Johannesburg Auction Week

Live Virtual Auction, 6 November 2022

Coats Family Cellar | Iconic Bordeaux
About the Session

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.


Sold for

ZAR 36 416
Lot 142
  • Latour; Pauillac; 2000; 2 (1 x 2); 750ml


Lot Estimate
ZAR 35 000 - 45 000
Selling Price
Incl. Buyer's Premium & VAT
ZAR 36 416

About this Item

2000 Pauillac
2 (1 x 2) 750ml

This leading Bordeaux château dates back to the fourteenth century. The estate is located at the southern edge of Pauillac, bordering the Saint-Julien vineyards of Château Léoville-Las Cases. It was purchased in 1993 by the French industrialist François Pinault, whose empire has grown to include Yves Saint Laurent, Gucci, and Christie’s Auction House. Under the presidency of Frédéric Engerer, a major program of investment has taken place, leading Château Latour to rise to an undisputed pre-eminent position in the Bordeaux wine hierarchy. Rated as a First Growth in the 1855 Bordeaux Classification, which is a testament to its esteemed status in the wine world, Château Latour has become one of the most sought-after and expensive wine producers on the planet. It produces powerfully structured Cabernet Sauvignon-dominant wines capable of lasting many decades.

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. 

Critics Ratings

‘The 2000 Latour is very deep in color. The nose is backward and demands coaxing from the glass, eventually revealing intense black fruit, cedar, graphite and very subtle Japanese nori aromas. The palate is medium-bodied with an arching structure that grips the mouth. The tannins are a little bolder than the 2001. This unfolds swirl by swirl, with hints of licorice emerging with time, and fanning out audaciously on the finish.’ - Neal Martin, Vinous, 99/100 (Sept 2021)

‘2000 saw a warm, dry July and August with a small amount of rain from mid-September onward. Composed of 77% Cabernet Sauvignon, 16% Merlot, 4% Cabernet Franc and 3% Petit Verdot, the 2000 Latour has a deep garnet color and is showing a good amount of evolution, sporting mature notes of fried exotic spices, hoisin, unsmoked cigars and fruitcake with hints of incense, potpourri, cast iron pan and charcuterie. Medium-bodied, soft, plush and savory in the mouth, it has a long, mineral-tinged finish. 14,000 cases were made this year, representing 48% of production.’ - Lisa Perrotti-Brown, Wine Advocate, 97/100 (Feb 2019)

'The fruit here is still very much in the primary phase, with a decidedly racy feel to the raspberry coulis, cassis and blackberry reduction notes that are streaked with violet, iron and graphite flavors. The super long finish alternates between a tug of sweet earth and a velvety feel, as the fruit and grip are still melding together, but there's so much vivacity here, there's no concern with waiting it out. The wait may be a while though. Rather stunning that this can separate itself so clearly from the rest of 2000's high-class field.—Blind 2000 Bordeaux retrospective. Best from 2020 through 2040.’ - James Molesworth, Wine Spectator, 99/100 (Dec 2015)

View all Latour lots for sale in this auction