The Rodenstock-Jefferson affair
By Nolwenn Quiot-Ducarre
🔎 It was in 1985 that what would remain one of the most mysterious and controversial sagas in the world of wine began. Hardy Rodenstock (real name: Meinhard Görke), a renowned German collector, claimed to have discovered old bottles engraved with the initials ‘Th. J.’ in an old Parisian cellar. These initials were interpreted as those of Thomas Jefferson, who lived in Paris in the 1780s. Among them, a 1787 Château Lafite, sold at Christie’s in London to Malcolm Forbes for around £105,000, made a lasting impression.
From this first sale onwards, the world of collectors was electrified. Since the 1980s, Rodenstock has been organising lavish tastings, events where rarity and prestige seem palpable. The story seems like a dream: a legendary château, prestigious vintages, antiquity and mystery.
🍷 However, doubts began to arise when some experts questioned the provenance of the bottles, the authenticity of the engravings and the consistency of the archives. The Thomas Jefferson Foundation, based in Monticello, claimed that it could find no credible documents confirming that Jefferson had ever ordered or owned any of the bottles in question.
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