LEADING EUROPEAN FINE WINE AUCTIONEER • GENEVA
26 September 2023

A beautiful day


“A beautiful day” auction by Baghera/wines 8 october 2023

By Michael Ganne

Michael Ganne is originally from the Médoc region of Bordeaux and naturally chose to dedicate himself to the wine business. Yet his unswerving taste for novelty spans beyond the great Bordeaux wines…

A wine story of epic substance

This autumn, Baghera/wines will surprise collectors with a new live auction, open to the public and entitled “A beautiful day, a wine story of epic substance”, to be held in Geneva on Sunday 8 October in the salons of the Beau-Rivage. This selection of fine wines is divided into two sections, akin to two separate journeys: the first to Bordeaux terroirs, the second, more exclusive, touching those of Burgundy. Once again, Baghera/wines is staging a sale that is an event in itself.

This unique assortment, the result of the perseverance of a single collector in the case of the Bordeaux wines, and four different collections in the case of the Burgundy wines, including from Domaine Colin-Morey, brings together the very best in precious wines. More than 2,761 half-bottles, bottles, magnums, and large formats from impeccable, fully traceable provenance will be offered at auction, enough to delight the greatest, most demanding collectors of rare wines as well as the most enlightened connoisseurs of prestigious fine wines.

Baghera/wines has divided the lots for this wonderful “A beautiful day” diptych into two distinct journeys: the first to Bordeaux, with 411 lots and the second with 112 lots from Burgundy.

Bordeaux wines
a friendship spanning 20 years

It was a sultry June day in Bordeaux in 2005 when I met our seller for the first time. Our shared passion for the great wines of Bordeaux led to a long discussion about his wine cellar and the importance of good storage”, says Michael Ganne, co-founder of Baghera/wines and auctioneer for this event, in the introduction to the catalogue for this latest Baghera/wines “A beautiful day” event sale. It was this introduction that gave the auction its name, further proof of Baghera/wines' philosophy and strategic choices, which are none other than those stemming from a great passion.

The lots of which the first part of the sale consists of come from a private French collection, namely a winery in south-west France. The collector referred to by Baghera/wines bought all the bottles directly (1st hand) either from the Bordeaux wine trade or from the estates to which he had close ties.

Some of the large formats are extremely rare, or even impossible to find on the market, and these, such as the jeroboams and the imperial of Le Pin, 1989, aroused the collector's passion. All the Bordeaux premiers crus are represented and have been preserved since purchase in a cellar perfectly equipped for wine conservation, with controlled air conditioning and hygrometry. The high quality of the bottles (levels, labels, original packaging) is a clear indication of the rigorous care that the owner has lavished on these treasures, some of them for over 40 years.

The collection notably includes 14 Duclot collector’s cases, 30 lots of Château d’Yquem, 237 bottles of Pétrus from 1982 to 2013, not to mention the very rare and sought-after Le Pin – of which around a hundred bottles are being offered for sale – and especially the iconic 1989 vintage, offered in bottles, jeroboams, and imperials. A treat for any collector of great mature Bordeaux.

Burgundy wines
a flagship estate with a wide range of collections

For the second, more exclusive part of the sale, Baghera/wines is particularly pleased to offer wines collected by Domaine Colin-Morey for auction. Spread over 18 lots, some 60 bottles, magnums and a jeroboam feature the Domaine's iconic vintages, from 2017 to 2020. Sourced directly from the Chassagne-Montrachet winery, Baghera/wines is honored to offer extremely rare lots from the following estates: Bâtard-Montrachet and Corton-Charlemagne, Meursault “Perrières” & “Charmes”, the prodigious Chassagne “Caillerets”, “Chevenottes” and “Abbaye de Morgeot”, as well as the iconic and wonderful Saint-Aubin “En Rumilly”.

To round off the chapter on Burgundy wines, and ideal for storing in a professional cellar, is a magnificent French collection of great white and red Burgundy wines from the 2000 to 2020 vintages – including a remarkable selection of wines from Domaine Coche-Dury, Domaine Georges & Christophe Roumier, Domaine A. Rousseau, Domaine Mugneret-Gibourg and Domaine Mugneret-Gibourg. Most of the wines from this cellar have been acquired directly from the estates. To close this chapter in the spirit of perfect provenance are two private collections from Domaine Jean Yves Bizot with mature vintages between 2001 and 2012.

Julie Carpentier, co-founder of Baghera/wines adds: “It is with extreme pride and a joy which I make no attempt to conceal, that Michael and I are honored to present this chapter in the history of Bordeaux and Burgundy wines, each appellation each more prestigious than the last, and moreover attesting to a quality of preservation approaching perfection. Our profession, and the sincerity, seriousness and passion with which we operate, still has many surprises in store for us to discover, along with journeys to undertake alongside all the players in the world of wine, and for whom we have the utmost respect.

Relying on the skills of its experts who among the most experienced in the world, Baghera/wines ensures the provenance and exceptional quality of the wines it offers for sale, and of which the quality, conservation and storage conditions are second to none. Baghera/wines thus continues to live up to its reputation with an auction featuring exceptional provenance, and directly sourced from passionate, meticulous, uncompromising, visionary collectors.

The sale includes 5 half-bottles, 2’227 bottles, 380 magnums, 62 double-magnums, 36 jeroboams, 50 imperials and one salmanazar.

Chapter I, “Bordeaux terroirs” includes lots 1 – 410, whereas chapter II, “Burgundy terroirs” comprises lots 411 – 523.

All the appellations offered for sale are among the most sought-after in the world, especially among connoisseurs of great French terroirs.

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