Month: May 2023

In April 2022, Sonoma-based antiquarian bookseller Ben Kinmont oversaw the sale of the Thackrey Library, a valuable collection of more than 700 tomes and documents assembled by California winemaker Sean Thackrey. Sadly, Thackrey passed away shortly after the collection sold for $2 million to an undisclosed buyer. It was revealed this month that the buyer was, in fact, Domaine Clarence Dillon, the parent company of several leading Bordeaux estates, including first-growth Château Haut-Brion, La Mission Haut-Brion and Château Quintus.

“Through its enviable status at the heart of the worlds of gastronomy and wine, Château Haut-Brion is as relevant and present today … as the wines have been over millennia,” Domaine Clarence Dillon chairman and CEO Prince Robert de Luxembourg explained to Wine Spectator via email. “The library that we have constituted over the last decades is as much a reflection of Haut-Brion’s DNA as the estate is a privileged protagonist in many of the stories and documents that grace our shelves.”

The Thackrey Library (a portion of which is available to read online) consists primarily of texts focused on winemaking, grapegrowing and gastronomy, including Bordeaux-related works like M. Paguierre’s Manière de Faire le Vin (Manner of Making the Wine), published around 1828. Items span millennia, with many published before 1600 and the earliest dating to the 6th century. It is, altogether, an unrivaled collection that clearly translates Thackrey’s passion and curiosity, and it remains highly useful both to historians and vintners. So it is no wonder that a leading wine producer would take notice when the library came up for sale at the New York International Antiquarian Book Fair.

Haut-Brion now houses the Thackrey Library, adding to its already massive collection of some 3,000 books, including signed editions written by “the king of chefs and the chef of kings” Antonin Carême, more than 300 menus (many from royal fêtes) and 100 benchmark wine lists. There are also letters and manuscripts from historical figures such as Thomas Jefferson (who visited Haut-Brion in 1787) and Claude Monet, and important archives concerning Haut-Brion, itself.

[article-img-container][src=2023-05/ns_library052523_mjf_1600.jpg] [credit=(Courtesy Domaine Clarence Dillon)] [alt=Haut-Brion’s library] [end: article-img-container]

Indeed, Haut-Brion has been home to several book collectors over the centuries, including Renaissance-era bishop Arnaud II de Pontac and famed 19th-century politician, diplomat and Carême benefactor Charles-Maurice de Talleyrand-Périgord, who represented France during the Congress of Vienna that followed Napoleon Bonaparte’s forced abdication.

That enthusiasm for books lives on under Prince Robert’s leadership. As part of a sustainability-focused renovation-construction project led by architect Annabelle Selldorf, set to finish in 2026, Haut-Brion is building a new library to house many of its texts. “We feel very fortunate to be the guardians of this newly constituted treasure,” said Prince Robert. “Over the years ahead, we look forward to regularly sharing elements of its contents with other people that share our passion.”

---

Want to get the latest news on collectible wines and the auction market? Sign up for Wine Spectator‘s free Collecting e-mail newsletter and get a new top-rated wine review, collecting Q&As and more, delivered straight to your inbox every other week!

Is the 2022 Bordeaux hype for real? Straight Talk podcast host James Molesworth just returned from the Médoc, where he tasted hundreds of these young wines; don’t miss his take on this highly regarded new vintage. Plus, senior editor for news Mitch Frank introduces us to Auberge Resorts Collection CEO Craig Reid, and legendary California and Oregon Pinot Noir pioneer Tony Soter chats with senior editor Tim Fish.

Later in the episode, our wine advice columnist Dr. Vinny tells us about wineglass etiquette, and stay tuned til the end for Molesworth’s sneak peek wine pick!

Wine Spectator’s Straight Talk podcast is now available wherever you listen to podcasts—subscribe for free on Spotify, Apple and more, or keep listening right here at WineSpectator.com/StraightTalk. 

Hosted by senior editor and special projects director James Molesworth, each episode spotlights subjects featured in the most recent issues of Wine Spectator magazine, with episode 9 taking its cue from the June 30, 2023, issue.

Listeners can email their questions and comments to StraightTalk@WineSpectator.com; the next episode of Straight Talk will spotlight the July 31, 2023, issue, and an exclusive interview with father-and-son California grapegrowing stars Larry and Chris Hyde.