A Life in Wine: The Peter Taylor Cellar

Article

19 Feb

Webb’s is honoured to present our latest Fine Wines & Whiskies Live Auction catalogue, including the Pinnacle Selection from the personal collection of the late Peter Taylor, a pivotal figure in New Zealand’s wine story.

We were pleased to speak to Emma Taylor MW, who worked with Peter for five years during the late 90s about this significant collection and Peter’s lasting legacy in Aotearoa’s wine landscape.

Through Scenic Cellars, an importer and retailer of wine, Peter Taylor helped shape a generation of collectors, guiding tastes, setting standards, and championing fine wine at a time when the culture of collecting in New Zealand was still finding its way. His knowledge was formidable, his palate exacting, and his enthusiasm unwavering.

This auction stands as a testament to that life’s work.

Anyone who ever stepped inside the original Scenic Cellars on Taupō’s lakefront will remember just what a wondrous vinous treasure trove it was, as Emma Jenkins MW, who worked with Peter in the late 90s, recalls.

It was a place of “boxes stacked high, shelves groaning with bottles from all across the globe — a place where DRC cases jostled for space beside $10 Montepulciano d’Abruzzo (Citra, iykyk…), and wine lovers could always count on an enticing mix of familiar labels and new gems waiting to be unearthed,” according to Jenkins.

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Emma Jenkins MW, worked with Peter during the late 90s.

Scenic Cellars was not merely a shop, but a sanctuary: three storeys grounded by an extensive underground cellar—a knowing nod to Peter’s earlier career as a tunneller on nearby hydro stations.

In those formative years, working alongside Italian and European migrants who brought with them a culture of wine appreciation not yet common in New Zealand, Peter fine-tuned his vocation and he would go on to become both educator and evangelist.

Jenkins reflects, “He was a tough boss—famously forthright and relentlessly hardworking, never one for any airs and graces—but also a man of immense generosity and deep knowledge, which he readily shared with those he recognised as kindred spirits.” For many, including Jenkins herself, his passion proved catalytic.

Such depth of knowledge informed every purchase made by Peter and his personal collection being offered though Webb’s reflect that.

The offerings within this catalogue reflect a man who took equal pleasure in all good wine, regardless of pedigree; who was a tireless champion of New Zealand producers even as he secured the world’s most coveted labels; and someone who understood that collecting at its highest level is an act of stewardship.

“It offers a glimpse back into an earlier chapter of NZ’s wine story,” says Jenkins, “and is a wonderful reminder of a remarkable man who did so much to help further it.”

Peter’s cellar was wide-ranging and eclectic, animated by curiosity and enthusiasm rather than dogma or trends. Jenkins recalls a Sunday lunch at Peter and Colleen’s home—“Amongst the (many!) bottles opened that day were the first vintage of Neudorf Pinot Gris, an 1980s Hunter’s Sauvignon Blanc, and 1990s vintages of Pétrus and Leroy Nuits-Saint-Georges. Peter was equally engaged by one as the other.” Such moments encapsulate his philosophy: reverence without stiffness and discernment without pretension.

Auction Highlights

View Catalogue

Lot 141. (1) Karuizawa 1974 Single Cask #6115 “The Golden Age of Showa” Bottled 2020 Single Malt Japanese Whisky, 58% ABV (GB).
EST. $20,000—$30,000

Lot 100. (1) 2017 Groupe Duclot Bordeaux Prestige Collection Case, Bordeaux, 9 Bottles Sold as One Lot.
EST. $12,000—$18,000

Lot 20. (1) 1990 Salon Cuvée ‘S’ Le Mesnil Blanc de Blancs Brut, Champagne, 1500ml (GB) ♦.
EST. $4,000—$6,000

Lot 19. (1) 1975 Vega Sicilia Unico Gran Reserva, Ribera del Duero [JR19].
EST. $1,200—$1,800

Lot 127. (1) Delamain Le Voyage de Delamain Grande Baccarat Crystal Decanter Champagne Cognac in Leather Display Case, 42% ABV (GB).
EST. $5,000—$7,000

Lot 47. (1) 1996 Château d’Yquem, Sauternes, 1500ml [RP95] [JR18.5] ♦.
EST. $1,000—$1,500

More Details | Auction Highlights

At the heart of the catalogue lies what is undoubtedly one of the most impressive collections of Bordeaux to come to auction in recent years. The depth is extraordinary, the provenance impeccable, and the selection a masterclass in both Right Bank opulence and Left Bank structure.

Right Bank highlights are led by Château Pétrus and Le Pin—names that scarcely require embellishment. Alongside them stand the First Growths in commanding formation, a complete and confident survey of Bordeaux’s most defining and revered estates.

Likewise, Château d’Yquem, the world’s most celebrated sweet wine is offered here in magnums and in the rare six-litre imperiale format.

Beyond Bordeaux, Burgundy is superbly represented, including wines from Domaine de la Romanée-Conti, whose mythical vineyards have long captivated collectors.

Rounding up the catalogue is a compelling offering of rare and fine whiskies including collectable releases from The Macallan Distillery, Springbank Distillery and the increasingly scarce Karuizawa Distillery.