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Bonhams offers ‘impressive’ collection of cult Californian wines

01 November 2023 By Arabella Mileham

Bonhams is offering an “impressive” range of wines from California in its wine sale on 9 November, including bottles from cult winery Sine Qua Non.

Bonham’s senior international director of wine, Richard Harvey, MW noted that a collection, which comes from the cellars of a private collector from like this “does not come to market very often”.

“Here you will see vintage Champagne dating back to the 1970s, red and white Bordeaux from legendary vintages and Chateaux, stunning Burgundies and Barolo and Barbaresco from the famed
cellars of Giacomo Conterno and Bruno Giacosa,” he said. “There is also a truly stunning collection of wines from California as befits a collector who spent many years on the West Coast.”

Among the highlights of the Californian wines are bottles of The Antagonists 1998 (single bottles offered with an estimate of £1,000-1,200); three bottles of The Hussy 2000, (estimate: £2,200-2,800); two half bottles of Suey Roussane 2000 (estimate: £1,400-1,600); two bottles of More than Just A Number 2002 (estimate; £1,500-1,800); a bottle of The Inaugural Grenache 2003 ( (estimate; £1,500–1,800) and six bottles of Poker Face Syrah 2004 (estimate; £2,800-3,500).

The sale will also feature wines from Burgundy, Bordeaux, Champagne, the Rhône and an impressive range of wines from Italy.

Among the red Burgundies are three bottles of Leroy Mazis-Chambertin 1978 (estimate £4,800-6,000 each) and a magnum of Henri Jayer Vosne-Romanée, Cros Parantoux 1992 (estimate £16,000-20,000), while the white Burgundies include four lots of Coche-Dury Corton-Charlemagne 1988, (estimate £3,000-4,000 per bottle); seven lots of Chevalier-Montrachet 1993, Domaine d’Auvenay (estimate £8,000-10,000 per bottle); and six bottles of Montrachet 2007, Domaine des Comtes Lafon (estimate £1,500-1,800 per bottle).

There are also wines from the Rhone, including a bottle of Hermitage, La Chapelle 1961, Paul Jaboulet Aîné (estimate £4,000-5,000); two lots of six bottles of Hermitage 1990, Domaine Jean-
Louis Chave, estimate £4,200-5,000 each and two lots of three bottles of Châteauneuf-du-Pape Réservé 1995, Château Rayas, (estimate £3,500-4,200 each); a single bottle of Barolo Riserva, Monfortino 1955 Giacomo Conterno (estimate £500-600) and three bottles of Barolo Riserva, Monfortino 1964 Giacomo Conterno (estimate £1,500-1,800) along with two magnums of Bruno Giacosa Barbareso Riserva, Santo Stefano di Nieve, Red Label 1988 (estimate £1,000-1,200 each).