W ine collecting is, above all, about passion and sharing. This sale is a celebration of Dr. Gordon Ku’s 50 years of wine collecting, distinguished by a passion and devotion that created one of Singapore’s great cellars. Dr. Ku had a taste for the classic regions, yet his natural curiosity and astute tastes meant that he built up an incredible collection of wines from all over the vinous world. At the heart was his enjoyment of fine wine, especially the 𝐆perfect marriage between food and wine. This is evident in the variety of styles on offer, with something toꦉ match every type of cuisine imaginable.
This wonderful collection came together, bottle by bottle, with the dream of sharing them with friends and loved ones. This is a cellar with such breadth that it will impress the devoted connoiss😼eur and the passionate novice alike, knowing that each wine was thoughtfully chosen with a certain time or moment in mind. It is our honour to share this with wine collectors around the world, in the knowledge that this cellar was built for enjoyment and sharing. We hope you enjoy browsing this wonderful collection, as we all raise a glass to Dr. Gordon Ku’s 50 years of wine🐠 collecting.
收 藏洋酒離不開藏家的滿腔熱忱和分享精神，本次拍賣以誌古醫生五十年的洋酒收藏歷程，彰顯匯成星洲屈指可數的出色窖藏所需的熱忱和心血。古醫生固然鍾情舊世界經♕典，不過他生性好奇，品味獨到，因此窖藏中的洋𝕴酒來自全球產區，包羅萬有。他喜歡品嚐佳釀，亦懂得欣賞美酒佳餚之間碰撞出的火花——從今次品類繁多上拍酒款即可見一斑，任何想像得到的菜式都能從中覓得匹配的洋酒。
建立這個美妙窖藏的初衷是希望與摯愛親朋一同享受美酒。當中的藏酒兼容並包，每一瓶都為了某個特定時刻或場合精心挑選，無論是經驗老到還是初來埗到的藏家，都難以忽略它們的吸引力。當了解到收藏這些洋酒本來是要與人快樂分享，我們覺得，能夠與全世界的藏家共享這份樂趣，實在非常榮幸。我們衷心希望您在瀏覽酒單之際也感受到這份樂趣。讓我們向古國泰醫生五十年的收藏舉杯致意！
Lot 3827 Vega Sicilia 'Unico' 1968 (2 MAG)
Estimates: HK$35,000-50,000
70% Tinto Fino, 20% Cabernet Sauvignon, 10% Merlot, Malbec🦹 and Albillo. A real whiff of Burgundy on the nose. Sweet, ripe and classy on the palate. Great finesse of texture. Lots of fruit and attack. Great chocolate at the finish. In 2013, overwhelmingly spicy, expressive and full of personality. The fruit now dominates the chocolate. In full flight and pure joy - seize it whenever you can. Serena Sutcliffe, MW
Lot 3858 Heitz Cellar, Caber꧟net Sauvignon, Martha's Vineyard 1974 (4 BT💦)
Estimates: HK$40,000-55,000
In 2014, I had my greatest bottle of this extraordinary wine, bought when very young and never moved from our own cellar. Excellent level and cork. On this showing, oh, to be 40 again! Deep, dense colour. A bouquet of mint, eucalyptus and transcendental intensity. Cassis, blackberry, liquorice and tar on the palate, like a liqueur sent from the Gods. Far thicker density than any Bordeaux. The taste goes on eternally, ith fabulous sweetness and glycerol. 💖Becomes more꧟ tarry and less opulent, but more mystic, as it goes down, inexorably, in the glass. Serena Sutcliffe, MW
Lot 3782 - 3785 Tenuta di Trinoro 1999 (12 BT)
Estimates: HK$9,000-13,000
Bordeaux
Lot 3014 Château Lafite 1982 (3 BT)
Estimates: HK$50,000-70,000
65% Cabernet Sauvignon in this vintage. On Christmas Eve 2013, an incredibly rich, s💫picy, leathery nose, multi-layered and mꦗeaty. The taste balances fresh acidity with real maturity and it is just so "thick" and velvety. Enormous tannic structure with irony backbone. Serena Sutcliffe, MW
Burgundy
Lot 3260 Richebourg 2009 Domaine Leroy (12 BT)
Estimates: HK$350,000-500,000
Rhone
Lot 3697 Côte Rôtie, La Mouline 1978 Guigal (5 BT)
Estimates: HK$120,000-160,000
Wonderfully aromatic nose. D💟ense, deep complex bouque🐭t. Incredible sweet liquorice on the palate. Such silkiness. Divine. Just poised perfectly on maturity. Serena Sutcliffe, MW
Champagne
Lot 3628 Krug, Clos du Mesnil 1985 (2 BT)
Estimates: HK$22,000-30,000
A glorious, crisp, hazelnutty nose. Tremendously young, sprightly and keen. Just so incisive. Limey finish. Serena Sutcliffe, 📖MW
The Wines
The majority if the wines from thi🅘s cellar have been purchased over the last 50 years from trusted UK, French and Singapore merchants. Many of the wines were purchased on release.
The Cellar
The wines were either stored perfect storage conditions, in a bonded storage facility in the UK. Then when hitting maturity the wines were shipped to Singapore and stored in one of three profession꧙al temperature controlled cellars in the family home𒊎.
Inspection and Shipping
Wines held 𒊎in the UK were shipped in a temperature-controlled reefer container to Hong Kong and then inspected by Sotheby’s Wine Specialists Kent Law, Paul Wong and Fiona Hui at Crown Wine Cellars. All wines in Singapore were inspected in September 2019 by Sotheby’s Wine Specialists Adam Bilbey, Kent Law and Jake Elgart. They were then shipped on a dedicated temperature-controlled reefer container to Crown Wine Cellars in Hong Kong.
洋酒：
窖藏洋酒大部分在過去五十年購自信譽良好的英國、法國及新加坡酒商。不少洋酒在推出時購入。
酒窖：
洋酒儲存於英國一個環境理想的保稅倉庫裡，待成熟後運往新加坡，儲存於家族大宅中的三個專業恆🐈溫酒窖之一。
檢驗及搬運：
儲存於英國的洋酒以恆溫貨櫃運抵香港，並由蘇富比洋酒部專家羅子康、王浩東、許定怡前往皇冠酒窖進行檢驗。所有儲存於新加坡的洋酒在2019年9月由蘇富比洋酒部專家貝安霖、羅子康及 Jake 🅰Elgart 仔細檢驗，洋酒隨後裝載於專業恆溫貨櫃中，運抵香港皇冠酒窖。
Château Margaux 2009: For Siu Mei Roast (燒味)
Cantonese siu mei roasted meats like char siu, roasted pork belly, roasted goose, tend to be quite fatty. In order to cut through the rich proteins, the pairing calls for a bigger red with some tannins. We also need some oak to go with the toast, and fruits to go with the sweet glaze. A rich and fruity 2009 Margaux, chosen here, will go brilliant🔯ly with the dishes.
叉燒、燒腩仔、燒🙈鵝……廣東燒味肥美可口，要平衡豐腴肉質，酒體宏碩、🔜丹寧明顯的紅酒是必然之選。燒烤、蜜汁與酒液裡的橡木、水果氣息相輔相成，2009年瑪歌堡佳釀濃郁且洋溢果香，與燒味可謂天作之合。
Clos de la Roche, Cuvée Vieilles Vignes 2002 Domaine Ponsot: For Turnip Cake (蘿蔔糕)
A Chinese New Year must-have, turnip cake is made of flour, white radish, Chinese sausage, dried shrimp, dried scallop, and mushrooms – a mixture which is first steamed and then pan fried. The richness and oiliness of the turnip cake requires a wine with acidity like Pinot Noir. The slightly herbal and sꦓavory backbone of the wine will also complement well with the savory spicy turnip cake.
蘿蔔糕是中國農曆新年的傳統食物，以麵粉、白蘿蔔、臘腸、蝦米、乾꧒瑤柱、冬菇等食材製成，蒸熟後可煎香上桌。味道濃郁、油香四溢的蘿蔔糕正好佐以酸度出色的黑皮諾葡萄酒，芳香中隱約滲出的草本氣息與蘿蔔糕的鹹香相得益彰。
Château d’Yquem 2011: For Thousand-Year Egg with Pickled Ginger (酸薑皮蛋)
Sounds odd? This could be the Chinese version of foie gras with Sauternes! The weighty, glossy, slightly nutty wine levels with the creaminess of the egg yolk beautifully. The complement of the sweet 🐓and sour pickled ginger goes perfectly well with the wine’s dried fruit flavors, both together give the palate an easy sweetness but at the same time acidity that keeps it from fatigue.
🐟聽起來天方夜譚？這可是中菜版的鵝肝配蘇玳甜酒。酒體華麗、略帶果仁香的伊甘堡佳釀與綿滑的蛋黃來一場美妙邂逅；酸酸甜甜的薑片與酒液中的乾果𒆙味彼此契合，使口腔充滿甜味，挾帶的酸勁卻使味道甜而不膩。
Chablis, Blanchot 2004 Domaine Raveneau or Bâtard Montrachet 2005 Domaine Leflaive: With Hainan Chicken Rice (海南雞飯)
With the background of the consignor it seems only right that we include a Singaporean dish here. The Hainan chicken rice basically consists of poached chicken and seasoned “oil rice.” The chicken is perfectly cooked, served cool, and has a light and delicate flavor, so logically, it would go well with an equally light and delicate꧅ wine from a cooler region – for example, Chablis. However, the dish is served with accompanying sauces, including a black sweet sauce, a ginger sauce, and a chili sauce, and since the seasoned rice is prepared with chicken oil, stock, and sometimes extr🙈a herbs, they add a bit of body and flavors. A richer white Burgundy would be more suitable here.
考慮到藏家的家世，在餐單裡加入一道新加坡名菜無可厚非。海南雞飯以白切雞搭配香料油飯，雞肉的火候恰到好處，冰鎮後入口，味道清淡細緻，理論上與來自氣候清涼的產地——例如夏布利的清新佳釀相當融洽。不過海南雞通常🌳伴以甜醬油、薑蓉和辣椒醬，米飯則與雞油、雞湯加上香料烹煮，為菜式增添一絲內涵和風味，因此搭配略更濃郁的布艮地白酒更為適宜。
Taittinger, Comtes de Champagne, Blanc de Blancs 2005: Pairs with Dim Sum (點心)
Although dim sum is an umbrella term describing a variety of dishes, Champagne is generally a good choice to pair with them all. Common condiments for dim sum are soy sauce, vinegar, and Worcestershire sauce, so something of higher acidity is needed here and Champagne is a great option. With fried dim sum, a chilled, acidic Champagne can counteract the oiliness. For steamed, doughy dim sum a creamy aged Champagne could do the trick.
點心款式繁多，但是最佳伴侶非香檳莫屬。醬油、醋、喼汁是搭配點心的常見佐料，🌠故應配以酸度較高的葡萄酒，香檳無疑是理想之選。以煎炸方式烹調的點心需要冰涼酸爽的香檳來中和油膩感，麵粉類的蒸𓆏點心則與口感順滑的陳年香檳水乳交融。
Côte Rôtie, La Turque 1999 Guigal or Scharzhofberger Spätlese 1990 Egon Müller: With Peking Duck (北京填鴨)
Pinot Noir is often a go-to pairing for Peking duck (or just duck in general), but if we want to try something off the beaten track, a Rhone red can also be a good choice. Peking duck can be quite greasy, and the Rhone will be able to cut through the fats, and likely to work better with the spring onion and the sauce. Also depending on the swe⛦etness of the lacquer on the duck skin, how much and what kind of sauce you use, or if dipping the skin in sugar Beijing-style, something slightly sweet would be great – for instance, an aged German Riesling. We don’t have to limit the choices with reds!
黑皮諾葡萄酒是北京填鴨或其他鴨肉菜式的慣常搭配，若想另闢蹊徑，隆河谷紅酒🦩也是不錯的選擇。北京填鴨較為油膩，隆河谷佳釀有助消解脂肪的肥膩感，跟蔥和調味料亦更為匹配。另外，燒鴨外皮塗有蜜汁，採用何種醬汁、是否用蘸糖的正宗北京吃法都讓我們有第二種選擇--微甜的餐酒，例如德國雷司令陳釀，完全毋須將眼界局限在紅酒世界裡。
Vega Sicilia 'Unico' 1995: For Braised Abalone (燜鮑魚)
Abalone is cooked and soaked in rich-flavored sauce, which is why it is best paired with a red wine. With the thick sauce and the springy “tong sum” texture of the abalone, we don’t have to be shy on the body of the wine. Something round and not too tannic will be good. For example, a m🌜ature Tempranillo from Vega Sicilia will♋ work the magic!
在濃醬裡燜煮的鮑魚最好與紅酒一同享用。濃稠的醬汁配上彈牙的溏心口感，配搭的酒體渾圓結實更♎佳。口感圓潤且不帶強烈丹寧的酒款恰如其分，來自 Vega Sicilia 酒莊的 Tempranillo 葡萄熟釀相信能夠一展魔力！
