Ended
The Melodic Cellar
A Musician's Life in Wine
13 – 26 February 2025
Bonhams presents the exceptional single owner sale of a distinguished West Coast musician whose pursuit of and pleasure in beautiful wines spanned decades. Featured is a standout array of mature bottles from some of the most revered producers, sites, and vintages in history.
You will find two highlight collections within the cellar: first, an extraordinary selection from the iconic Burgundian producer Domaine de la Romanée Conti, and second, a jaw dropping selection of rare Rieslings. Well-represented in the first capsule collection are the Romanée Conti and La Tache vineyards, DRC's monopoles, renowned for producing wines of profound elegance and place. With an excellent palate and visionary understanding of how the wines would evolve, the collector focused on the defining vintages of 1971 and 1978 in standard and large format, from 750ml to imperial. He had an innate understanding that these majestic wines would transcend generations – and they have.
The second capsule collection within the larger whole explores a rare and historically significant selection of Rieslings, with bottles dating back to the 1940s. Renowned for their rarity, remarkable longevity, and masterful balance of sweetness and acidity, these wines exemplify the winemaking tradition of Germany. With selections from remarkable producers such as Egon Muller, J.J. Prum and Schloss Vollrads, the consignor collected true benchmarks of German noble sweet wines that demonstrate the grape's ability to produce complex, age-worthy and elegant wines that continue to stand the test of time.
Rounding out this collection are several rare, fortified wines, including Madeiras dating back to the early 1800s, and an exceptional selection from d'Yquem, notably the historic 1945 vintage. Complementing these is an impressive assortment from the Rhone Valley, such as the 1964 Jaboulet La Chapelle Hermitage and the 1978 Chave Hermitage, both celebrated vintages that have come to define the storied legacies of their respective producers.
Ultimately what sets this collection apart – beyond the gorgeous wines themselves and the careful custodianship of them, is the story of the collector – a passionate, creative man who admired and championed what are now modern-day giants but in his day were little known, far away producers.
Sort by Keyword:
Burgundy, Cote de Nuits, Cote de Beaune, Chablis, Bordeaux, Left Bank, Right Bank, Sauternes, Northern Rhone, Southern Rhone, Champagne, Loire, Jura, Alsace, Italy, Germany, Spatlese, Auslese, Beerenauslese, Trockenbeerenauslese, Eiswein, Hungary, Madeira, Port
Online only
Lot gallery
334 lots available
Specialist contacts
Amelia Krusell
Senior Specialist
