Los Angeles - Christie’s Wine Department proudly presents Fine Wine from the Cellar of Quincy Jones & A Diplomat’s Collection of Rarities. The online auction will be open for bidding November 30 through December 11, 2023. The sale offers wine and music enthusiasts the opportunity to acquire some of the most sought after and rare wines with unmatched provenance.

Over 150 lots are offered from the cellar of the legendary Quincy Jones. Named by Time Magazine as one of the six most influential Jazz artists of the 20th Century, Jones is an impresario in the broadest and most creative sense of the word.  Over six-decades Jones’ career has encompassed the roles of composer, record producer, artist, film producer, arranger, conductor, instrumentalist, TV producer, record company executive, television station owner, magazine founder, multi-media entrepreneur and humanitarian.  Among the multitude of awards that he has received for his contributions are an Emmy Award, seven Academy Award nominations, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences’ Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award, 28 Grammy Awards, and is the all-time most nominated Grammy artist with a total of 80 nominations.

Mr. Jones’s wine collection befits his reputation as a gracious host and masterful entertainer. The collection is encyclopedic in its selection of wines from the greatest winegrowing regions across the globe. Highlights include rare pre-war vintages including 1928 Cos D’Estournel, 1933 (Mr. Jones’s birth year) vintages of Latour and Leacock’s Malvazia, and 1934 Mouton. Selections from all the First Growths are on offer along with the best from Pomerol and Saint-Emilion including Pétrus and Cheval Blanc. A curated selection of grand cru Burgundy, both white and red, is presented from Camille Giroud, Clos des Lambrays, Leflaive and Louis Latour. From Champagne, lots are offered from Louis Roederer, Cristal, Dom Pérignon, and Krug. From Italy, Piemonte is well represented in selections from Gaja. From the New World, there are rare gems from Bryant, Hundred Acre, Penfolds, and Ridge.

Quincy Jones, comments: “When I was embarking on my first trip to Europe as a young trumpeter in Lionel Hampton’s band in 1953, the great saxophone player Ben Webster pulled me aside and gave me some of the best advice a 19-year-old who had never traveled outside of the country could ever receive.  He told me that the soul of a country is identified by its music, its food, and its language and that ‘wherever you go, eat the food the real people eat, listen to the music the real people listen to, and learn 30 or 40 words in every language.’ I embraced Ben’s advice wholeheartedly, and in so doing, I was also introduced to the pleasure of experiencing the best wines ever produced.  From those early years until recently, rare was the time that I returned from a trip abroad without bottles upon bottles of special selections from some of the finest vineyards in the world. From the Gaja Barbaresco, my favorite of favorites, to the Lafite Rothschild and Château Cheval Blanc, among many others, along with very special vintages created by dear, dear friends; each bottle in my collection evokes in me memories of unique and extraordinary times spent with unique and extraordinary people and always carries with it the promise of beautiful new experiences being created once opened. I have no doubt that the selections presented here will bring you and those you share them with as much joy and beautiful memories as they have brought to me and those that I have shared them with.”

Bonnie Brennan, President of Christie’s Americas, says: "It is a great honor for Christie’s to collaborate with the legendary Quincy Jones, whose contributions to the music industry have impacted generations of artists. Presenting this remarkable wine collection is the perfect finale to a season marked by triumphs. We eagerly anticipate celebrating not just the wines but also the enduring passion of a true maestro."

Chris Munro, Head of Department, Christie’s Americas, Fine Wine & Spirits, remarks: "We are delighted to end 2023 with this fabulous auction featuring the Cellar of Quincy Jones. His collection was clearly assembled with knowledge and connoisseurship. A collection any wine collector would love to have built, including many highlights from great vintages of Bordeaux through to classic vintages of Burgundy, alongside classic wines from Piedmont and California. Elsewhere in the sale we feature rarities from A Diplomat’s Collection including delightful magnums of La Tâche 1971 and bottles of Romanée-Conti 1990. This truly spectacular auction includes lots for wine collectors around the world to enjoy and share with friends."

The sale also includes over 200 lots presented from A Diplomat’s Collection of Rarities. This collection features an expansive selection of Domaine de la Romanée Conti including magnums of the exceptional 1971 vintage as well as several vintages of the crown jewel of the domaine, Romanée Conti. From Domaine Leroy, there is a complete case of 1995 Romanée-Saint-Vivant as well as three lots of Vosne-Romanée, Les Beaux Monts. Other highlights from the collection include superb vintages of the First Growths, large formats from Pomerol and Saint-Emilion including Cheval Blanc and Pétrus, champagne from Salon and Cristal, and classic Napa from Dunn and Philip Togni.

Additional notable highlights in the sale include Imperials of Lafite, Latour, and Margaux, rare 1960s Napa including 1964 Inglenook, and Madeira from vintages spanning three centuries.

This final wine auction of 2023 concludes a remarkable year for Christie’s Wine Department in Americas. Since the re-launch of Los Angeles wine sales in 2022,  the sales have achieved $18.6 Million, with an impressive average lot sold of 96.2% and overall total against low estimate of 143%, demonstrating Christie’s strength in selling exceptional wine collections.