Critics Ratings

‘Fabulous aromas of crushed strawberry, flowers and light dried porcini. Full-bodied, with ripe fruit and a pruny undertone. Round and caressing. An amazing bottle that will be even better with age. Best after 2008.’ – Wine Spectator, 97/100 (May 2007)

‘The 1996 Barolo Monfortino, just bottled, is a brooding, backward behemoth, which reminds me of the 1978 in its youth. An usually dark garnet for a completely traditional Barolo, its fabulously fresh aromas, plummy and spicy and redolent of roses, violets, graphite, and road tar, give way to a super-concentrated palate, massive and packed, dense and intense in texture and continuity. It is explosive on the development and finish, both mouth-coating and chewy yet nobly austere and with the length and kick which characterize the greatest of Barolo. I would not touch a bottle until 2010, and imagine that it will still be an extraordinary wine in 2035.’ – Daniel Thomases, Wine Advocate, 96/100 (Oct 2003)

‘I have always had a love affair with the 1996 Barolo Riserva Monfortino. The 1996 remains a towering, epic Monfortino with classically austere tannins and all of the energy that drives Barolo lovers crazy for these wines. It can be enjoyed now or cellared for as long as temperature and humidity keep corks in good condition.’ - Antonio Galloni, Vinous, 98/100 (Jan 2020)

Provenance

The Coats Family Cellar is arguably the most prestigious fine wine collection ever offered in South Africa. It contains a deep collection of the worlds finest, most sought-after wines, spanning over 150 years. Collected over many decades, the cellar was imported from Ireland to South Africa via reefer. Each bottle within the Coats Family Cellar was authenticated by Michael Egan in August 2022 and given an ID number for tracking.

Michael Egan is a world-expert in fine and rare wines with more than thirty five years of experience. He was the principal expert for the plaintiff in the two major wine counterfeiting trials in Koch v. Eric Greenberg and United States v. Rudy Kurniawan, both of which occurred in 2013.

Along with Michael Egan, the Strauss & Co Fine Wine team have tasted extensively through the cellar and are confident of the wine storage and hence quality. The entire collection is currently stored at Wine Cellar.