An extraordinary collection of wine which was been hidden in a cave is expected to sell for almost £1million at auction.
The unnamed drinks aficionado spent years buying exclusive wine from vineyards in Bordeaux.
But instead of storing them in the wine cellar of a grand country home, they kept the alcohol in a top secret cave in Northern Europe.
An extraordinary collection of wine which was been hidden in a top secret cave in Northern Europe is expected to sell for almost £1million at auction
An unnamed drinks aficionado spent years buying exclusive wine from vineyards in Bordeaux. But instead of storing them in the wine cellar of a grand country home, they stashed the alcohol in a grotto
Wine expert James Reed, who works for Art Dealer Sotheby’s, was given explicit instructions, as well as a map, indicating where he would find the booze.
When James located the lair he discovered wines varying in value from £90 to £22,000.
He said: ‘One of the joys of being a wine specialist is being admitted to all the different places where clients store their wine.
‘This collection is the first I have ever found in a grotto.
‘The entrance itself is at the foot of a sheer rock face. Once inside, I was confronted by a bare rock cavern, with smaller chambers branching off at random.
‘Underfoot was bare earth. Scattered about were pallets of wine, plastic wrapped against the damp, neatly and methodically stacked and with the case ends facing outwards to aid identification.
Wine expert James Reed said the bottles hidden in the cave vary from £90 to £20,000 per bottle
Mr Reed said: ‘This collection is the first I have ever found in a grotto. The entrance itself is at the foot of a sheer rock face’
‘To have the opportunity to present such a glorious collection from such great storage and with such strong provenance is undoubtedly a highlight of my 20-year career at Sotheby’s.’
The storage conditions in the hand-hewn cave were consistently and evenly cool, with good natural humidity, making it an ideal for the health of the wine.
Sotheby’s will be auctioning the single-owner collection on January 24 in London, with the 388 lots expected to sell for approaching £1 million.
Sotheby’s will be auctioning the single-owner collection on January 24 in London, with the 388 lots expected to sell for approaching £1 million
Serena Sutcliffe, master of wine and honorary chairman, Sotheby’s Wine, said: ‘In the dark days of winter, it takes a treasure trove of truly joyous wines to bring a smile to the face.
‘This collection puts the greatest vinous gems of France under the spotlight.
‘It is clear that the wines were chosen by someone with remarkable gastronomic and wine knowledge, who had access to the best châteaux in Bordeaux.’