LONDON.- A bottle of Hine Grande Champagne Cognac from 1952 is among several lots of exceptional cognac to feature in Bonhams Fine & Rare Wines sale on 14th February at New Bond Street, London. Accompanied by a bottle of Hine Grande Champagne from 1904, the two bottles are estimated to sell for £400 – 500.

A parcel of 1952 vintage was set aside in the producer’s personal reserves to commemorate the accession to the throne of Queen Elizabeth II. It was an excellent vintage combining finesse, balance and a well-rounded bouquet. In 1977 a small quantity was specially bottled and presented to Her Majesty on the occasion of her Silver Jubilee. The rest wasn’t bottled until 1987.

The Grande Champagne 1952 is flowery and slightly spicy on the nose, with a nutty background, a sign of slow maturation in small oak casks kept in cool, damp cellars. On the palate it is fresh and mellow with a long finish.

There will be a strong selection of Cognac in the sale with other lots including an engraved crystal decanter containing Pierre Frapin Cuvée 1888 Grand Cru Cognac. Adorned with a spiral of 24 carat gold and accompanied by a gold-plated replica fob watch, the bottle is estimated at £2,500 – 3,000.

Other cognac includes a bottle of Château Paulet 100 Year Grande Fine Champagne Cognac (estimate £600-700), a bottle of J. Calvet & Co Grande Champagne Cognac 1898 (estimate £400-500) and a bottle of Classique de Martell Cognac in a Baccarat decanter and presentation box (estimate £400-500).

The sale also features a good selection of iconic Bordeaux and Romanée-Conti from a London collector. The top lot in the sale is a dozen bottles of Romanée-Conti 1988 estimated at £70,000 – 90,000. Another three bottles of Romanée-Conti 1990 are estimated at £22,000 – 28,000 and a dozen bottles of Pétrus 1985 are estimated at £9,000 – 12,000. Other cellars have yielded Lafite and other leading clarets from the renowned vintages of 1947, 1961 and 1982.

A strong section of privately-sourced Burgundies follows, while Italian wines are well represented by a magnificent collection from Milan including top wines from Speri, Gaja and Biondi-Santi.

Richard Harvey MW, International Director of Bonhams Wine Department commented “The excellent results in our previous sales show that the market for cognac is still strong. The Hine Grande Champagne Cognac which was destined for the Queen is a very rare and interesting bottle and I’m sure it will arouse great interest. Overall, we have an eclectic sale with some exceptional wines from Bordeaux, Burgundy and across Europe.”