Benchmark Wines & Spirits is proud to present a rare private cellar of remarkable depth. Its owner bought the icons - including Krug, Margaux and Coche-Dury - and also backed visionary growers like Selosse, Allemand and Vatan well before the rest of the world caught on. Many bottles are at or near peak maturity, and some are single lots. Scroll down for blue chip icons and cellar-aged values alike.
Rare Mature Champagne
Mature Jacques Selosse rarely surfaces. This cellar holds mid-2000s disgorgements of his groundbreaking Champagnes, including early releases of the lieux-dits Les Carelles and Le Bout du Clos, the rare Contraste Blanc de Noirs before it was retired, and the Blanc de Blancs Grand Cru before it became designated Initial. There are also Millésime bottlings from 1998 and 2002, and rare older disgorgements of V.O., Substance, Rosé and Exquise.
Beyond Selosse, look for mature vintages of Krug, Salon, Bollinger R.D., Dom Pérignon, and older releases of Egly-Ouriet, Jérôme Prévost, Georges Laval and Agrapart.
Legendary Bordeaux
Ready-to-drink Bordeaux runs deep, starting with four legendary 1982s: Château Margaux, Lynch-Bages, Gruaud Larose and L'Arrosée. Then come 1983 Cos d'Estournel, 1999 Ducru-Beaucaillou and 1999 La Mission Haut-Brion. Modern stars include 2005 Palmer, 2010 Montrose and 2010 Léoville Barton.
Coveted Burgundy
The Burgundy list reads like a collector's wish list: Coche-Dury, Arnaud Ente, Comtes Lafon, Dujac, Mongeard-Mugneret and Dugat-Py.
Cult Classics from the Rhône, Loire and Jura
The cult bottlings run deep here: Henri Bonneau's 2007 Châteauneuf-du-Pape Réserve des Célestins, Thierry Allemand's Cornas Reynard, Château-Grillet, and three vintages of Edmond Vatan's Sancerre Clos la Néore. There's also Nicolas Joly's Coulée de Serrant from 1988 and 1990, and a strong Jura section with Jean Macle Château-Chalon, Jacques Puffeney Vin Jaune and rare selections from Domaine des Miroirs.
Blue Chips from Spain and Italy
From Spain and Italy, the collection is represented by: 2005 and 2006 Vega Sicilia Único, La Rioja Alta 890 and 904, López de Heredia's 1991 Viña Bosconia and 1998 Viña Tondonia Blanco, Bruno Giacosa's Barolo Falletto, 1974 Francesco Rinaldi Barolo, and Massolino's coveted Vigna Rionda Riservas.
California Classics
California's highlight is a Kongsgaard vertical, including the much-sought-after Chardonnay "The Judge" (with a 2019 magnum). Also included are Mount Eden's superb Santa Cruz Mountains Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Cabernet.
Cellar-Aged Values
Finally, a bevy of affordable, perfectly stored gems: superb vintages of Lapierre Morgon, Clos de la Roilette Fleurie, Pépière's Clos des Briords Muscadet, Pascal Cotat Sancerre, Huet Vouvray, and Pibarnon Bandol.
Many of these bottles are single lots. Once they're gone, they're gone, so order early to secure your favorites.
