 1000 selections. The name “Maison” is inspired by our tastings in France, where we love and appreciate small, family-run producers, often tasting out of a living room.”

It's not an exaggeration to say that the wine world internationally is talking about this sequel. At dinners from Stockholm to Shanghai, when a bottle is produced with the “Ian Mill Zachys sticker” on the back, everyone knows they are in for a transporting vinous experience. Ian decided to lend his name to Part I, and now Part II, because he stands by the wines in this collection. Now that Part I’s wines are “out in the world,” and the reports are in: he was right. His attention to detail and meticulous sourcing over the decades has paid off. If you missed Part I, now is your opportunity to be a part of something important.

Please be in touch with us at auction@zachys.com with any questions you may have. Though this auction will be “live streamed,” and not in person, we are hosting a global series of pre-auction dinners and bidding parties. If you are interested in attending, please be in touch.

All wines offered in this auction are lying in Zachys warehouse in Rotterdam, the Netherlands. Each lot is offered under one of three EU VAT schemes represented by a symbol († or ◆ or △).

Click here to read more about VAT symbols and definitions

Absentee portion for this auction is open for bidding.
The first session will start live bidding on 10/23/2021 at 10:00 AM GMT.
A link to the live auction portal will appear here 30 minutes before the live session begins.