The late Dr Max Lake’s cellar is being auctioned by fine wine auctioneers Langtons.
Lake, regarded as the ‘father’ of Australia’s boutique winery industry, died in Sydney on April 14, aged 84.
A hand surgeon, Lake founded Lake’s Folly in the Hunter Valley in 1963 on land bought from Tyrrell’s Vineyards, leading a boom in boutique wineries now estimated to total 1300 of Australia’s 2,500 wineries.
Lake was a flavour expert, an advocate of wine and food matching and wrote 12 books on wine including Classic Wines of Australia regarded as one of the most important accounts of the post-war ultra-fine Australian wine industry.
Langton’s fine wine principal, Andrew Caillard, said Lake sold the major part of his rare wine collection in 1987, the cellar later being damaged by flooding and so the remaining wines were remnants of Lake’s past and of his more recent tastes, mostly contemporary Burgundies.
Bidding closes on August 4 for the 734 lots which also includes many top vintage Bordeaux and Australian wines from Cullen, Henschke, Lake’s Folly and Penfolds.
Lots include: 1978 (magnum) & 1982 Chateau Cheval Blanc, 1982 Chateau Lafleur, 1982 Chateau Leoville Lascases, 1985 & 1986 Chateau Margaux, 1982 Chateau Mouton Rothschild, 2002 Domaine Chandon de Brailles Clos du Roi, Corton, 1996 Domaine Jacques-Frederic Mugnier Les Amoureuses 1er Cru, Chambolle-Musigny, 1995 Domaine Jean Gros Clos des Reas 1er cru Monopole, Vosne-Romanee, 1999 Mongeard Mugneret Grands Echezeaux, 2002 Francois Lamarche La Grand Rue and 1996 Bollinger Grande Annee.
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Written by Chris Snow in Adelaide
