LONDON.- Christie’s Winter Season Luxury sales will comprise Finest & Rarest Wines & Spirits, Important Jewels and Handbags & Accessories. The auctions present collectors with the opportunity to acquire the very best in wines and spirits, superb jewels and exceptional handbags and will be on view and open to the public from 23 to 27 November. The auctions will be led be by a very special Macallan 1926 60-year-old malt in a unique bottle painted by Michael Dillon, extraordinary jewels from the leading jewellery houses including Boucheron, Bulgari, Cartier, Graff and JAR, and exceptional handbags from Chanel and Hermès, along with an extremely rare aluminium Explorer Trunk by Louis Vuitton.
Finest & Rarest Wines & Spirits
Christie’s London Finest & Rarest Wines and Spirits on 28 and 29 November will be highlighted by a collection of Château Latour, a beautiful single-owner collection, champagnes from the House of Lanson and a host of rare whiskies including bottles direct from The Macallan.
A spectacular collection of Château Latour direct from the cellar of the estate’s former winemaker Denis Malbec will present a most impressive selection of vintages seen at auction. Vintages of impeccably stored 19th and 20th century Latour feature in bottles, magnums and large formats. Vintages range from 1863 to 2009 and Forts de Latour and Pauillac also feature alongside rare treasures such as Grapillons de Latour and the little seen Rosé from Latour. The Malbec family have a long association with the famous Château beginning in 1937 with Camille Malbec and when Denis became the winemaker in 1994 he ensured that the bottles in his family vaults were recorked and reconditioned. They have not moved from the family cellar at the edge of the Latour vineyards until collection for this exceptional sale.
An outstanding single-owner collection will be offered with exceptional vintages of Domaine de la Romanée-Conti, Le Pin, Dom Perignon, Cristal and Gaja. Highlights include a 12 bottle case of Domaine de la Romanée-Conti, Richebourg, 1978 (estimate: £60,000-90,000 per lot), a 12 bottle case of Domaine de la Romanée-Conti, Montrachet, 1986 (estimate: £60,000-90,000 per lot), and a large parcel of Cristal 1977 (estimate: £2,500-3,500).
Christie’s are pleased to partner with the House of Lanson to offer remarkable bottles of champagne direct from their cellars including Vintage Collection 1976-1999, Clos Lanson (a unique single vineyard of Chardonnay) 2006 (estimate: £12,000-18,000 per lot) and the rare Noble Cuvée Brut (estimate: £1,900-2,800 per lot) and Blanc de Blancs from the excellent 2002 vintage (estimate: £1,400-1,900 per lot).
The auction will be led by the most collectable single malt produced in the 20th century; The Macallan 1926 60-year-old presented in a unique bottle painted by the Irish artist Michael Dillon (estimate on request). Considered the 'Holy Grail' for collectors, it is poised to set a new world auction record for a bottle of whisky. Furthermore, the auction will feature a selection of The Macallan whiskies direct from the distillery, alongside a number of other fine and rare whiskies. This is the largest offering of spirits that has ever been offered in a London sale at Christie’s and will include lots such as The Macallan 50, 55, 57, 60 and 62-year-old in Lalique decanters, along with bottles of the limited edition release The Macallan Genesis and a set of thirteen releases of The Macallan Exceptional Single Cask Selections (vintages 1995-2005). Also, highlighting the growing trend for Japanese whisky is the Yamazaki 50-year-old (one of only 150 bottles, estimate: £150,000-200,000 per lot) and Vieux Cognac, Clos du Griffier 1788 (estimate: £20,000-25,000 per lot).
Important Jewels
The London Important Jewels sale, taking place on 28 November, presents a beautiful assemblage of antique, period and modern jewels ranging from £2,000 to £200,000; many from the foremost jewellery maisons such as Boucheron, Bulgari, Cartier, Graff, Janesich, JAR, Lalique, Mauboussin, Schlumberger, and Verdura.
Highlights include a Cartier Model A rock crystal ‘Mystery Clock’ (estimate: £200,000-300,000); an iconic 1950s Van Cleef & Arpels ‘Zip’ necklace (estimate: £150,000-200,000); a superb pair of Art Déco diamond drop earrings from the estate of the late Vera Hue-Williams (estimate: £80,000-120,000); a diamond rivière necklace formerly the property of Douglas Fairbanks Jnr (estimate: £25,000-35,000); and jewels from the collection of the late Marcella Rossi, primarily featuring stylish vintage pieces purchased from Cartier Bond Street. Amongst the antique jewellery on offer is a rare 16th century Scottish portrait miniature pendant (£10,000-15,000) and a comprehensive collection of gem-set and enamel butterflies. Important contemporary jewels include a pair of Zambian emerald ear pendants (estimate: £120,000-180,000), a pair of Fancy Intense Yellow diamond ear studs (estimate: £200,000-300,000) and an array of diamond engagement rings.
Handbags & Accessories
On 12 December 2018 Christie’s London will present at auction 225 rare, limited edition, and one-of-a-kind Handbags & Accessories. With a focus on the most sought-after vintage and current pieces, the sale will offer something for every collector, with estimates ranging from £500 to £150,000.
Highlights of the auction include an exceptional Chanel Matte White Diamonds Forever Flap Bag with 18k White Gold & Diamond Hardware (estimate: £50,000–70,000), one of a limited edition of only sixteen. Also offered is a Hermès, Matte Himalaya Niloticus Crocodile Birkin 35 with 18k White Gold & Diamond Hardware (estimate: £100,000–150,000). A similar piece in a smaller size was sold in London in June for £162,500 and currently holds the European record for most valuable handbag sold at auction.
A highlight of the sale is an extremely rare aluminium Louis Vuitton explorer trunk (estimate £50,000-100,000). Dating to 1892, this extraordinary trunk was created at a time when the production of aluminium was so complex it was more expensive than gold. Following its appearance at the “Exposition Universelle” in 1855 the demand for this precious metal soared. The immense shine of the metal combined with its incredible lightness made it ideal for jewellery design and soon became the material of choice for the French elite, becoming known as ‘the white gold of Napoleon’. Louis Vuitton produced explorer trunks in a range of metals including Zinc, Brass and Copper, however due to exceptionally high production costs only a very small quantity of aluminium trunks were crafted. These were coveted by explorers and high-society alike due to their resistance, weight and rarity.
