This spring, Sotheby’s will present The Masterpiece Collection, a remarkable wine collection created by a collector sensitive to the delights of both wine and art. The intrinsic quality of the wines is married, in many cases, to the rarity element, with many treasures at varying stages of maturity, but all of them broachable now. Bordeaux classics from four decades form the core and benchmark 1982s feature strongly. Large formats are a standout throughout, especially for collectors who prize magnums. A final flourish comes courtesy of a glimpse of top White Burgundy and Red Rhône, plus a cache of Taittinger Comtes de Champagne Blanc de Blancs. Comprising 194 lots with a combined pre-sale estimate in the region of £1.3 million, this exceptional collection will be offered at Sotheby’s London on 16 May in a dedicated morning auction, to be followed by a various-owner sale in the afternoon.

Serena Sutcliffe M.W., Sotheby’s Honorary Chairman of Wine, said: “These truly ‘bankable’ wines that made the formidable reputation of Bordeaux provide some of the greatest tastes we can ever experience. It is taxing, to say the least, to pick out glittering favourites amongst ‘The Battle of the First Growths’ and their equivalents on the Right Bank. The serious side of this great collection was in its acquisition and care, as provenance and storage are a given. Now is the moment for these landmark wines to be enjoyed to the full.”