Press release : Chartreuses, "One" collection
Chartreuses, "One" collection
- 11/26/24
- Wines and spirits
To be auctioned on December 27
On next December 27, a remarkable collection of yellow and green Chartreuses will go on sale in Cannes, under the hammer of Maître Besch and the expert eye of Pascal Kuzniewski : around 650 bottles divided into 489 lots, the bottles coming from the production of the Carthusian monks from 1903 to nowadays. "We have some very sought-after bottles from the Spanish period, from 1903 to 1989. The collection also includes jeroboams (300cl) and magnums, which are extremely rare", confides the expert.
A 20-year collection
This collection is the work of an enthusiast : "He has devoted more than 20 years of his life to this liqueur, alongside a very busy professional life". He acquired rare bottles via auctions and classified ads, at a time when there was less interest and market prices were more affordable.
It all started with a refusal
Then minor, he lived with a father who loved this beverage. To please him, he wanted to offer him some for his birthdays, but was refused by wine merchants who wouldn't sell him any, and couldn't find any on the market either. All it takes is for this young teenager to find an extraordinary motivation that matched his winning temperament.
Lot 310 : 1 Bottle of 70 cl YELLOW CHARTREUSE "THE TARRAGONA OF THE CENTURY" - In original wooden case in original numbered box - N°127/512 bottles
A strong link with history
With a passion for history, he uses these elixirs to explore the life of the Carthusian monks, their development, their expulsion from France, the destruction of their distillery, their progress and their way of managing bottles over the years through labels, the shape of the bottles, inscriptions... Like one of the oldest bottles : a yellow Chartreuse from the 1904-1930 Tarragona period with a mention of the difficulties of importing it into France, which says a lot about this pivotal date.
Lot 312 : 1 Bottle of 100 cl YELLOW CHARTREUSE Period 1904-1930 Tarragona (with mention of difficulties importing into France)
Collector and drinker
A collector and a drinker ! Which is not always the case. "During the on-site appraisal, I was lucky enough to be able to taste some of the bottles", says the expert, "the seller being a man of sharing, confessed to having a crush on the yellow Licor Cumbre, recently tasted with friends".
Lot 328 : 1 Bottle of 75 cl YELLOW CHARTREUSE "EL LICOR CUMBRE" Period 1951-1959 Tarragona
What the expert has to say
"Nearly all the production periods of the 20th and 21st centuries are represented, sometimes in small quantities, sometimes in large numbers", says Pascal Kuzniewski. "Through his networks and clubs, in particular the Fous de Chartreuse club, the collector has had easy access to certain bottles". A 20-year collection that was pampered "because, for the record, all the bottles were kept in an armoured cellar, made to measure and dedicated solely to Chartreuses ! ".
Lot 374 : 1 Bottle of 70 cl GREEN CHARTREUSE "MARSEILLE" Commemorative 1921-2011 - N° 113/760 bottles
Transmission
The time has come to "pass on". The dispersal of these bottles will bring immense joy to many enthusiasts, who in turn will add to their own collections or enjoy tasting these elixirs from another era. A nectar desired and sought-after the world over...
Chartreuses’ auction "One" Collection on December Friday 27th from 10.30am in the lounges of the Hôtel Martinez in Cannes.
Wine expert : Pascal Kuzniewski - contact@vinvinoveritas.com - Tel : 00.33.(0)6.07.79.72.06
Partial exhibition of the lots in Hôtel Martinez Cannes from 10am to 10.30am on December Friday 27.
