La Tache 1978 Domaine de la Romanee-Conti under hammer in London
Lovers of fine wine will flock to London tomorrow (June 16th), where Sotheby's is to host an auction of some exceptional vintages.
Although the sale of Petrus 1994 and chateau Lafite 1982 is high-profile enough to warrant attention, the stars of this event will be two cases of La Tache 1978 Domaine de la Romanee-Conti.
Serena Sutcliffe, Sotheby's' Master of Wine, said she was left "virtually speechless" upon tasting the "sheer magic" of the La Tache, which is expected to fetch as much as £40,000.
"Our expectations were, obviously, high but they were exceeded by a very long way," she added.
"We served the wine cool, which is what Burgundy really likes and we poured it straight from the bottle into large glasses."
Among the other highlights of the auction will be some examples of chateau Mouton-Rothschild, Haut-Brion, Ausone and Petrus, all from the 1998 vintage.
Last month was notable for its high-profile wine auctions in Hong Kong, following which it has been predicted that the territory could overtake the US as the world's biggest auction venue.