London’s prestigious auction house, Sotheby’s, will offer an exclusive batch of 270 bottles of Moet & Chandon, on November 13. Pink and white champagne vintages from the period spanning from 1914 to 2004 will be available to those who wish to seize this unique opportunity to enrich their private wine cellars with champagnes of the highest caliber.
With this sale, Moët & Chandon will celebrate the 270 years since Claude Moët founded the firm in 1743. At present, the company is an integral part of the Moët Hennessy-Louis Vuitton empire (LVMH), property of Bernard Arnault, who according to Forbes magazine ranks tenth in the world of billionaires, with assets estimated at 29 billion dollars.
Seventy-four lots will be auctioned in the British capital with final sales expected to reach more than $160,000. The 270 bottles at auction include 174 Magnum (1.5 liters) and three Jeroboams (3 liters), chosen from the Moët Grand Vintage collection by the wine master, Benoît Gouez.
According to Gouez, one of the most extraordinary and evocative productions from Moët & Chandon dates from 1914, a year of high emotional intensity because the grapes were gathered and selected by women since men were in the front lines at the early stages of World War I.
Michael Edwards, wine expert and author of The Finest Wines of Champagne, notes that the 1914 Moët & Chandon vintage must be in excellent condition, with good presence of fruit and no signs of oxidation. Edwards, who tasted the vintage in 1968, sees no reason why it should not be in perfect condition after almost 50 years. Meanwhile, Serena Sutcliffe, head of Sotheby’s international wines, was recently lucky enough to try this amazing vintage and stated that its taste and evolution make it a superlative champagne.
It is anticipated that the bid for the two bottles of this rare vintage will exceed $ 8,000 each. Great momentum is also expected from the presentation of the 1921 and 1928 bottles because, according to Edwards, these vintages are unique and have special finesse. Prices are expected to exceed $8,300 and $3,800 respectively.
The success of the sale is guaranteed in advance simply because it is a selection of unique champagnes from the wineries of Moët & Chandon in Epernay, France, considered the best of the best. ■
