before-and-after photos “Der Fall Lafitte 1787 und die Folgen,” Alles über Wein, no. 4 (1992); “Ein edler Tropfen machte aus zwei Freunden Feinde,” MAZ, July 13, 1991; “The Mystery of the Lafite 1787,” Decanter, October 1992.
“I never had the bottles resealed or sealed” Bunte, date unknown, p. 219.
It tasted, Broadbent said, like the Mouton “1787 Rodenstock Lafite Fails a Test,” WS, August 31, 1992.
“one thousand wines” JMB, New Great Vintage Wine Book, 436.
“was not aware of the significance” Ibid., 437.
“ambitions to rank among” Hans-Peter Frericks, “Presseerklärung,” June 23, 1992.
“the Konrad Kujau of the grapevine” “Der teuerste Wein der Welt ist gepanscht,” Münchner tageszeitung, June 24, 1992.
sometimes claiming tax reasons “Authentic Old Bottles, But Were They Jefferson’s?” WS, March 15, 1991.
he wanted to write about it himself “400 000 Mark—beim teuersten…,” MAZ, February 28, 1991.
publicly called on Rodenstock “Th.J., Fighting Words, and Tangled Vines,” WS, September 30, 1992.
Switzerland…severe disruptions in the old-wine market Rudolf Knoll, Vinum, no. 9 (1992).
“There is almost no interest” “New Tests on Jefferson Bottle Support Rodenstock,” WS, February 28, 1993.
“I just wish Hardy Rodenstock” “A wine market as soft as Mr. Whippy,” The Independent (London), August 29, 1992.
14. LETTERS FROM HUBSI
“the renowned Jefferson Institute” “Statements der Betroffenen,” Alles über Wein, no. 5 (1992).
the “assumption of many wine experts” Rudolf Knoll, Vinum, no. 9 (1992).
“making a false public oath” “Das Ende eines engewöhnlichen Weinkrimis,” Falstaff, no. 1 (1993).
Rodenstock sought to cast suspicion on GSF “Statements der Betroffenen,” Alles über Wein, no. 5 (1992).
GSF responded that Broadbent “Das Ende eines…,” Falstaff, no. 1 (1993).
The lead in the wine gsf aktuell, June/July 1992.
thus evidence of tampering “Das Ende eines…,” Falstaff, no. 1 (1993).
a police raid on GSF “Der Wahrheit ein Stück näher,” Alles über Wein, no. 1 (1993).
“A reliable dealer” “1787er Gepanscht,” Weinwirtschaft Markt, July 10, 1992.
“a photo montage” or “an optical trick” “1787 Rodenstock Lafite Fails a Test,” WS, August 31, 1992.
a Bad Marienberg photo studio “The Mystery of the Lafite 1787,” Decanter, October 1992; “Statements der Betroffenen,” Alles über Wein, no. 5, 1992.
Frericks’s lawyer retorted Ibid.
“[Clearly] Mr. Frericks didn’t expect” Ibid.
“I have sealed all the bottles” “Jefferson’s Paris Wines Found,” VWGJ, Fall 1985.
Scheuermann then wrote an article “Ein Weinstreit mit Nachspiel,” Welt am Sonntag, no. 26 (1992?).
“Somebody is carrying out active protection” Knoll, Vinum, no. 9 (1992).
It is extremely important for the determination “Verborgene Keller,” Der Spiegel, October 28, 1991.
Rodenstock had earlier suggested to Der Spiegel Ibid.
“in case the scientists were to reveal” Knoll, Vinum, no. 9 (1992).
“steaming turds” “Verborgene Keller,” Der Spiegel, October 28, 1991.
Hubert Meier Knoll, Vinum, no. 9 (1992).
“Hubsi” “Nach den Umarmung die Schelt,” Vinum, no.3 (1992).
“Little Darling” Vinum, no. 7 (1991).
“Uschi Berthold” “Hubsi und Usch,” Vinum, no. 7 (1991).
“a very keen wine man”…Hall was going to test “Response from Michael Broadbent,” August 12, 1992, letter to Rarities 1, no. 4.
Eschnauer…rejected Rodenstock’s contention “Verborgene Keller,” Der Spiegel, October 28, 1991.
“adulterated the wine or knowingly offered adulterated wine” “Wine Lover’s Nose for Fakery Leads to Famous Bottles,” Wall Street Journal, September 1, 2006.
“wine couldn’t be younger than 1795” “The Results of the New Tests,” December 15, 1992, letter from Rodenstock to Foley, published in Rarities 2, no. 1.
Rodenstock gloated Rodenstock’s January 21 and February 15, 1993, letters, and Broadbent’s February 23, 1993, letter, to Foley, published in Rarities 2, no. 1.
Rodenstock and Frericks tentatively agreed “Rodenstocks 1787er Lafite,” VIF-Gourmet Journal, no. 3 (1993).
“Churchill always said” “Das Ende eines…,” Falstaff, no. 1 (1993).
an entirely personal tangent “The Final Word on Hardy Rodenstock,” Rarities 2, no. 1.
wouldn’t reach a final settlement until 1995 “Wine Lover’s Nose for Fakery…,” Wall Street Journal, September 1, 2006.
Rodenstock claimed that his business “The Final Word on Hardy Rodenstock,” Rarities 2, no. 1.
“the awe-inspiring vulgarity” “Les Cinq À Tokyo,” Decanter, July 1993.
“extraordinary charm and graciousness” “What About Now?” The Wine Advocate, issue 103.
captured him and Rodenstock “Das Münchener Weinwochenende” (photo), Falstaff, no. 1, 1996.
15. “AWASH IN FAKES”
auction totals in the United States “Grand Totals,” WS, February 28, 1997.
In 1996, worldwide wine auction sales Ibid.
a case of six magnums of ’82 Le Pin Ibid.
a case of ’45 Mouton Ibid.
“If the trail goes dead” “Compared with bank notes, faking a Le Pin label is a doddle,” Daily Telegraph, April 19, 1997.
“awash in fakes” “A Taste of Deception,” WS, May 31, 1998.
an essay titled “In Vino Veritas?” The Wine Advocate, issue 105.
French police arrested “Cru Bogus,” Decanter, 1986(?).
seventy cases “How Château Pétrus Became Bordeaux’s Most Coveted Wine,” WS, February 15, 1991.
five cases of 1986 DRC Montrachet “A Wine Whodunit with DRC,” WS, October 30, 1990.
In 1995, at a dinner in Hong Kong “Compared with bank notes…,” Daily Telegraph, April 19, 1997.
In 1996 an attempt to sell fake Ibid.
In the late 1990s a London customer “A Taste of Deception,” WS, May 31, 1998.
In March of 1998, Langton’s “Australian police investigate fake wine racket,” BBC News, March 18, 1998; “Fighting forgery,” Wine International, December 22, 2004.
In 1985 two American businessmen “Reducing the Old-Wine Risk,” WS, June 30, 1992.
a bottle of 1947 Romanée-Conti “Beware of Bogus DRC Bottles,” WS, November 30, 1990; John Tilson, “Another View,” Rarities 1, no. 1 (First Quarter, 1991).
Impériale of 1947 Cheval Blanc…1908 Port “A Taste of Deception,” WS, May 31, 1998.
A German restaurant was reported Ibid.
Serena Sutcliffe was convinced Ibid.
Colin Lutman, an English forger of Port “The Case of the Exploding Bottle,” Decanter, September 1987.
At the molecular level “‘Vintage’ wine,” Times (of London), December 15, 1990.
Émile Peynaud…once conducted an experiment Author interview with Alexandre de Lur Saluces, February 16, 2006.
“German sommelier with a vast knowledge” “A Taste of Deception,” WS, May 31, 1998.
In the Mouton episode in 1982 “Counterfeit Wine,” Vintage Wine, October 1982.
The 1981 and 1982 Pétrus “How Château Pétrus Became Bordeaux’s Most Coveted Wine,” WS, February 15, 1991.
The fraudsters behind “Fighting Forgery,” Wine International, December 22, 2004.
cases, packing tissue, and corks “Security Packaging Offers Brand Protection,” Wines & Vines, May 2006.
incorrectly colored bar codes “In Vino Falsitas,” forbes.com, May 26, 2003.
the Japanese customer noticed John Tilson, “Another View,” Rarities 1, no. 1 (First Quarter, 1991).
a Jéroboam of 1869 Mouton This is according to Littler; JMB recalls it
as a 1920s vintage.
When the police arrived “‘Vintage’ wine,” Times (of London), December 15, 1990.
“a shipment of sardines” Simon Loftus, Anatomy of the Wine Trade (Harper & Row, 1985), 77.
nuclear magnetic resonance “‘Vintage’ wine,” Times (of London), December 15, 1990.
leading châteaux had become suspicious Ibid.
FBI and New Scotland Yard “A Taste of Deception,” May 31, 1998.
Baltimore Sun article “Toasted in Old Madeira,” October 11, 1904.
oversaw a $6-million collection “Wine Cellar at the Rio Suite Hotel & Casino Now Exceeds 100,000 Bottles,” hotel-online.com, August 24, 1998.
largest bottle in the world Ibid.
Wine Spectator identified these bottles “Jefferson’s Madeira and More Recent Wines Lead Strong New York Sale,” WS, July 31, 1997.
“The bouquet was extremely powerful” Ben Killerby and Barrie Larvin, “A 200-year-old treat,” Robin Garr’s Wine Lovers Page, January 4, 2000.
“research involved our book experts” E-mail from Sutcliffe to author, October 17, 2005.
“The origin of the Madeira was solid” E-mail from Sutcliffe to author, October 19, 2005.
16. THE LAST VERTICAL
My main textual sources for reconstructing the Yquem vertical were Per-Henrik Mansson, “Three Centuries of Château d’Yquem,” WS, May 15, 1999; Dennis Foley, “Hardy Rodenstock’s Château d’Yquem Tasting,” Underground Wine Journal 17, no. 6; Jancis Robinson, “A Taste of Thomas Jefferson’s Wine,” Los Angeles Times, December 30, 1998; and Peter Moser, “Ein stück vom Paradies,” Falstaff, no. 6, 1998.
“than anyone else in the world” “A Taste of Thomas Jefferson’s Wine,” Los Angeles Times, December 30, 1998.
“I was an excellent heathen” “Famed Collector Dismantles Huge Cellar,” WS, January 31, 1994; “Born Again Surgeon Is at One with God, But Not with Peers,” Wall Street Journal, June 6, 1994.
Tawfiq Khoury “Lots Left,” WS, May 15, 1997.
Lloyd Flatt “Celebrated Collector Lloyd Flatt Rebuilds His Cellar…,” WS, March 31, 1995.
18,000-bottle cellar “From the Estate of Lord Andrew Lloyd Webber,” Slate.com, June 19, 1997.
from the cellar of Norwegian investor “Best wine sale ever…part II,” Times (of London), November 17, 1999.
$14.4 million “2006 Consolidated Results for Sotheby’s International Wine Department,” finewinepress.com.
“the world’s most exclusive private wine cellar” “Wine sale of the century,” Evening Standard (London), August 14, 1997.
“jammy wonder” “the Cairo spice bazaar” “Pretentiousness? It’s poetic license,” The Independent (London), September 30, 1998.
“I find that there is a chemistry” “A cheeky little whine from Christie’s,” Daily Telegraph, September 29, 1998.
“pre-revolutionary bouquet” Jancis Robinson, Tasting Pleasure (New York: Penguin, 1989), 177.
definitive studies Richard Olney, Yquem (Boston: Godine, 1986); Nicholas Faith, Château Margaux (New York: Vendome Press, 1991).
held forth in Cantonese “Restrainers cut loose with vintage display,” South China Morning Post (Hong Kong), November 19, 1998.
“[I]t is crazy, really” “A Taste of Thomas Jefferson’s Wine,” Los Angeles Times, December 30, 1998.
“the deepest of deep browns” Ibid.
Moise Pe’er “What’s an inauguration party without a little nosh?”, Jerusalem Post, January 20, 1997.
“one or two” left “A Taste of Thomas Jefferson’s Wine,” Los Angeles Times, December 30, 1998.
“The journalists have written so much nonsense” Fax from Rodenstock to author, July 22, 2005.
“a couple of half bottles” “The World’s Wildest Collector,” WS, December 15, 1988.
a late-1992 interview “The Mystery of the 1787 Lafite,” Decanter, October 1992.
17. KOCH BOTTLES
I was helped, in telling Bill Koch’s story, by three articles in particular: Bryan Burrough, “Wild Bill Koch,” Vanity Fair, June 1994; Ryan Isaac, “Oil, Water, and Wine,” WS, November 15, 2005; and Ted Loos, “Raising America’s Cup,” WS, August 31, 1996.
to Steve Martin, the actor “A Pedigree with Pull,” NYT, November 9, 2001.
“given the Forbes provenance” Ibid.
over the objections of Kip “Forbes Dynasty Split by £25M Art Sale,” Sunday Times (United Kingdom), January 26, 2003; “Forbes Unloads Treasures,” New York Daily News, February 19, 2003. Forbes denies that he objected to the sale.
“Spotting Fakes” Forbes, December 24, 2001.
“In Vino Falsitas” forbes.com, May 26, 2003.
“Château Faux” forbes.com, June 19, 2006.
had turned out to be a forgery “Fake Art Moves from Gallery to Internet,” Maine Antique Digest, July 2000.
“Blunders of the World” Times (of London), August 20, 2005.
“We are ready to set the record” “Auctions,” NYT, January 11, 1991.
which had gotten its estimate “The Adventures of an Incorrigible Hypemeister in the Wine Trade,” New York Observer, November 21, 1994.
he had lowered its valuation “We Hear…,” New York Post, September 11, 2002.
“to help raise money for tsunami relief” “1787 Bordeaux Reserve Up for Bid to Aid Tsunami Relief,” AScribe Newswire, January 28, 2005.
red outsold white A.C. Nielsen data, cited by the Wine Institute, April 5, 2005.
Wine Spectator’s paid circulation “Wine Spectator Celebrates 30 Years,” WS, April 30, 2006.
a circulation of 250,000 “Cigar Aficionado Rolls Blunt Jordan Interview,” Folio, July 13, 2005.
Despite having pruned his cellar “Unlocking the Cellar, Quenching the Thirst,” NYT, May 2, 1999.
Latour at his third wedding “28-Story Mast to Be Visible for Miles,” Palm Beach Post, February 20, 2005.
while admitting he hadn’t read many “Unlocking the Cellar…,” NYT, May 2, 1999.
saw a couples therapist “Lowlife Behavior Alleged in Palm Beach Divorce,” Palm Beach Post, October 24, 2000.
checking into rehab “How Angela Outslicked Oilman Ex,” New York Post, February 20, 2001.
hired a team of MIT scientists “Captain America 3,” Sports Illustrated, April 20, 1992.
promised to include at least one “Koch at the MFA,” Greater Boston TV, August 9, 2005.
“My brother Charles collects money” “Shopping with William I. Koch,” NYT, February 5, 2004.
18. GHOST PARTICLES
thirteen silver decadrachms “Turkey, Investors Fighting Over Ancient Coins,” APWorldstream, February 14, 1994.
“bought a Mercedes” “The Case of the Contested Coins,” NYT, September 24, 1998.
in exchange for a plaque “People,” International Herald Tribune, March 6, 1999.
subpoenaed his eighty-two-year-old mother “The Curse on the Koch Brothers,” Fortune, February 17, 1997.
When he had expelled his mistress “Koch Kiss-Off: Hi, I love you—you’re evicted,” Boston Globe, October 18, 1995.
“[threatening] to beat his whole family” “Lowlife Behavior Alleged in Palm Beach Divorce,” Palm Beach Post, October 24, 2000; “The Things Bill Koch Really Loves,” Boston Globe, August 9, 2005.
restraining order Ibid.
willingness to introspect in public “Wild Bill Koch,” Vanity Fair, June 1994.
“X-rated Protestant princess” “Eviction Style of Very Rich Titillates Boston,” Philadelphia Inquirer, November 23, 1995.
“My body parts are like moist orchids” “Look who’s talking dirty,” Sunday Times (London), December 3, 1995.
Alex Beam was especially caustic “The Things Bill Koch Really Loves,” Boston Globe, August 9, 2005; “Koch Kiss-Off: Hi, I love you—you’re evicted,” Boston Globe, October 18, 1995.
With Koch talking about a lawsuit “Libel in the Air?”, Boston Phoenix, September 13, 2005.
groveling e
ditor’s note Boston Globe, September 22, 2005.
“would make Dallas and Dynasty” “Build Your Own Playpen,” New England Business, September 1988.
private detectives and wiretaps “Wild Bill Koch,” Vanity Fair, June 1994.
stolen garbage bags “Captain America 3,” Sports Illustrated, April 20, 1992.
“perhaps the nastiest family feud” “The Curse on the Koch Brothers,” Fortune, February 17, 1997.
blew the whistle on their alleged theft Ibid.
“You just can’t get a good bottle of wine” “The Jefferson Bottles,” The New Yorker, September 3 & 10, 2007.
had programmed his cell phone to ring Ibid.
A lower-tech exam “Wine Lover’s Nose for Fakery…,” Wall Street Journal, September 1, 2006; “Entkorkt! Der grosse Weinschwindel,” Stern, no. 12 (2007).
Elroy had been running his fingers “The Jefferson Bottles,” The New Yorker, September 3 & 10, 2007.
19. TAILING MEINHARD
a ham-fisted play “Wild Bill Koch,” Vanity Fair, June 1994.
“a very impressive fake” Complaint, William I. Koch vs. Hardy Rodenstock, United States District Court, Southern District of New York, 11.
although Forbes wanted to Author interview with Brad Goldstein, September 1, 2006.
20. THE FINISH
Gisbert appeared to share Welt am Sonntag, May 21, 2000; “Jahrgang gehört auf Kapsel,” Vinum, no. 9 (2004).
Koch’s investigators interviewed…Tina York “The Jefferson Bottles,” The New Yorker, September 3 & 10, 2007.
spent more than $1 million “Wine Lover’s Nose for Fakery…,” Wall Street Journal, September 1, 2006.
Rodenstock said that even if the bottles were fake Ibid.
He said he had bought the bottles without “World’s most expensive bottle claimed fake as renowned collector sued,” decanter.com, September 6, 2006.
Rodenstock bought one E-mail from Ulrich Sautter to author, October 10, 2006.
“a neurotic maniac” E-mail from Mario Scheuermann to author, September 4, 2006.
“The oak tree is not concerned” “Wer ist die Flasche” (caption), Bunte, no. 40 (2006).
“I should perhaps have smelled a rat” “Rodenstock accused,” jancisrobinson.com, September 6, 2006.
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