BEVERLY HILLS, CA.- A rare 1915 White Muscat, bottled for Czar Nicholas II's summer palace — and among the last to appear in his cellar before his assassination in Russia's 1917 October Revolution — joins a broad selection of 20th century vintages in Heritage Auctions' Signature® Wine Auction event. The March 29 auction starts at 6 p.m. in Beverly Hills, with a real-time simulcast to Hong Kong on March 30 at 9 a.m.

Wines from the Massandra Collection, which make up 145 lots of tokays, muscats, sherry and port, were bottled at the winery, which was built in the 1890s. Workers spent three years carving tunnels deep into Crimea's granite mountains, perfecting cellars suitable for aging these unique and treasured fortified wines.

"The wines offer spectacular drinking, but they're also thought and conversation provoking, which is just one reason I enjoy them so much," said Frank Martell, Director of Fine and Rare Wine at Heritage. "Massandra's wines are so historically important that sharing them becomes an entirely different type of memory created with friends."

The 145 lots in this sale were hand-selected by Martell at the winery, where he sampled all but one wine so that relevant tasting notes and ratings accompany each lot, the first time this has been the case in the United States.

Included in this selection are a 1901 Tokay Ai Danil, estimated to bring $1,200+, and a 1905 Rose Muscat Livadia, estimated to bring $1,800+, which are among the last remaining bottles that were actually produced for the Tsar and his family. Also highlighted in this collection is a six-pack of 1923 White Muscat, (estimate: $2,600+ for the lot), and a six-pack of 1954 White Muscat Livadia, which carries a pre-auction estimate of $1,400+. It is important to note that the '23 Muscat and '54 Lividia received nearly flawless ratings of 98 and 99 points, respectively.

"There are 47 Massandra vintages on offer in this auction touching upon almost the entire catalog of what is produced at this legendary estate," Martell said. "I hope that as many people as possible bring home some of this outstanding wine and share it. With so many individual vintages available, it's easy to celebrate milestone birthdays or anniversaries with a wine whose journey began alongside your own. These bottles have spent a lifetime waiting for your occasion."

Among the leading French offerings in the auction, a 1945 Chateau Latour Pauillac is expected to fetch $24,000+, while a collector's choice, 12-bottle assortment of 1993 Domaine de la Romanée-Conti may bring $20,000+.

The auction also features a strong selection of French large format bottles starting with two Jeroboams of 1982 Chateau Lafite Rothschild, expected to bring $15,000+ each and a single Imperial expected to reach $20,000+.

Two imperials of 1982 Chateau Latour are expected to bring $15,000+ each, while three individual imperials of 1982 La Mission Haut Brion are expected to bring better than $6,000 each.

Additional lots include a 12-bottle lot of 1970 Chateau Petrus Pomerol, estimated at $15,000+, a 12-bottle lot of 1989 La Tache Domaine de la Romanee Conti, expected to break $11,000, and a six-bottle Magnum lot of 2003 Chateau Ausone, which carries a pre-auction estimate of $10,000+.