Barrel of 2016 Montrose to be offered at auction

US auctioneer Hart Davis Hart has revealed the line-up for its dedicated Bordeaux sale this November, which will feature claret dating back to the 1920s and a full barrel of 2016 Montrose.

Taking place in Chicago from 3-4 November, the sale will feature 1,480 lots from across 47 vintages, with direct cellar consignments from the cellars of châteaux Léoville Las Cases and Montrose and is expected to realise US$3.7 million to $5.6m in total.

The ex-cellar consignments include a number of unique offerings that are sure to appeal to dedicated claret fans.

The highlight must surely be a full barrel of 2016 Montrose – a wine scored 97-99 points by The Wine Advocate’s Neal Martin this spring who also called it, “disarmingly beautiful”.

Given how little of the 2016 was actually released en primeur, it’s also an, expensive way, for a keen Montrose buyer to get their hands on a decent amount of stock.

The equivalent of 25 12-bottle cases of wine, the barrel has a pre-sale estimate of $50,000-75,000 and the buyer will not only be able to have the wine bottled in their desired combination of formats (from half bottles to 27-litre ‘Primat’) but the estate’s CEO, Hervé Berland, will host a special tasting of Montrose at their home.

Out of Léoville Las Cases meanwhile, there is the chance to buy an intriguing oddity in the shape of a limited edition, six-bottle case of single variety bottlings – the constituent grape parts of LLC – from the 1986 vintage. Only 80 of these cases are to be released worldwide and the one offered by HDH has an estimate of $2,000-3,000.

Another interesting consignment comes from the cellar of Huston Street, the relief pitcher from MLB franchise the Los Angeles Angels, whose collection includes 2010 Château Latour and 1990 Margaux among other “impeccable” wines.

In total wines from more than 100 châteaux will be offered and from across 47 vintages; including ‘legendary’ years such as 1926, 1959, 1961, 1982 and 1989.

There are over 300 lots of first growth wines, 40 lots of Petrus and 178 lots where the wines are of double magnum size or greater.