This Spring, Christie's will kick off the season by presenting Finest and Rarest Wines: From the Private Cellar of Henri Jayer on Friday, 10 February at the viewing gallery at the Christie's Hong Kong office.

This evening sale offers 102 lots, a tremendous range of vintages directly from the private cellar of the legendary master of Burgundy, Henri Jayer. The sale is expected to fetch in excess of HK$20m/ US$2.5m.

Henri Jayer is among the most important figures in the world of wine over the last century.

He was seen as a winemaker of great sensitivity and the consummate connoisseur of Burgundy. All the bottles offered in this sale have come exclusively from the private cellar of Henri Jayer in Burgundy.

Charles Curtis MW, Head of Wine for Asia at Christie's commented, "Henri Jayer is among the most mythical names in Burgundy, and his wines are among the most sought-after (and expensive) in the world. Christie's is thrilled to bring to market in February the wines from his personal cellar.

"This is a sale of historic dimension featuring wines of perfect provenance and condition, a unique opportunity to purchase wines of extraordinary rarity that will never be repeated again."

Some of the highlights include:

Lot 98 is three bottles of Richebourg Grand Cru - vintage 1978. Receiving little sun in the summer, but a perfect autumn, Henri Jayer recognized the vintage as "one of the most beautiful vintages I vinified. Undoubtedly, one of the best in the century."  The lot is listed at HK$400,000-500,000.

Lot 83 is a case of Échézeaux Grand Cru - vintage 1979. In 2004, Allen Meadows described it as follows:

"Pronounced sous bois, spice and plenty of earth, underbrush and a hint of leather aromas combine with lighter but superbly elegant, very finely textured flavours that are beginning to show the initial signs of tiring but there is fine finishing intensity and length.

"This isn't a powerful wine but it's elegant one as Echézeaux goes and it is impeccably well balanced." It is listed at HK$260,000-320,000.

Then of course there is lot 63, a case of Vosne-Romanée Premier Cru vintage 1985. In 2005, Allen Meadows gave his view:

"Tasted from a Burgundian cellar. Still quite vibrant on the nose with absolutely knock-out aromatic complexity of earth, leather and lot of Vosne spice plus still very fresh, round, rich, full flavors that are like silk on the palate.

"This is not as vibrant as it once was but it is still a lovely wine with excellent length. The structure in all bottles is now fully resolved and there is no reason to wait any longer though neither is there any rush to drink up."

The lot is expected to sell for HK$800,000 - 1,000,000. Watch this space for more news of this fascinating sale.