10 astonishing discoveries from a 200-year-old cellar
Wine specialist Charles Foley shares a selection of incredible finds from the Avery family’s cellar — an expansive collection built by several generations of wine enthusiasts
The first visit to a substantial wine cellar of genuine importance is an exciting and tantalising prospect. This particular cellar, located beneath the Avery family home in rural Somerset, is within striking distance of Bristol, home to Averys Wine Merchants since 1793.
Descending the stone steps, one begins to realise the full extent of the passion behind the collection, and its extraordinary range and diversity. The corridor is lined with cases and racks leading into the main chamber — a room of some 40 square metres, every wall hidden by floor-to-ceiling racks double-stacked in depth.
In the centre of the chamber a mass of cases and cartons, many original, are stacked up to eye-level and above. The chamber in turn leads to the ‘Dungeon’, which was lined with original brick bins and contains more large racks, protected by an ancient wood-and-metal door. Here, many remarkable discoveries lay in wait.
‘The corridor is lined with cases and racks leading into the main chamber — a room of some 40 square metres, every wall hidden by floor-to-ceiling racks double-stacked in depth’
The greatest Mouton ever madeChâteau Mouton-Rothschild 1945
Château Mouton-Rothschild 1945. 1 bottle per lot. Estimate: £4,000-6,000. This lot is offered in Fine and Rare Wines from The Avery Family Cellar on 20 October 2016 at Christie’s in London, King Street
Domaine de la Romanée-Conti, Romanée-Conti 1969. 1 bottle per lot. Estimate: £5,000-7,000. This lot is offered in Fine and Rare Wines from The Avery Family Cellar on 20 October 2016 at Christie’s in London, King Street
The pearl of BurgundyDomaine de la Romanée-Conti, Romanée-Conti 1969
The benchmark for California CabernetHeitz Cellars, Martha's Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon 1970
Heitz Cellars, Martha's Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon 1970. 6 bottles per lot. Estimate: £1,200-1,500. This lot is offered in Fine and Rare Wines from The Avery Family Cellar on 20 October 2016 at Christie’s in London, King Street
Quinta do Noval 1931. 1 bottle per lot. Estimate: £1,500-2,000. This lot is offered in Fine and Rare Wines from The Avery Family Cellar on 20 October 2016 at Christie’s in London, King Street
A towering vintage portQuinta do Noval 1931
‘Black as an Egyptian night’Pétrus 1961
Pétrus 1961. 1 bottle per lot. Estimate: £2,400-3,000. This lot is offered in Fine and Rare Wines from The Avery Family Cellar on 20 October 2016 at Christie’s in London, King Street
Penfolds, Magill Dry Red Bin 145A 1954. 1 bottle per lot. Estimate: £200-300. This lot is offered in Fine and Rare Wines from The Avery Family Cellar on 20 October 2016 at Christie’s in London, King Street
An early Australian pioneerPenfolds, Magill Dry Red Bin 145A 1954
‘Extraordinary purity, outstanding class’Comte Georges de Vogüé, Musigny Vielles Vignes 1964
Comte Georges de Vogüé, Musigny Vielles Vignes 1964. 4 bottles per lot. Estimate: £1,000-1,200. This lot is offered in Fine and Rare Wines from The Avery Family Cellar on 20 October 2016 at Christie’s in London, King Street
Château Lafite-Rothschild 1897. 1 bottle per lot. Estimate: £1,000-1,500. This lot is offered in Fine and Rare Wines from The Avery Family Cellar on 20 October 2016 at Christie’s in London, King Street
Bottled in the Victorian eraChâteau Lafite-Rothschild 1897
An unseen grande dameMommessin, Clos de Tart 1945
Mommessin, Clos de Tart 1945. 5 bottles per lot. Estimate: £2,000-2,500. This lot is offered in Fine and Rare Wines from The Avery Family Cellar on 20 October 2016 at Christie’s in London, King Street
Salon le Mesnil Blanc de Blancs 1969. 2 bottles per lot. Estimate: £3,000-4,000. This lot is offered in Fine and Rare Wines from The Avery Family Cellar on 20 October 2016 at Christie’s in London, King Street