R44 555 was the second-highest price paid to date for a rare bottle of the GS Cabernet 1966 – the highest being R91 040 in 2021 – and/but no other South African wine came close in terms of demand for what was on offer at the Strauss & Co auction in Cape Town on 26 March. That said, a five-litre bottle of Kanonkop Paul Sauer 1995 went for over R40K, equivalent to R6156 per standard 750ml measure.
The sale involved collectables from the Cape and from France that had been made using Bordeaux varieties, either on their own or together in a blend, with the top prices overall on the day paid for single bottles of Mouton Rothschild 1961 (R76 213) and Pétrus 1971 (R64 488). See below for the highlights of this auction as well as the online-only sale of 10-year-olds conducted by Strauss & Co earlier in the month, or for the full results click here (26 March) and here (13 March).
According to the auctioneers, the GS Cabernet is: “Shrouded in mystery… South Africa’s rarest wine… An experiment by George Spies, then winemaker at Monis [in Paarl]… to produce a 100% Cabernet Sauvignon that had the ability to age… There is a mystery surrounding the winemaking, reportedly sourced from Durbanville. The bottles were given away by Spies, reportedly very tannic and rustic in its youth. As the wine matured, rare bottles become recognised by pundits such as Michael Fridjhon [SA] and James Molesworth of Wine Spectator [USA].” Before going under the hammer, the GS 1966 had been checked and re-corked by Amorim Cork under supervision of auction curator Higgo Jacobs.
TOP PRICES PAID AT STRAUSS & CO ‘BORDEAUX THEME' AUCTION ON 26.03.23
SOUTH AFRICAN
GS Cabernet 1966
R44 555 paid for 1×750ml
WO Durbanville
Kanonkop Paul Sauer 1995 (Red Blend)
R41 038 paid for 1×5L: R6156 / 750ml
WO Simonsberg-Stellenbosch
Delaire Graff Laurence Graff Reserve 2009 (Cabernet Sauvignon)
R5863 paid for 1×750ml
WO Stellenbosch
Vilafonté Series C 2003 (Red Blend)
R35 175 paid for 6×750ml: R5862pb
WO Paarl
Meerlust Rubicon 1982 (Red Blend)
R35 175 paid for 1×5L: R5276 / 750ml
WO Stellenbosch
Kanonkop Paul Sauer 2015 (Red Blend)
R29 313 paid for 6×750ml: R4885pb
WO Simonsberg-Stellenbosch
Kanonkop Paul Sauer 2007 (Red Blend)
R25 795 paid for 3×1.5L: R4299 / 750ml
WO Simonsberg-Stellenbosch
Meerlust Cabernet Sauvignon 1982
R25 795 paid for 1×5L: R3869 / 750ml
WO Stellenbosch
Kanonkop Paul Sauer 2009 (Red Blend)
R21 105 paid for 6×750ml: R3517pb
WO Simonsberg-Stellenbosch
Kanonkop Paul Sauer 2001 (Red Blend)
R21 105 paid for 6×750ml: R3517pb
WO Simonsberg-Stellenbosch
Kanonkop Paul Sauer 1993 (Red Blend)
R21 105 paid for 6×750ml: R3517pb
WO Simonsberg-Stellenbosch
Kanonkop Paul Sauer 2008 (Red Blend)
R37 520 paid for 1×9L: R3127 / 750ml
WO Simonsberg-Stellenbosch
Meerlust Rubicon 1996 (Red Blend)
R5628 paid for 1×1.5L: R2814 / 750ml
WO Stellenbosch
Meerlust Cabernet Sauvignon 1984
R10 553 paid for 2×1.5L: R2638 / 750ml
WO Stellenbosch
Mvemve Raats De Compostella 2015 (Red Blend)
R15 243 paid for 6×750ml: R2540pb
WO Stellenbosch
Alheit Arrow Heart Semillon 2014 (Semillon Gris & Blanc)
R4690 paid for 2×750ml: R2345pb
WO Franschhoek
Vilafonté Series M 2009 (Red Blend)
R14 070 paid for 6×750ml: R2345pb
WO Paarl
Vergelegen V 2003 (Cabernet Sauvignon)
R14 070 paid for 6×750ml: R2345pb
WO Stellenbosch (Somerset West)
FRENCH
Mouton Rothschild 1961 (Red Blend)
R76 213 paid for 1×750ml
Pauillac, Bordeaux
Pétrus 1971 (Merlot)
R64 488 paid for 1×750ml
Pomerol, Bordeaux
La Mission Haut-Brion 1989 (Red Blend)
R44 555 paid for 1×750ml
Pessac-Léognan, Bordeaux
Lafleur 2000 (Red Blend)
R41 038 paid for 1×750ml
Pomerol, Bordeaux
Mouton Rothschild 1982 (Red Blend)
R79 730 paid for 1×1.5L: R39 865 / 750ml
Pauillac, Bordeaux
La Mission Haut-Brion 1982 (Red Blend)
R70 350 paid for 2×750ml: R35 175pb
Pessac-Léognan, Bordeaux
Margaux 1990 (Red Blend)
R25 795 paid for 1×750ml
Margaux, Bordeaux
Lafleur 1989 (Red Blend)
R22 278 paid for 1×750ml
Pomerol, Bordeaux
Tratanoy 1982 (Red Blend)
R21 105 paid for 1×750ml
Pomerol, Bordeaux
Margaux 2000 (Red Blend)
R41 038 paid for 1×1.5L: R20 519 / 750ml
Margaux, Bordeaux
Ausone 2005 (Red Blend)
R19 933 paid for 1x750ml
Saint-Émilion, Bordeaux
Lafite Rothschild 2000 (Red Blend)
R19 933 paid for 1×750ml
Pauillac, Bordeaux
d'Yquem 1986 (Dessert: Sauvignon & Semillon)
R18 760 paid for 1×750ml
Sauternes, Bordeaux
Haut-Brion 1982 (Red Blend)
R18 760 paid for 1×750ml
Pessac-Léognan, Bordeaux
d'Yquem 1976 (Dessert: Sauvignon & Semillon)
R32 830 paid for 2×750ml: R16 415pb
Sauternes, Bordeaux
Lafite Rothschild 1989 (Red Blend)
R32 830 paid for 2×750ml: R16 415pb
Pauillac, Bordeaux
Angélus 2000 (Red Blend)
R15 243 paid for 1×750ml
Saint-Émilion, Bordeaux
Lafleur 1995 (Red Blend)
R15 243 paid for 1×750ml
Pomerol, Bordeaux
Latour 1989 (Red Blend)
R25 795 paid for 2×750ml: R12 897pb
Pauillac, Bordeaux
Margaux 2008 (Red Blend)
R58 625 paid for 5×750ml: R11 725pb
Margaux, Bordeaux
Lynch-Bages 1989 (Red Blend)
R64 488 paid for 3×1.5L: R10 748 / 750ml
Pauillac, Bordeaux
Pichon Baron 1989 (Red Blend)
R21 105 paid for 1×1.5L: R10 552 / 750ml
Pauillac, Bordeaux
Haut-Brion 1996 (Red Blend)
R18 760 paid for 2×750ml: R9380pb
Pessac-Léognan, Bordeaux
Ausone 2007 (Red Blend)
R25 795 paid for 3×750ml: R8598pb
Saint-Émilion, Bordeaux
Cos d'Estournel 1990 (Red Blend)
R44 555 paid for 6×750ml: R7426pb
Saint-Estèphe, Bordeaux
Smith-Haut-Lafitte 2009 (Red Blend)
R44 555 paid for 6×750ml: R7426pb
Pessac-Léognan, Bordeaux
d'Yquem 1998 (Dessert: Sauvignon & Semillon)
R32 830 paid for 6×750ml: R5472pb
Sauternes, Bordeaux
TOP PRICES PAID AT STRAUSS & CO ‘2013 VINTAGE' AUCTION ON 13.03.23
SOUTH AFRICAN
Kanonkop Black Label Pinotage 2013
R18 760 paid for 6x750ml: R3127pb
WO Simonsberg-Stellenbosch
Mvemve Raats Da Compostella 2013
R8208 paid for 3x750ml: R2736pb
WO Stellenbosch
’T Voetpad 2013 (White Blend, Sadie Family)
R4925 paid for 2x750ml: R2462pb
WO Swartland
Kanonkop Paul Sauer 2013
R14 070 paid for 6x750ml: R2345pb
WO Simonsberg-Stellenbosch
Skurfberg 2013 (Chenin, Sadie Family)
R4690 paid for 2x750ml: R2345pb
WO Olifants River
Vilafonté Series C 2013 (Red Blend)
R14 070 paid for 6x750ml: R2345pb
WO Paarl
Sadie Family Palladius 2013 (White Blend)
R10 553 paid for 5x750ml: R2111pb
WO Swartland
FRENCH
Lafite Rothschild 2013 (Cabernet Sauvignon)
R11 139 paid for 1x750ml
Pauillac, Médoc, Bordeaux
Margaux 2013 (Cabernet Sauvignon)
R17 588 paid for 2x750ml: R8794pb
Médoc, Bordeaux
William Fèvre Chablis Grand Cru Les Clos 2013 (Chardonnay)
R4104 paid for 1x750ml
Chablis, Burgundy
Henri Boillot Puligny-Montrachet 1er Cru Clos de la Mouchère Monopole 2013 (Chardonnay)
R4690 paid for 2x750ml: R2345pb
Mersault, Beaune, Burgundy
ITALIAN
Masseto Toscana 2013 (Merlot)
R25 795 paid for 2x750ml: R12 897pb
Bolgheri, Tuscany
Salvioni Brunello di Montalcino La Cerbaiola 2013 (Sangiovese)
R7622 paid for 3x750ml: R2541pb
Montalcino, Siena, Tuscany
