The inaugural Strauss & Co Fine Wine auction saw 78% of the 183 lots being sold achieving a total of R1,339 million – inclusive of buyer’s premium and vat – and a record average bottle price of over R1,500 per 750ml.
The largest buyer at the auction was Marble Restaurant, owned by Gary Kyriacou. Marble restaurateur and celebrity chef David Higgs said, “We have just returned from the US and it’s evident how the top restaurants elevate their premium wines over there. We are very happy with our purchases at the Strauss & Co Fine Wine Auction and these wines will bolster our commitment to showcase South Africa’s best wines at Marble.”
Most bidders were private clients however, as the sale offered a unique opportunity to purchase mature modern wines and rare icons.
The 275ml bottle of Jaubert Family Muscat 1800, a solera-style sweet wine held by the Jaubert Family since 1800 who release two bottles per year, was sold for R51,200 – inclusive of buyer’s premium. This is a record price for a South African wine which international critic Neal Martin scored 99 points in 2011.
The GS Cabernet 1966 – now a 20th century South African icon – sold for R34,140, setting another record for a South African wine. Produced as an experiment by then Monis winemaker George Spies, it was reportedly very tannic in its youth and the bottles were given away as gifts. Leading wine authority Jancis Robinson scored this wine a perfect 20/20 in 2015, the first ever ‘perfect’ South African wine.
Mvemve Raats de Compostella 2008, the highest scoring Bordeaux style red in the US-based Wine Advocate, achieved the highest price on auction for a modern wine at R2,845 per bottle. Sadie Family T’Voetpad 2010 achieved an incredible R1,820 per bottle for the rare 3-bottle lot. The second vintage of the oldest vineyard in South Africa produced by legend Eben Sadie, also achieved a record price for a South African dry white wine.
The full catalogue with final auction results can be viewed here
Upcoming Strauss & Co Fine Wine Auction in Cape Town
The next Strauss & Co Fine Wine Auction takes place on 14 September 2019 at The Westin, Cape Town.
Benchmark fine wine events will precede the flagship Saturday morning auction which aims to feature a larger selection of fine South African wines and will also include iconic international wines.
For more information please email Sarah at wine@straussart.co.za
M Burger
June 26, 2019 at 1:43 pmI want to cell a bottle of wine: 1948 KWV Port collectors item.
Can you advise me where to sell this wine.
It was a collectors item of my husband.
Llewellyn Lambert
June 27, 2019 at 5:11 pmThank you for popping us a message. I would look at listing your special bottle on the “ÁDS” section on Wine.co.za.
Many winos tend to do this, heres the link https://ads.wine.co.za/