A
Texas-based wine lover and collector paid $17,250 on Saturday,
24 September, 2005 for a large-format bottle of an extraordinary
wine from Pride Mountain Vineyards. Auctioneers Bonhams &
Butterfields offered and sold a 9-liter bottle of 2001 Reserve
Cabernet Sauvignon on behalf of the winemakers, the proceeds
to be donated to support relief efforts in the Gulf.

Pride Mountain Vineyards has never before sold a 9-liter of
their Reserve Cuvees in any vintage. Bidding for the lot topped
off at $15,000 and included several clients seated in the auction
room, absentee bids submitted from all over the country and
bidders on telephones. The successful client was bidding from
his Texas home and is delighted to be able to help those within
the region impacted by the recent storms.

The auctioneers are donating all additional proceeds related
to this lot (buyer’s premium/fees) to total the $17,250
figure. These funds will be shared evenly between the American
Red Cross and The Baton Rouge Area Foundation.

In a statement released after Katrina hit the Gulf, Pride family
and staff stated:

"People donate to charity to help others, but also to
feel that they are part of a solution. It is so easy to be overwhelmed
by the images we see and the stories we read of the suffering
of the people whose lives have been torn apart by this catastrophe.
Obviously, we hope to raise as much money as we can for the
relief effort by putting this rare bottle up for auction, but
it is also enlivening to all of us at Pride to be able to do
something that will help."

Bonhams & Butterfields, the West Coast’s leading fine
arts auctioneers, offered more than 900 lots of fine wines to
collectors and enthusiasts on Saturday, the auction totaling
nearly $740,000. The prized consignment of the very rare and
first-ever Salamanzar (9-liter) was lot 6375, the auction simulcast
between salesrooms in San Francisco and Los Angeles.

The 2001 Reserve Cabernet was scored 99 points by Robert Parker.
“This wine is one of the greatest in California and indeed
the world,” says Bonhams & Butterfields’ Fine
Wine Dept. Director Frank Martell. “The offering is remarkable
to say the least, and a wonderful gesture in support of an on-going
tragedy in the Southern US.”

For further information and background see
article 756

For more details visit the Bonhams
web site.