By Jamie Ritchie
AN AUCTION BENEFITING THE POLG FOUNDATION
Sotheby’s have collaborated with Prince Robert on many wonderful auctions related to Domaine Clarence Dillon, but this auction is different — it is an intensely personal auction for him and his wife, Julie. In 2016, their youngest son Frederik was diagnosed with a rare mitochondrial disease, a genetic disorder that robs the body’s cells of energy, in turn causing organ dysfunction and failure. It turned the family’s world upside down, but they decided to concentrate all their efforts on finding a cure, not only for Frederik, but for all those suffering from this not so rare disease. The non-profit foundation they created is becoming an amazing research hub, whose impact will benefit millions of people facing mitochondrial-related conditions, from Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s, to autism and some forms of cancer.
THE PROVENANCE OF THE WINES THAT HAVE BEEN DONATED
The wines in this sale have been donated by three distinct groups: Prince Robert; his family; and his friends. Each one includes extremely rare wines, the majority of which come directly from cellars where they have been kept for most or all their lives, which brings the finest provenance and, naturally, the best condition.
Prince Robert’s personal cellar includes the opportunity to acquire historic vintages of Château Haut Brion with bottles from 1906, 1918 and 1919, then the decades of the 1920s, 1930s, 1940s (the war years, where the bottles are in pale blue glass), 1950s and onto more recent vintages.
It includes the exceptional 1924 and legendary 1926 in Jeroboams, both of which have been recorked. The sale also includes the most impressive range of very rare magnums of Haut Brion Blanc, La Mission Haut-Brion Blanc and Laville Haut-Brion ever to come to auction.
The result is one of the greatest offerings of rare wines to come to auction.
About Author:
Jamie Ritchie
Senior Vice President,
Worldwide Chairman, Sotheby’s Wine
https://www.sothebys.com/en/articles/an-introduction-by-jamie-ritchie
