Million Air Winter 2022

etr li at ve eler WINTER 2022/23 83

Marchand also advises that, depending on where you live, it might be wiser to organize a wine cellar than to buy a wine cabinet: “You might have a room or a space that is naturally insulated. I recommend you measure the temperature over the year, and you might be surprised if the temperature stays stable. You’ll see this is a good location for wine storage.” As long as the main storage elements of long-term wine storage are met (heat, vibration, air fl ow, light and humidity), the space itself is largely a matter of personal taste. A wine space can be created under the stairs, in cupboards, on walls or in small rooms, and doesn’t have to be underground. The most innovative wine spaces are in fact a hybrid of storage, display and even entertainment. Of course, if a wine cabinet at home is not su ffi cient and cellar space is unavailable, placing one’s collection in professional storage is the most logical step, and it’s even more essential when buying wine as an investment, when proof of provenance will drive the price. Many merchants o ff er storage for their customers but it’s wise to investigate where exactly the wine will rest, the security and logistics policies, and whether the conditions for fi ne wine storage can be reliably met. Widely considered to be the most reliable and safe professional cellar is Octavian, located in Corsham, UK. Just 20 minutes outside of Bath, this legendary cellar stores over $1bn worth of wine 100 ft underground. Originally a mine dug in the 1800s, its stone was used to build most of the buildings in Bath, and even the town hall in Cape Town, South Africa. The Ministry of

Defence took the mine over in the early 1900s to store ammunition and barracks for 12,000 soldiers. Over 30 years ago, it was converted into a professional underground wine cellar and has expanded to include two aircraft hangar facilities to house faster-moving stock. The high level of security and service includes con fi rming case contents upon arrival, “even wines packed at the chateaux could be incorrect vintages, or missing a bottle,” cautions Vincent O’Brien, Octavian’s managing director. For this reason, there are numerous checks and record-keeping, including up to 18,000 photographs a month as wines are entered into the storage system. “We have a number of clients whose collections are in the tens of millions of bottles,” says O’Brien, “but anyone can open an account and start with just fi ve cases.” Octavian’s robust insurance policy

is another factor to consider, as collections have a tendency to expand with enthusiasm. A recently developed trading platform at Octavian allows clients to trade between themselves. Cases don’t need to be shifted; they are simply relabeled with the new owner’s details — and of course, the buyers have a more transparent view of the wines’ provenance. O’Brien is adamant that collectors and investors should understand the bene fi t of provenance and professional storage, and consider it as part of their wine investment that will increase their return. To prove his point on how well fi ne wines age when stored properly, O’Brien organized a fi rst-ever wine tasting deep in the Octavian cellars of mature ‘blue chip’ wines, presented in pairs from Champagne, Burgundy and Bordeaux. The guests were a mix of trade, journalists, Master Sommeliers and Masters of Wine, certainly a discerning crowd with experience in tasting maturing fi ne wines. To O’Brien’s relief, every single one of the wines opened was in astoundingly good condition. The star of the show was the 1949 Cheval Blanc, which was not only in exquisite shape for a 73-year-old wine, but truly beguiled the tasters with its penetrating complex aromas and fresh, vivacious palate. Even seasoned professionals admitted this was a tasting of a lifetime upon experiencing such a mature fi ne wine in exquisite condition. Many of the guests who had tried those same wines and vintages elsewhere remarked at how much more youthful and fresher these bottles, that had been stored in perfect condition at Octavian, tasted. A lovely way to remind us of the old adage, ‘there are no great wines, only great bottles.’

Clockwise from left Octavian stores over $1bn worth of fi ne wine; the underground cellar was formerly a mine; up to 18,000 photographs are taken every month as wines are entered into the storage system

eurocave.com; octavian.co.uk

Photos Octavian Cellars