What category of wine is the rarest, and most ageworthy in our cellar at Sotheby’s? The answer isn’t Bordeaux or Burgundy, it’s large formats.
Large format bottles, (magnums, double magnums, and the six-liter imperial), offer the greatest aging potential for the wine inside. Produced in smaller amounts than traditional 750mls, they are also some of the rarest bottles offered by most top producers.
Consider Masseto’s 2020 imperial: with only 75 numbered bottles produced, it is a true collector’s item with a stunningly long aging curve. The rarest wine on offer today, a 2017 imperial from Château Petrus, is hardly ever seen outside the walls of the château. As of today’s newsletter, it is one of two 2017 Petrus imperials on the entire US market.
Beyond, you’ll find ready-to-drink magnums from Cristal, JF Mugnier, Opus One, Henri Bonneau, and Domaine de la Romanée-Conti, all stunning centerpieces for any holiday gathering. Finally, an imperial from Mouton Rothschild’s 100-point 2016 vintage is, to quote the Parker review, simply magic.
These large formats project both the exclusive air of opening a showpiece, and the generosity of the host always willing to open a bigger bottle. At Sotheby’s, we think that’s worth celebrating!
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