Wines and Spirits: Tasting with Curious Pleasure

The prestigious Italian auction house Wannenes will present their unmissable ‘Wines & Spirits’ auction on 19 May. The sale is divided into two rounds, and includes an attractive selection of the best national and international wines, as well as a large section dedicated to spirits. Starting with the wines, the proposed labels can be summed up by the 'light and sensual' words of the great visionary of the cinematographic genius Federico Fellini:

A symbol of the excellence of Tuscan oenology, this extraordinary vertical consists of 21 bottles of Sassicaia, Tenuta San Guido, Bolgheri. The wines were made from 1994 to 2014, and the lot is estimated at €3,000-5,000 (£2,575-4,295). 

The absolute pinnacle of French winemaking is held in six bottles of Château Lafite Rothschild Premier Grand Cru Classé from 1971, contained in their original wooden packaging and estimated at €1,700-2,000 (£1,460-1,715).

The fine flavours of France continue in two exquisite bottles of La Tàche Domaine de la Romanée-Conti. One (lot 173) is from 1979 and estimated between €4,000-6,000 (£3,435-5,155), while the other (lot 174), dates from 1985 and is estimated between €2,400-2,600 (£2,060-2,235). 

As for the champagne, the most iconic and sought-after labels will be present. Two bottles of Krug Clos du Mesnil Blanc de Blancs from 1988 (lot 213) and 1990 (lot 214) are particular standouts, and are complete with their original wooden packaging. Their initial quotations are €900-1,100 (£775-945) for the 1988 vintage and €700-900 (£60-775) for the 1990.

Finally, a refined section of spirits, including grappa, cognac and rum will appear. One noteworthy item is the Private Stock of Wray and Nephew (lot 249), imported by Soffiantino & Co. of Genoa, one of the most sought-after bottles of rum on the spirits market and estimated to sell for €2,000-3,000 (£1,715-2,575).

John Wray & Nephew Overproof rum is one of the symbols of Jamaica, along with the Reggae music of Bob Marley and figures like Usain Bolt. It is an exceptional distillate that accompanies meals, sanctifies holidays, celebrates birthdays, births and weddings, and even commemorates the moment of passing away. Its legendary history begins in 1825 when John Wray opened ‘The Shakespeare Tavern’ in Kingston Town, eventually achieving dazzling success all over the world and creating award-winning rums. John Wray & Nephew later bought the Appleton Estate, the second oldest rum distillery in the world and one of the most renowned. In 1997, the Appleton estate became the first distillery in the spirits industry to employ a female master blender, Joy Spence.

An entire section of spirits is dedicated to Macallan, the single malt par excellence, where a 25-year-old bottle ‘The Queen Silver Jubilee’ from 1977 (lot 297) is a particular standout.

Macallan Distillery was founded in 1824 by Alexander Reid. Macallan seems to derive from the original name of the area where the distillery stands, ‘Maghellan’. This name comes from the Gallic word magh, meaning ‘fertile ground’ and Ellan, the name of a monk closely linked to the church that stood on that land. The distillation process takes place with meticulous care, and the processing uses fourteen small copper stills with an unusual shape, which keeps the aromas well-concentrated. The Macallan, also known jokingly as ‘Big Mac’, has gained a reputation as the most-collected whisky in the world and always tends to reach mind-boggling figures at auctions. This particular bottle is estimated between €1,200-1,600 (£1,030 - 1,375).

The great French Renaissance writer and humanist François Rabelais said “When I drink I think, when I think I drink”. The Wannenes catalogue dedicated to wines and spirits is drunk with the eyes, lot by lot and wonder after wonder.

Discover all of Wannenes’ lots on Barnebys