Written by Valentina Montagna

Collectors are not only looking for great wine: they seek stories, rarities, and details that transform a bottle into a legend. On Friday, October 2, 2026, the Wine and Spirits Auction will go under the hammer, featuring a catalogue in which every lot holds a unique story.

Italian Icons: Gaja Langhe DOC, Monfortino ’99 and the Great Super Tuscans

The section dedicated to Italy in the Wine and Spirits Auction opens with a truly once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. Lots 23, 24, and 25 feature the trilogy of Gaja’s historic crus from the vintage of the Millennium (2000), offered in Magnum format: Costa Russi, Sorì San Lorenzo, and Sorì Tildìn.

The real highlight? During those years, Angelo Gaja shook the wine world by downgrading these iconic wines from Barbaresco DOCG to Langhe DOC in order to include 5% Barbera in the blend and achieve impeccable acidity. Owning all three crus from the 2000 vintage in Magnum format is a rare collector’s trophy.

At lot 29, we find Giacomo Conterno’s Monfortino Riserva 1999 in Magnum format. The 1999 vintage is regarded by experts as one of the most classic, austere, and long-lived vintages of the past two decades, often compared to the legendary 1978 for its extraordinary ageing potential.

Crowning the Italian section is the nobility of the Super Tuscans: Ornellaia, Solaia, Tignanello, and Sassicaia. These iconic wines embody the revolution of the 1970s and 1980s, which proved to the world that Tuscany’s terroir could master Bordeaux grape varieties as well as, if not better than, anyone else.

Collectible Sparkling Wines: The Secrets of Plénitude and Italian Traditional Method

The sparkling wine section features a number of historic gems. At lot 104, the spotlight shines on the Giulio Ferrari Riserva del Fondatore 1997, the Italian sparkling wine that has repeatedly outperformed the great Champagnes in blind tastings, thanks to more than ten years of ageing on its lees in the mountains of Trentino.

Moving to Champagne, lot 115 offers a majestic Dom Pérignon Rosé 2008 Magnum, a vintage celebrated for its radiant energy and vibrant character. Yet the true prize for devotees of the Maison is Lot 118, a collection of 22 bottles that includes the exceptionally rare Plénitude P2 1998 releases, aged for over fifteen years on their lees, alongside the iconic Œnothèque 1996 and 1995 vintages. These wines stem from the vision of legendary chef de cave Richard Geoffroy, who pioneered the idea of releasing bottles only when they had reached their “second life,” revealing a new stage of maturity and complexity.

Completing this sparkling symphony are Lots 135 and 136, featuring the exceptional Krug Rosé 22ème Édition and the legendary Krug 2004, nicknamed by the House “L’Équilibre Révélé“ (“The Revealed Balance”) for its extraordinary harmony and balance.

France at its finest: perfect Bordeaux and the Burgundy Myth

Among the French wines featured in the Wine & Spirits Auction catalogue, lot 110 stands out with a Château Latour 1988: one of the last great “traditional” vintages before the wave of modernization that swept through Bordeaux in the late 1990s, renowned for its unmistakable notes of graphite and cedarwood.

At lot 111, we find the Échézeaux Grand Cru 2019 from Domaine de la Romanée-Conti. Produced in a warm and concentrated vintage, it nonetheless displays a silky elegance that remains unmatched by any other producer in the world.

Rare and Collectible Spirits: A Journey Through Myths and Legends

Spirits

The section dedicated to spirits is a true compendium of elusive treasures for discerning connoisseurs. It opens with French nobility in the form of lot 155, the legendary Rémy Martin Louis XIII Grande Champagne Cognac. This extraordinary blend is composed of more than a thousand eaux-de-vie distilled from Grande Champagne grapes and aged in historic tierçon oak casks, all presented in its unmistakable crystal decanter adorned with raised royal fleur-de-lis motifs.

Whisky

Moving on to Scotland, the poetry of independent bottlings shines through the celebrated “The Sails in the Wind” series released by Moon Import in the 1980s and conceived by the Italian visionary Pepi Mongiardino. Highlights include Caol Ila 1977 (lot 165) and Glenfiddich 1979 Dufftown (lot 169), whose labels depicting historic sailing ships are today regarded as collectible works of art in their own right, rivaling the remarkable spirits they contain.

The pinnacle of Scottish peat can be found in lot 173 with the extraordinary Laphroaig Rare Heritage Collection: a unique set bringing together the complete The Ian Hunter Story saga (Books 1-5) alongside the exceptionally rare release dedicated to Bessie Williamson, the first woman in history to lead a Scottish distillery during the twentieth century.

Fans of Speyside malts will discover a true sanctuary dedicated to The Macallan. Alongside the majestic Decanter Series M 25 Years Old (lot 182), created in collaboration with Lalique, and the classic Anniversary 25 Years Old 1971 (lot 188), the auction presents two legendary highlights: lot 183, Macallan 30 Years Old Artist Label #10, an iconic bottling from La Maison du Whisky that unites exceptional single malt with contemporary art; and lot 190, Macallan Anniversary 25 Years Old 1958/1959, an absolute milestone distilled in the late 1950s and matured exclusively in first-fill ex-Sherry casks.

Rum

The journey through the Wine & Spirits Auction concludes in the Caribbean with two extraordinary expressions of rum: the Neisson Tatanka Collection (lot 203), featuring its celebrated hand-painted bottles crafted in Martinique, and the exceptional Diamond 1981 S Very Old Demerara Rum (lot 209), distilled in Guyana using the historic Wooden Still, the only operational wooden still of its kind remaining in the world.

Aged for an astounding 31 years in a tropical climate, this remarkable rum gradually concentrated into an essence of unparalleled depth, rarity, and intensity, making it one of the most coveted treasures for collectors and connoisseurs alike.

To learn more:

• Browse the catalogue of Wine and Spirits Auction
• Blog post The Ghibelline Genovino: Genoese Coinage in the 14th Century
• Blog post Macallan 1928 – 50 years old Anniversary. “It’s not just whisky. It’s Macallan.”
• Blog post The F.S. Collection: a journey through rare spirits and a legacy of passion