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

'Essentially, I think the wine has become a little more aromatically brooding, the palate a little more savoury. On the nose, red and black fruit, some floral fragrance and spice but also some black olive which perhaps wasn't there before. The palate is broad and super-rich, the tannins very fine – Kent is famously sceptical of "freshness" preferring weight and structure and this is indeed a hearty wine, the 14.74% alcohol bringing just a little heat to the finish. All in all, however, it's a flavoursome drop.' - Christiaan Eedes, Winemag, 91/100 (Oct 2016)

'Generous blue & black berry fruit with cocoa tones on 2015 blend of mainly syrah/shiraz with dabs grenache noir, cab, cinsaut & viognier, all Swartland for the first time. Taut, spicy & succulent. Praiseworthy quality & consistency given the sizeable quantities.' - Platter's Guide, 4.5* (2017 Edition)