Bonhams will present what it calls “one of the most encyclopedic wine collections in Asia – The Collection of A-1 Fine Wines” at its upcoming sale of Fine and Rare Wine and Whisky in Hong Kong on Saturday 21 November. It is estimated at more than HK$20million.
According to the auction house, the collection is assembled over the past 30 years and “covering almost every type, every important vintage and every classic wine region”.
The 500 lot collection (in more than 2,000 bottles) offers the “finest vintages from the greatest wine producers of Bordeaux and Burgundy (such as Henri Jayer Richebourg 1959), alongside never before-seen connoisseur vintage items produced as one-off examples but never made available in the market (such as J.L.Chave, Cuvee Cathelin 2010 Magnum and Egon Muller TBA Eiswein 1973),” it adds.
The collector – Mr. William Giauw from Singapore – embarked on his collecting journey in the 1980s after he first tasted the iconic 1982 Château Mouton Rothschild during his trip to Europe.
In 1997, William founded A-1 Fine Wines, his own retail wine business in Tsim Sha Tsui, Hong Kong, which he used as a platform to showcase his tastes and collection.
A-1 Fine Wines also gained a reputation for being ahead of its time. Most notably, it was among the very first merchants in the region to promote Burgundy wines in the 1990s .
According to Bonhams, that’s when he formed a close rapport with the legendary winemaker, Henri Jayer.
Daniel Lam, Bonhams Director of Wine and Spirits, Asia, commented: “The Collection of A-1 Fine Wines is legendary not just because of its trophy bottles, but also for its all-embracing nature, covering every corner of the landscape of the finest wines. The collection personifies the care, the knowledge and the passion of its visionary owner. It is with great pleasure that Bonhams will present this truly one-of-a kind collection in its entirety this November.”
Bonhams Fine and Rare Wine and Whisky Sale will take place over two days from 20 to 21 November. More sale highlights will be announced in due course.
Where is auction/sale of his wines