Timed Online Auction, 28 January - 9 February 2026

Provenance

The late David Brice was a respected wine connoisseur, collector and co-founder of Wine Cellar, fine wine merchants. His lifelong passion for wine from all corners of the world wine, and generosity, helped develop a culture of fine wine in South Africa and beyond. Always with value and authenticity in mind, the collection spans a wide range of styles from leading producers and diverse regions. The wines were professionally imported under refrigeration and carefully stored at Wine Cellar thereafter. Many of the producers are not available in South Africa and provide an excellent buying opportunity.

The Rhône valley was one of David's favoured regions, known for its diverse range of reds and whites. These were quintessential French wines from excellent easy-drinking, to fine, long-term treasures. He enjoyed wines from all the villages from Vaucluse to Vacqueyras, and Cornas to Côte-Rôtie. David focused on top vintages for long-term maturation and lesser vintages for earlier drinking. The highlight perhaps is his deep collection of top Châteauneuf-du-Pape from great vintages like 2010 and 2007.

For more detailed information on the lots, please feel free to contact Roland Peens (roland@winecellar.co.za). Roland spent many years sharing and enjoying these wines with David Brice and is happy to provide further insight into the collection.

Critics Ratings

'Dark cherry red. Pure peppery Syrah nose. Really zesty and energetic. Gorgeously dark and dry on the palate, with coal-like darkness and a firm, masculine grip, needing time to become more expressive on the palate. Embryonically delicious. Great persistence.' - Julia Harding MW, JancisRobinson.com, 17.5/20 (Sep 2015)

'(made with 100% whole clusters): Bright purple. Energetic black raspberry, cherry, Asian spices and olive paste on the seductively perfumed nose. Fleshy and expansive in the mouth, offering juicy red and dark berry liqueur flavors and a suave note of candied violet. Picks up spiciness and smokiness with air and finishes on a sweet dark berry note, with good nervy cut and floral persistence. Maxime Graillot told me that this wine is made from a site in Chassis that was planted 45 years ago and has never been treated with any chemicals.' - Josh Raynolds, Vinous, 91/100 (Dec 2014)

'The 2013 Crozes Hermitage is a sensational effort that offers tons of meaty, smoky, olive, bay leaf and currant-like aromas and flavors in a medium to full-bodied, nicely concentrated, mouth-filling style. Not destemmed and aged 12 months in used barrels, drink this inky colored, seriously impressive Syrah anytime over the coming decade.' - Jeb Dunnuck, Wine Advocate, 90/100

'Ripe and direct, with polished edges to the core of raspberry and blackberry fruit, lined with subtle anise and fruitcake notes. Exhibiting modest stuffing and grip, this is a crowd-pleaser, but could flesh out a touch more with cellaring.' - James Molesworth, Wine Spectator