September, 2010 will mark the 40th anniversary of wine sales at Sotheby's auctioneers.
And the occasion is to be marked by a two day sale of the "Finest and Rarest Wines & Spirits" at the company's London auction house on the 22 & 23 of the month.
The landmark auction will feature four sessions focusing on specific regions and collections of wines and spirits.
The anniversary event will begin with a fine private collection of wines including a remarkable vertical of the Château Mouton Rothschild which will comprise of a bottle from every vintage from 1945 to 2003, excluding the 1948 bottle.
The owner is believed to have built this collection over a number of decade and Stephen Mould, Senior Director at Sotheby's Wine Department, added:
"This collection has to include one of the most comprehensive selections of Mouton Rothschild we have ever offered at auction, particularly with the variety of different bottle sizes ranging from half bottles through every other size to imperials and the depth of different vintages."
The opening session will also feature a wide range of Bordeaux wines that encompass First Growths and other top Chateaus alongside Italian wines as well as rare burgundy and spirits.
The vertical of Château Mouton Rothschild, Pauillac, "1er Cru Classé", is one of the top lots at the two day event, carrying a pre-auction estimate of £15,000-20,000 ($23,400 - 31,190).
 The Chateau Mouton Rothschild features prominently |
This session is followed by an impressive auction of Champagne which is being sold in parcel quantities.
Day two's opening session is set to focus on the increasingly popular Chateau Lafite collection.
Highlights included a case of the 1982 vintage which carries a pre-auction estimate of £20,000 - 26,000 ($31,190 - 40,550).
Elsewhere, a 12 bottle case of the Chateau Lafite 2000 is also up for sale with a target price of £14,000 - 18,000 ($21,800 - 28,070).
In fact, the sale is set to boast every vintage of the Lafite from 1988 to 2000 making this one event wine collectors will not want to miss.
The fourth and final session on Thursday will focus on an impressive private collection of wines that includes classic bottles from Bordeaux and Château d'Yquem.
Other overall highlights of the two day sale included a rare case of the 1961 vintage Chateau Mouton Rothschild which is expected to sell for £11,000 - 15,000 ($17,150 - 23,400).
Whilst a fine case of the Chateau Haut Brion's 1989 vintage, is also on offer with a pre-sale estimated price of £8,000 -10,000 ($12,500 - 15,600).
The two day extravaganza is expected to bring collectors from across the globe to Sotheby's London auction house. According to Sotheby's the sale has a total pre-sale estimate of £1.6-2m ($2.5-3.1m).
For auctioneer and investors alike, it's nice to know that, forty years on, fine wine sales are more popular than ever.
