Sauternes 1983

Provenance

The late David Brice was a respected wine connoisseur, collector and co-founder of Brice and Burnett – The Fine Wine Specialists (formerly Wine Cellar). 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 Brice and Burnett (formerly Wine Cellar) thereafter. Many of the producers are not available in South Africa and provide an excellent buying opportunity.

David studied and tasted Bordeaux more than any other region and he purchased en-primeur, or pre-release, for more than 3 decades. He bought the great vintages, loved magnums, and enjoyed the sweet wines of Sauternes. The cellar contains the famous names, but also highly regarded but lesser-known Chateaux and appellations.

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

'Impériale. Deep apricot colour. Exotic nose of dried tropical fruit - mango? Gorgeous, full bodied, delightfully middle aged, between youthful and embryonic and fully blown. Long and powerful though a drying hint of dried apple peel on the finish. 20 and still a long way to go.' - Jancis Robinson MW, JancisRobinson.com, 20/20 (Apr 2002)

'Super-intense and full-throttled, elegant and stylish. Dark amber in color and rich in complexity, this '83 coats your mouth with butterscotch, dried apricot, fig and spice flavors. Made to age for decades.' - Wine Spectator, 98/100 (Apr 1995)

'The 1983 is among the most concentrated wines from this property over the last 20 years, with a staggering display of extract and a mind-boggling amount of glycerin. The vintage commenced early for Yquem, beginning on September 29 and finishing on November 18. Most observers feel the 1983 will mature more slowly than the 1986, and will last for almost 100 years. Given Yquem's unbelievable aging potential, such comments do not seem far fetched. At present, the 1983 is enormous, with huge, honeyed, pineapple, coconut, and caramel flavors, massive extract, and an unctuous quality barely framed by acidity and new oak. I do not feel the wine has changed since bottling, and I would not want to start drinking it for at least another 10-15 years. Anticipated maturity: 2005-2050.' - Robert Parker Jr, Wine Advocate, 96/100 (Jan 1998)