Bonhams lines up the claret and Champagne

Two “superb” collections of vintage Champagne and claret will lead Bonhams’ next London sale on 14 April.

There is a fine collection of first growth Bordeaux from the 2009 and 2010 vintages, along with leading Pomerol and St Emilion properties.

The Champagne comes from the cellar of a Scandinavian collector and includes a particularly wide range of Bollinger La Grande Année – including rosé and the 2002 James Bond Limited edition – as well as two bottles of the 1988 Vieilles Vignes Françaises.

As well as the Bollinger the sale includes Cristal vintages from 1981 to 2006, Dom Pérignon, Krug, Pol Roger, Ruinart, Taittinger’s Artists Collection, Comtes de Champagne and Veuve Clicquot’s La Grande Dame.

The head of Bonhams Wine Department and Master of Wine, Richard Harvey MW said: “It’s very exciting to be able to offer two such prestigious collections in one sale. The outstanding quality of the Bordeaux speaks for itself and the collection of vintage champagne has a breadth and depth that I have rarely seen.

“Many of the wines seldom appear at auction – for example Billecart-Salmon, Cuvée Nicolas François Billecart, vintages 1985 to 1998, Cuvée William Deutz, Philiponnat Clos de Goisses and many smaller growers.

“Among the gems on offer I’d include such rarities as a magnum of Veuve Clicquot 1952 (£400-480) and a bottle of Pol Roger 1953 (£300-400) as well as wide selection of cuvées from Jacques Selosse which have more recently come to prominence.”