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

'Complex sanguine aromas and rose sit atop a concentrated core of Morello cherries, fennel and potting soil on the nose. The palate is caressed by the complexity of blackberries, red cherries, fresh veal marinated in fennel, clove and crushed rose. Cellar well through 2035+.' - Anna-Christina Cabrales, Wine Enthusiast, 96/100 (Jan 2023)

'Closer in style to the 2018 than the 2017, the 2019 Cote Rotie is a big, rich, powerful Côte Rôtie that has loads of meaty, gamey black fruits, smoked herb, pepper, and chocolate-like aromas and flavors. With full-bodied richness, a round, layered texture, terrific tannins, and a great finish, it's a powerhouse yet traditional Côte Rôtie that will need 4-5 years to shed its baby fat yet evolve for 20+ years.' - Jeb Dunnuck, 93-95/100 (May 2021)

'Very ripe, dark plum aromas with a touch of currant and cinnamon. It is dense and deep, with marked acidity for the vintage. A good sense of freshness, with some floral hints behind the ripe fruit. Not extracted, no heaviness – it's medium-bodied, but with impressive impact and detail. The wood is noticeable at this early stage, but it's well-judged and I think it will meld nicely into the wine with time. There's precision, freshness and lightness of touch even though the fruit is very ripe. Impressive. 2022-2037' – Matt Wells, Decanter, 94/100 (Mar 2021)