According to wine industry lore, back in 1855 the master Bordeaux wine merchant Abraham Lawton described the Château Lafite Rothschild as "the most elegant and delicate, with the finest body of the three [leading wines]."
Fast-forward two centuries, and auction house Bonhams clearly shared Lawton's faith, estimating that the dark ruby Bordeaux would be the highlight at its London Fine & Rare Wines auction last Thursday (October 21).
A lot comprising 11 bottles of the 1983 vintage wine went under the hammer, along with single bottle of another 'leading wine': the Chateau Mouton Rothschild 1983.
Possessing a "provocative" and "intoxicatingly perfumed nose of lead pencil, pain grille, red and black fruits, minerals, and roasted herbs," in the words of leading expert Robert Parker, the legendary '83 appeared at Bonhams with a £5,000 minimum estimate.
Including three "very top shoulder" bottles, albeit with four "slightly damaged" capsules, the lot sold for just shy of its high pre-sale estimate. In the end, the dozen bottles brought £6,325 including buyer's premium.
Elsewhere, Bonhams' sale also proved that it had plenty on offer for entry-level investors.
In particular, the underrated La Mission Haut Brion 1983 continues to prove itself as a great collectible alternative investment for both connoisseurs and the uninitiated. A lot including three bottles sold for £529 inclusive of buyer's premium.
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