PANDOLFINI FINE WINE AUCTION TO BE HELD AT THE STAZIONE LEOPOLDA IN FLORENCE FOR THE OCCASION OF THE PRESENTATION OF THE 2009 ESPRESSO GUIDES.

On October 8th at the Stazione Leopolda in Florence Pandolfini will hold an auction in collaboration with Espresso and Pitti Immagine, of 180 lots of fine Italian and French wines for the occasion of the presentation of the “Guida dei Vini de L’Espresso 2009” and the “Guida dei Ristoranti”, two important wine and restaurant guides in Italy.
Here, below, is a list of some of the most interesting wines that will be on the auctioning block.

The top wines for the most ambitious collectors will be, without a doubt, the bottle of Sassicaia della Tenuta San Guido 1972 (starting at 500/600 euros and the oldest bottle among the Italian lots), a bottle of Château Lafite, vintage 1912 (starting at 1,100/1,200 euros). The other older vintages are a Leroy Négoce, Chambertin 1963 (600/700 euros), Château Latour 1959 (750/850 euros), Leroy Négoce, Gevrey Chambertin Premier Cur “Les St. Jacques” 1953 (two bottles at 1,000/1,100 euros), Château Cheval Blanc 1947 (2,000/2,200 euros), Leroy Négoce, Bonnes Mares 1943 (700/800 euros), Château d’Yquem 1927 (1,400/1,500 euros).

As for the Italian lots, there are great wines from Bolgheri, like the complete vertical (1994-2004) of “Messorio” Le Macchiole (1,400/1,500 euros), a selection of “Sassicaia” Tenuta San Guido (1992-2003), starting at 1.700/1.800 euros, a bottle of the celebrated “Sassicaia” 1985 (600/800 euros). The starting bid begins at 1,300/1,500 euros for a selection of “Masseto” Tenuta dell’Ornellaia (vintages from 1993 to 1996), while the vintages from 1987 to 1992 start at 1,100/1,200 euros.
Moving into the Chianti Classico territory, there is a particularly interesting selection of “Solaia” (vintages 1996-1998-1999-2000) Marchesi Antinori (700/800 euros) and one from the vintages 1990-1994-1995, with a starting bid of 500/600 euros. Six bottles of the 1990 vintage of “I Sodi di San Niccolò” Tenuta Castellare di Castellina, with starting bid of 1,000/1,100 euros, and six bottles of the same wine but of the 1985 vintage, starting at 1,200/1,300, while a selection of merlot “L’Apparita” Castello di Ama (vintages from 1990 to 1994) start at a bid of 400/500 euros.

There are also some interesting lots from the Piedmont region: Barolo “Cascina Francia”, 1996-1999-2001 (750/850 euros), 6 bottles of Barolo Monfortino Riserva 1999 (1,000/1,100 euros) Giacomo Conterno, Barbaresco Riserva 1997, Riserva “Sorì Tildìn” 1996, Riserva “Sorì San Lorenzo” 1996, Riserva “Costa Russi” 1996 (700/800 euros), 6 bottles of Barbaresco “Sorì Tildìn” 1982 (600/700 euros) from Angelo Gaja, Barbaresco “Asili” Riserva 2000 and “Rabajà” 2001 Bruno Giacosa (350/450 euros), Barolo “Gran Bussia” Aldo Conterno 1989-1990 (1,500/1,600 euros).

As for the other Italian regions, there are two bottles of Amarone Dal Forno 1990 (500/600 euros) and a double Magnum of Cuvée “Annamaria Clementi” 1990 Ca’ del Bosco (600/700 euros).

As for different formats, there is also a wide selection: an Imperiale (6 liters) of “Siepi” 2004 Castello di Fonterutoli (starting bid 900/1,000 euros, for one of only 15 existing exemplars), Imperiale of “Lupicaia” 2003 Castello del Terriccio, a Magnum of “Tignanello” Antinori 1997 and 2001 (350/450 euros), a Magnum of 1990 of 2001 Barolo Cannubi Boschis” Sandrone (1,000/1,100), a Magnum of “Masseto” 2001 Tenuta dell’Ornellaia (1,100/1,200), a double Magnum of “Pergole Torte” 2001 Montevertine (400/500 euros), a double Magnum of Barolo “Monfortino” Riserva 1999 Giacomo Conterno (900/1,000 euros).

And, among the French lots, there are some decidedly important wines. From Burgundy, a selection of Romanée Conti with two bottles of “Richebourg”, one of “Romanée” and three of “Saint-Vivant”, all 2005 vintage, with bids starting at 4,000/4,200 euros, Domaine Armand Rousseau millesimo 2005, made up of Chambertin Grand Cru, Chambertin Grand Cru “Clos de Bèze”, Ruchottes-Chambertin Grand Cru “Clos de Ruchottes”, Gevrey-Chambertin Premier Cru “Clos St. Jacques”, Charmer-Chambertin Grand Cru, “Clos de La Roche” Grand Cru, Gevrey-Chambertin Premier Cur “Lavaux St. Jacques””, Gevrey Chambertin (2,400/2,500 euros) and that of Domaine Leroy, “Vosne-Romanée” and “Nuit St. Georges” 2004 (800/1,000 euro). There is also a series of lots made up of single bottles of Romanée Conti: “Romanée Conti” 2003 (4,500/4,800 euros), “Montrachet” 2002 (1,600/1,800 euros), “Romanée Conti” 2002 (2,800/3,000 euros), “Richebourg” 2002 (400/500 euros).

There is obviously a rich collection of Bordeaux as well: 3 bottles of Château d’Yquem 2001, starting at 1,200/1,300 euros, five liters of 1990 (2,500/3,000 euros) and a selection of the extraordinary Sauternes with vintages 1986-1990-1994 (950/1,100 euros), Château Lynch Bages 1988-1989-2000 (800/900 euros), 1 Magnum, 1,000/1,100 euros, and a double Magnum (2,000/2,200 euros) of Château Mouton Rothschild, both millesimo 2000, a selection of Château Haut Brion 1994-1997-1998-1999, starting bid at 1,100/1,200 euros, 1 bottle of Château Margaux 2000 (650/750 euros), a Magnum 1990 (1,100/1,300 euros), five liters 1995 of the same great Château for 1,700/1,900 euros, and yet another selection of Margaux 1990-1994 (2,000/2,100 euros), a selection of Château Petrus 1992-1994-1997 (2,700/3,000 euros), a bottle of Château Le Pin 1990 (1,800/2,000), 1 Magnum of 1990 Château Latour (1,000/1,200 euros), an Imperiale of Château Mouton Rothschild 1988 (1,000/1,200 euros), a Magnum of Château Latour 1988 (500/600 euros), an Imperiale of Château Lynch Bages 1988 (600/800 euros).
And, finally, a lot that includes the vintages of Château Mouton Rothschild from 1961 to 2004 (with each label designed by a different artist).

To close out the list, there are some important lots of Champagne: Champagne “Cristal” 1990-1995-1996-1997-1999-2000 (starting at 1,500/1,800 euros), Champagne Bollinger “RD” 1979-1990-1996 (650/750 euros), six bottles of Champagne Dom Perignon 1996 (600/700 euros), 1 Magnum of “RD” 1990 Bollinger (300/400 euros), 1 Magnum of “Clos du Mesnil” 1990 Krug (1,000/1,100 euros).