Fieldings to sell 300 year old bottle of wine

An extraordinary discovery !

Fieldings are so delighted to offer an incredibly rare find in their upcoming Christmas sale.

The bottle of Hungarian Tokaji wine, dates to around 1650-1690, and is from the Royal Saxon cellar of Augustus the Strong.  Augustus II, most commonly known as Augustus the Strong, was Elector of Saxony from 1694 as well as King of Poland and Grand Duke of Lithuania in the years 1697–1706 and from 1709 until his death in 1733. He belonged to the Albertine line of the House of Wettin.            

Augustus was a triumphant lover of Arts and Culture in 17^th Century Saxony. He was known for throwing lavish parties with pomp and splendour that sometimes lasted months. His cellars in the Dresden Royal Palace, were filled with his extensive collection of the finest wines of the time often gifted to him by by nobility. It is thought that his Tokaji cellar was his favourite, filled with the expensive Tokaji which was the most revered wine of the time, often referred to as the Wine of Kings.   Tokaji was considered an ‘Elixir’ and played significant role in the Saxon court for centuries.

The bottle bears a seal showing crossed swords and indistinct letters, 'HOF' thought to be the seal for the Royal Saxon House, and the first the Letters 'HOF' (HOFKELLEREI The Royal Saxon Cellar of Augustus The Strong).

Tokaji wine is a sweet wine that has long been produced in the Hungarian wine region of Tokaj, from the grapes affected by noble rot. There are distinct similarities to the bottle of a known collection of Tokaji wine sold by the Foundation of The House of Wettin in 1927.  The auction took place in Dresden and it is documented that sixty-two bottles were sold which were from the cellar of Augustus the Strong.

Consigned from a private client in the North of England, this unassuming little bottle of wine had sat on a shelf for the last 50 years. On the death of the owner Fieldings Auctioneers were invited to do a routine valuation, when this bottle was discovered.

The 17^th Century Tokaji bottle is for sale at Fieldings Auctioneers on Friday 10^th December. Lot 764, estimate £6,000 - 8,000.

CLICK HERE TO VIEW LOT

Update - sold for £5,000 to a Hungarian collector !

Posted on 1 December 2021 in: Auction life