A dream auction to celebrate a century of life and 25 years in the wine business, with Pandolfini

Two individual bottles of Romanée Conti Domaine de La Romanée Conti, one from 2007 and one from 2008, with an estimated adjudication between 10,000 and 20,000 euros each; three bottles of Montrachet Domaine J. C. Ramonet 2020 estimated between 7,500 and 15,000 euros, and a 12-bottle lot of Chateau Margaux 1990, with an estimated adjudication between 7,000 and 14,000 euros, on the French side; a magnum of Tenuta San Guido’s legendary Sassicaia 1985, estimated between 4,000 and 8,000 euros, a double magnum of Barolo Monfortino Riserva Giacomo Conterno 2014 between 2,500 and 5,000 euros, two six-bottle lots of Barolo Cannubi G.B. Burlotto 2016 between 2,400 and 4,800 euros, as well as one of Monvigliero 2016 still by Burlotto, and two 12-bottle lots of Sassicaia 2016, on the Italian side: these are the top lots, among the many gems of French and Italian wine, that will be under the hammer on April 10, 11 and 12 at Pandolfini, in Florence in the auction “As time goes by”, chosen as the theme by the Florentine auction house to celebrate its 100 years in business, and 25 in the world of wine.
“An occasion not only to exalt the best wine products on the market, but also to celebrate Pandolfini’s 100 years in business. The crowning achievement of a journey undertaken in 1924 in the world of art, luxury and collecting, the century completed by Pandolfini represents its great ability to interpret and adapt to changing times, without ever forgetting its roots and traditions. A milestone that is intertwined, this year, with the 25 years of auctions of the Wines department, the first in Italy, today a leader in the sector on the national market”, an official note explains. There are 800 lots carefully chosen by Department Head Francesco Tanzi and the Auction House for this catalog, which includes, as usual, the best that the wine market has to offer: from the youngest vintages to legendary ones, from limited editions to large formats, it will be a three-day event that is sure to capture the curiosity of collectors and enthusiasts from the first to the last lot.
The first session, to be held in the afternoon of April 10, is deliberately representative of the celebration that this auction means for Pandolfini, with more than a hundred lots dedicated to the “Roi of the holidays”: Champagne. All the most famous maisons producing the world’s most beloved sparkling wine are present, from Krug to Bollinger, from Armand de Brignac - with a collector’s case - to Selosse, and its famous Lieux Dits selection, to the region’s most recognizable label: Dom Pérignon, with all its special editions, such as the one signed by Lady Gaga, and its various declinations, or Plénitude. Opening the second day dedicated to Italian treasures, however, is an exclusive event that Pandolfini is honored to host in its salons in this special year: a tasting of the world's most famous Italian wine, Sassicaia.
Together with the staff of Tenuta San Guido and Enoteca Pinchiorri - which will curate the light lunch afterward - an experience will be offered to the most loyal customers and a few other guests to make this year of celebrations even more unique. It is precisely a large session of Sassicaia, with lots from the most recent vintages to the legendary 1985, that opens the afternoon sale, which then continues with other treasures from Tuscany, Piedmont and the other great producing regions-Masseto, Monfortino, Solaia, Mascarello, Giulio Ferrari. Closing the day is a remarkable selection of Amarone della Valpolicella wines by Romano Dal Forno and Giuseppe Quintarelli, with bottles of various sizes, including Jéroboam. A “Single Owner Collection”, finally, inaugurates the last day: from Le Pergole Torte by Montevertine to Monfortino by Conterno, from the magnums of Barolo by Giuseppe Rinaldi to those of 100% Sangiovese by Gianfranco Soldera, this particular collection offers enthusiasts and collectors great Italian wines from a unique collection of an expert in the field who, with care and passion, has composed a cellar with some of the main labels of Italy.
The three-day sales event comes to a close, on the afternoon of April 12, the usual session devoted to foreign wines, with a focus on French labels from Bordeaux and Burgundy. Real bottled treasures, such as the magnum of Haut Brion from 1989 - a historic vintage for the region and this producer - or lots of the very famous Pétrus, always sought after by all the great wine enthusiasts, to the exclusive Burgundy domaines, such as Armand Rousseau, Coche Dury, d’Auvenay, Leroy and, with more than 40 lots, Domaine de la Romanée Conti. From the king of the Côte d’Or, in the catalog, most of the references: from the great reds, such as Richebourg, La Tâche and Romanée Conti itself, to the very rare whites, with the Montrachet and the latest addition to the winery, Corton-Charlemagne, with the first vintages produced.
“The bottles in this catalog are the result of the constant research and commitment Pandolfini has put into offering its clients unique and, otherwise, unobtainable products; a philosophy that has animated all the auction house’s departments for more than a century: paraphrasing the closing sentence of the masterpiece film, Casablanca, which inspired the auction’s title, this catalog is a celebration of a beautiful friendship, inaugurated 25 years ago almost as a joke, between Pandolfini and the world of wine”.