Dow 1960 Army & Navy bottled. Embossed metal capsule. Bin-soiled label. Level base of neck (1) Croft 1963 Embossed plastic capsules. Four damaged labels. Levels into neck (11)
Above 12 bottles per lot
FINE AND RARE WINES FROM THE PRIVATE CELLAR OF R.A.B. BOTTOMLEY R.A.B.(Bob) Bottomley was an enthusiastic and knowledgeable collector of fine and rare wines. Bob started working in the West End of London in 1951 following a spell as a submariner in the Royal Navy. His career in the steel business took him all around the globe with frequent visits across Europe, Asia and the USA . During the intervening 30 years and up until his retirement in 1981, he regularly lunched or dined with his top clients in one of his many favourite restaurants in London or Paris or further afield. He relished these opportunities to consume highly regarded wines – top Burgundies and First Growth Bordeaux being amongst his regular choices. In the late 1960’s he decided to establish his own collection, selecting only from top UK and European suppliers of the time. A glance through his purchase records shows many transactions with top suppliers like Bibendum, Percy Fox, Laytons, Paragon and Sichel. His particular loves of Burgundy, Rioja and Champagne were satisfied through purchases from Maison Marques et Domaines, Direct Wines and Moët Hennessy respectively. He also purchased directly from Burgundian producers Camus and Michelot-Buisson and became a regular private visitor to many vineyard regions to taste and learn more about those wines in his growing collection. Following his retirement in 1981, Bob decided to create a newly extended temperature-controlled cellar beneath his East Sussex farmhouse to house his wines which until then had always been stored with the supplying merchants. During the next two decades he added frequently to his collection, concentrating on top Bordeaux, Burgundy and Champagne. He continued to tour vineyards and visit his favoured properties until the late 1990’s when sadly, ill health forced him to stop. He was always considered to be an intelligent and generous host and took great delight in entertaining many wine friends, colleagues and clients of a like mind. He passed away in 2012. Christie’s first visited the cellar in the autumn of 2014, following an extensive tasting of a wide range of the older wines. The selection of lots on offer today from lot 1 to 233, represents an excellent cross section of some of the properties that were close to Bob’s heart and perfectly illustrate the passion and enthusiasm that always guided his selections. Leafing through his weighty Wine Ledger it is fascinating to read his letters to suppliers and producers and their charming, courteous and often handwritten replies – a million miles from the curt e-mails or phone calls that would most likely take place today! In summary, we believe this is a rare opportunity to acquire well-selected and well-cellared wines from the collection of a true connoisseur. DE Now lying in Corsham, Wiltshire (Octavian) Dow 1960 Army & Navy bottled. Embossed metal capsule. Bin-soiled label. Level base of neck (1) Croft 1963 Embossed plastic capsules. Four damaged labels. Levels into neck (11) Above 12 bottles per lot
Dow 1960 Army & Navy bottled. Embossed metal capsule. Bin-soiled label. Level base of neck (1) Croft 1963 Embossed plastic capsules. Four damaged labels. Levels into neck (11)
Above 12 bottles per lot
FINE AND RARE WINES FROM THE PRIVATE CELLAR OF R.A.B. BOTTOMLEY R.A.B.(Bob) Bottomley was an enthusiastic and knowledgeable collector of fine and rare wines. Bob started working in the West End of London in 1951 following a spell as a submariner in the Royal Navy. His career in the steel business took him all around the globe with frequent visits across Europe, Asia and the USA . During the intervening 30 years and up until his retirement in 1981, he regularly lunched or dined with his top clients in one of his many favourite restaurants in London or Paris or further afield. He relished these opportunities to consume highly regarded wines – top Burgundies and First Growth Bordeaux being amongst his regular choices. In the late 1960’s he decided to establish his own collection, selecting only from top UK and European suppliers of the time. A glance through his purchase records shows many transactions with top suppliers like Bibendum, Percy Fox, Laytons, Paragon and Sichel. His particular loves of Burgundy, Rioja and Champagne were satisfied through purchases from Maison Marques et Domaines, Direct Wines and Moët Hennessy respectively. He also purchased directly from Burgundian producers Camus and Michelot-Buisson and became a regular private visitor to many vineyard regions to taste and learn more about those wines in his growing collection. Following his retirement in 1981, Bob decided to create a newly extended temperature-controlled cellar beneath his East Sussex farmhouse to house his wines which until then had always been stored with the supplying merchants. During the next two decades he added frequently to his collection, concentrating on top Bordeaux, Burgundy and Champagne. He continued to tour vineyards and visit his favoured properties until the late 1990’s when sadly, ill health forced him to stop. He was always considered to be an intelligent and generous host and took great delight in entertaining many wine friends, colleagues and clients of a like mind. He passed away in 2012. Christie’s first visited the cellar in the autumn of 2014, following an extensive tasting of a wide range of the older wines. The selection of lots on offer today from lot 1 to 233, represents an excellent cross section of some of the properties that were close to Bob’s heart and perfectly illustrate the passion and enthusiasm that always guided his selections. Leafing through his weighty Wine Ledger it is fascinating to read his letters to suppliers and producers and their charming, courteous and often handwritten replies – a million miles from the curt e-mails or phone calls that would most likely take place today! In summary, we believe this is a rare opportunity to acquire well-selected and well-cellared wines from the collection of a true connoisseur. DE Now lying in Corsham, Wiltshire (Octavian) Dow 1960 Army & Navy bottled. Embossed metal capsule. Bin-soiled label. Level base of neck (1) Croft 1963 Embossed plastic capsules. Four damaged labels. Levels into neck (11) Above 12 bottles per lot
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.jpg "Source: Christie's")
.jpg "Source: Christie's")
