Unlike other collectables, such as watches or jewellery that remain virtually unchanged, or works of art for which we go to great lengths to preserve them from wear and tear, wine is to be regarded as a living being: made to evolve over time. This characteristic is part of the fascination of a world that attracts and fascinates more and more people, as shown by the constantly increasing results of auctions in recent years.

This autumn's catalogue, one of the largest ever compiled in our more than 20 years of activity in the sector, presents a very wide selection of the best labels available on the market: a total of 744 lots will animate the rooms of the Palazzo Ramirez-Montalvo for two very intense days of auction.

We begin on the morning of 17 November with a selection of lots all coming from the cellar of a single collector: an expert in the sector who has honoured us by entrusting us with the sale of part of his extraordinary collection. Historic vintages and large formats characterise this section in which we find many of the leading Italian and French wineries. Our journey begins in Italy, more precisely in Piedmont. From the Langhe region, we highlight the lots of Barolo Riserva Monfortino by Giacomo Conterno, in particular the Jéroboam bottles (3 litres) from 2015, 2014, 2013 and the historic 2010 vintage. We continue with Tuscany, and here too the focus cannot but fall on two large-format bottles: two double magnums of the legendary producer Gianfranco Soldera, one 2006 vintage and one of the so-called 'lost vintage', i.e. 2010. For France, the most full-bodied part is that of Burgundy wines, with many bottles from Domaine Raveneau, Fourrier, Emmanuel Rouget, and, in closing, a selection of bottles 'signed' by the queen of wine: Madame Lalou Bize-Leroy.

On the afternoon of the 17th, we returned to Italy and found the 'usual favourites': Bruno Giacosa, Giacomo Conterno, Romano Dal Forno, Montevertine, the Super Tuscans of the Antinori and Frescobaldi cellars and Tenuta San Guido. Of the latter, we are honoured to include in the catalogue a lot that encompasses the entire history of the famous Bolgheri winery: an 'almost complete' vertical collection (only the 1974 vintage is missing) from 1968 to 2019 of Sassicaia, the winery's flagship wine.

The second day is dedicated to the wines of neighbouring France: the morning session will feature the Maisons of Champagne and the Château of Bordeaux, while the afternoon will showcase the Domaines of Burgundy. But let's go in order. All the most sought-after champagnes are present, with some unobtainable lots such as the traditional case of Salon, consisting of six normal bottles and one Magnum, and the series of lots of Krug Clos d'Ambonnay, including the 1996 vintage, all from a single owner. After a brief interlude with wines from the Rhone, the Loire, and the rest of the world, we move on to Bordeaux. From the region of the châteaux, we point out, along with bottles of the most famous Pétrus, Mouton Rothschild, Yquem, Lafite Rothschild and Margaux, some more exclusive names that are highly sought after by the market: Le Pin and Château Lafleur, the latter also in Magnum format.

The final part of the catalogue is dedicated, as per tradition, to Burgundy and its incomparable wines. The greatest expressions of Pinot Noir and Chardonnay are brought together here, divided by domaine: Dugat-Py, Jayer, Rousseau, Coche-Dury, Engel, Leroy, d'Auvenay and Romanée Conti. The list of lots worthy of mention would be too long to be included in this brief introduction, so I will limit myself to three: a Magnum of Échézeaux Domaine Bizot 2006, a bottle of Chevalier-Montrachet Leroy Domaine d'Auvenay 2005, the best white wine produced by the small domaine, and a bottle in an original wooden crate of Romanée Conti from the Domaine de la Romanée Conti vintage 2015, the best in the last fifteen years. Honourable mention goes to the bottle that most represents our catalogue and closes it: a bottle of Romanée Conti from the Domaine de la Romanée Conti 2005 vintage, considered by all the world's leading critics to be the vintage of the century. An example of a wine that will achieve, with the passage of time, such harmony that this bottle already enters into myth.

While time is often seen as an enemy that leads to withering, for wine, great wine like the one you will find in the following pages, it becomes a powerful ally that allows it to express its full potential. But I don't want to go any further and leave you to consult the catalogue, which will take a good deal of...time.