9 Most Expensive Wines
What are some of the Most Expensive Wines?
There are some very expensive wines on the market for a good reason. Because of their remarkable quality, these wines were aged for decades or produced by a unique winemaking process. Wine is one of the great pleasures in life, and the special ones should be enjoyed with appreciation.
Let's take a look at some of the most exclusive wines and their price tags:
Auction Price: $558,000
Year Sold: 2018
Domaine de la Romanee-Conti Grand Cru 1945 stands alone in a world of expensive wines, and only 600 bottles of this legendary wine were made. The Burgundy producer's flagship wine is one of the most sought-after wines in the world, and no other wine has ever sold for as much. The 1945 vintage was the last time DRC made this wine — after that point, it switched to the white Puligny-Montrachet vineyard. The wine comes from a single plot of land owned by DRC's founder since 1920 and cultivated organically since 1972. It's an estate blend made from six different grapes: Chardonnay, Aligoté (a white grape), Pinot Noir (red), Bourgogne Aligoté (another white grape), Pinot Meunier (another red), and Musigny (red).
Auction Price: $500,000
Year Sold: 2000 at a Napa Valley charity auction!
The 1992 Screaming Eagle Cabernet Sauvignon was the most expensive wine ever sold when it was released. The price tag for this superb wine was $500,000 – and that was in 2000. The rare Napa Valley cabernet sauvignon fetched this price at a charity auction. The grapes were grown organically and hand-picked during harvest in late September and early October. The grapes were fermented in small open-top fermenters with natural yeasts in small lots to preserve their individual character.
Auction Price: $350,000
Year Sold: 2017
In such an expensive bottle of wine, one might be tempted to ask where all that money went. However, it's important to remember that this is a special wine, the like of which is rarely produced except for very special occasions. Since The Setting Wines company created it specifically for charity auctions and high-end dinners to raise money for schoolchildren, it's hard to imagine how many people will get to drink this bottle. Even though it goes against conventional wine wisdom that light wines should generally be cheaper than full-bodied ones, this bottle has been described as "divine" and worth every penny.
Auction Price: $310,700
There's a reason that Château Mouton-Rothschild is known as "the King of Wines," and it's not just because of the wine's remarkable taste. The vineyard in Bordeaux, France, has been owned by the Rothschild family for generations, and their prestige is evident in the price of their wine.
The 1945 Mouton has been called the "wine of kings and king of wines," and it's not just hype—the flavor profile is mouthwateringly rich with notes of cedar and cocoa, while its aroma is described as "amazing" and "overwhelming." In addition to its powerful taste and smell, it also possesses a long finish that may last up to two minutes.
Château Cheval Blanc 1947, a red wine from the Saint-Émilion region of Bordeaux, was once owned by the Rothschild family and is said to be one of only four bottles. The grapes used in the wine are hand-picked and undergo a fermentation process that lasts more than two years, with the wine then maturing for more than 50 years before being released and then later sold at an auction at Christie's Geneva for $304,375.
A Château Lafite-Rothschild 1869 was sold in 2010 at a Sotheby's auction in Hong Kong for $233,972, making it one of the most expensive bottles of wine ever sold. The 1869 Château Lafite-Rothschild was produced under the guidance of Baron James de Rothschild, who had inherited the estate from his uncle, James Mayer de Rothschild. The wine was made from grapes grown on the finest parcels of land in the vineyard and then aged in oak barrels for a minimum of six years. It's considered one of the best examples of a Napoléon III vintage created before World War I.
At the time of its sale in 1989, a bottle of Château Margaux 1787 was insured for $225,000 as no one bought it at the price of $500,000. The wine was widely considered one of the most expensive on the market, and it has been both immensely popular with collectors and highly sought after by investors.
The highest non-French priced bottle of wine sold at auction was a 2004 Penfolds Kalimna Block 42 Cabernet Sauvignon. It sold for $168,000 in 2012.
It is not the most expensive bottle of wine on the market. Penfolds is a winery in South Australia that produces high-end wines. It was established in 1844 by John Reynell and George Penfold as a vine nursery and later became known for its fortified wines. The company survived Prohibition by producing sacramental wine and later opened a winery in 1936.
Château Lafite 1787 is considered one of the finest and most sought-after wines. In 1985, a bottle of 1787 Lafite was sold at an auction for $156,450. The wine is ought to have been originally purchased by Thomas Jefferson, the third President of the United States and a renowned wine connoisseur.