Features

Old Master portraits dealer Mark Weiss tells us about his love for another kind of vintage. His collection leads our special report on the wine, whisky and spirits market.

Strong pre-sale interest emerged for two magnums of champagne offered separately at the Bellmans (22% buyer’s premium) Sussex Interiors including Asian Works of Art, Wines & Spirits auction in Wisborough Green on October 20.

A Chateau De Pomès Pédérère Armagnac distilled in 1950 is estimated at £200-300 at McTear’s Rare & Fine Whisky Auction on December 16.

Ewbank’s Fine Wines & Spirits auction in Surrey on December 17 includes this bottle of Bas Armagnac Baron de Sigognac 1951.

Christie’s holds its Finest and Rarest Wines and Spirits sale in London on December 11.

According to Dreweatts, the 1985 Richebourg by Henri Jayer “rightly holds the hallowed status of ‘legendary’ among Burgundy collectors – the sort of wine that people will travel across the world to experience”.

In its Whisky & Spirits sale on December 9, Lyon & Turnbull offers a number of 1960s Macallan whiskies including this 1962 The Macallan Gordon MacPhail 100 proof.

Among the selection coming up in the Wine, Port & Spirits sale at Lacy Scott & Knight on December 11 is a Glen Grant, 1948 Scotch Whisky, from the Glen Grant distillery, Strathspey. Bottled in 1960 by Berry Brothers & Rudd, it is estimated at £1500-2000.

Whisky big and small was a winner at Hansons (20% buyer’s premium) in Bishton Hall, Staffordshire.

Bonhams’ Fine and Rare Wine and Whisky sale in Hong Kong will take place over two days from November 20-21.

Irish auction house Victor Mee (19% buyer’s premium) holds regular sale of pub memorabilia and collectables but the online-only October 5-6 offering was on another level.

The oldest bottle released from The Macallan Distillery – and the oldest age statement whisky ever offered at auction – has sold for a premium-inclusive £756,400 in London.

Tate Ward in Shoreditch, London, was set up in 2019. Among the lots coming up in its Fine Wine and Spirits sale on December 7 is a bottle of 1893 Castarede Armagnac.

Whisky has been a booming market in recent years, says Simon Jones, associate director at Lawrences (25% buyer’s premium) of Crewkerne.

Henry Adams in West Sussex will hold The December Auctions Fine Wines & Spirits sale on December 17.

This lot comprising four whiskies estimated at £30-50 ended up selling for £1050 at Sheffield Auction Gallery (20% buyer’s premium) on October 30.

A “10-year-old Laphroaig, something still readily available today” had a little bit of extra appeal when it came up for sale in west London, however.

This Omega Seamaster 300, c.1967, has been consigned for sale at Woolley & Wallis in Salisbury on November 17-18 by a career member of the Royal Engineers.

This Zenith chronometer dating from c.1954 is powered by a calibre 135 movement which is widely considered to be the most elegant manual wind movement ever made.

The Skipper Carrera Ref 7753/54, nicknamed the Skiperrera, was the first of the Heuer skipper models and a trophy lot in the collecting sphere.