“Faux, faux, faux,” was the repeated phrase of wine estate specialists from Lafite and Yquem when evaluating a stock of their own wines sold through the Antique Wine Company of London (AWC) and its owner Stephen Williams. The wines were sold to Atlanta real-estate developer Julian LeCraw who has filed complaint against AWC claiming he is owed “several million dollars for hundreds of bottles taken on consignment after 2010.”
The bottles from AWC were put into question when LeCraw attempted to sell them, and subsequently sent them to authentication specialist, Maureen Downey. Jancis Robinson details the debacle noting that AWC’s Williams delivered the high value lot directly to LeCraw, which included a 1787 Chateau d’Yquem, a bottle that the company claimed to be the most expensive wine on the market at the time.
Stephen Williams and AWC have released statements denying all allegations made by Julian LeCraw and his legal team in two press releases: Press Communication #1 and Press Communication #2.* [Jancis Robinson]
*After being contacted by the Antique Wine Company requesting inclusion of statements made by Stephen Williams and AWC following PUNCH’s original publication, this article has been amended to reflect this information.