Lifestyle / Alcohol

La Tour d’Argent auctions off centuries-old Cognacs

Parisian landmark La Tour d’Argent will be auctioning off a collection of equally old, rare Cognacs and spirits from the bowels of its famous wine cellar.

Oct 25, 2012 | By AFPRelaxnews

La Tour dArgent Restaurant

One of the oldest and most historic restaurants in Paris will be auctioning off a collection of equally old, rare Cognacs and spirits from the bowels of its world famous wine cellar — home to 400,000 bottles that are guarded day and night.

Among some of the most prized lots are two 2.5-liter bottles of Grande Fine Champagne Cognac ‘La Tour d’Argent’ 1805, which were bottled on-site more than two centuries ago. The bottles are estimated to fetch between €12,300 to €18,450.

As one of the oldest bottles ever sold at Christie’s, the auction will also feature a bottle of Vieux Cognac Grande Fine Champagne ‘Close de Griffier’ Café Anglais that dates back to 1788. That bottle is expected to fetch up to €4,920.

The rarest wines were transferred from the Café Anglais when the owner’s daughter, Augusta Burdel, married the owner of La Tour d’Argent, André Terrail — grandfather of the current owner. The café was destroyed in 1913.

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The auction will feature about 180 lots of Cognacs along with ancient Armagnacs, rums, Calvados, port and marc and is expected to bring in a haul of nearly €197,000.

“Venturing into the extensive cellar at La Tour d’Argent almost feels like being an archaeologist -– the rows and rows of bottles, floor to ceiling as far as the eye can see, many of which have lain unmoved for almost a century,” said associate specialist Noah May at Christie’s, in a statement.

Grande Fine Champagne Cognac 1805


 
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