The new world record set in today’s sale is another evidence of the enormous demand for outstanding wine and spirits around the world and that collectors are prepared to pay above and beyond to secure the most valuable bottles of any kind.
Here are the top 3 most expensive wines:
1. Screaming Eagle Cabernet Sauvignon 1992
Price: US$500,000
Screaming Eagle’s Napa Valley cabernet sauvignon vintage showcases the skill of winemaker Heidi Peterson Barrett, whose success can be attributed to high critic reviews, constrained output, and scarcity compared to demand. Robert Parker, a wine reviewer, gave it a nearly flawless score of 99. Due to its overtones of oak and blackcurrants and its high tannin concentration, the 92 Screaming Eagle gained value as a result. Five years after it was first sold, a six-liter bottle was bought at auction for US$500,000.
2. Chateau Margaux 1787
Price: US$225,000
A typical Bordeaux chateau, Chateau Margaux has remained mostly unaltered since the 17th century and consistently produces some of the best wines. A bottle of 1787 that was valued at US$500,000 in 1989 by a New York wine trader was broken in 1989 while being carried by a waiter in the Four Seasons. It was the most expensive wine that had never been sold thanks to insurance coverage of $225,000.
3. Chateau Lafite 1787
Price: US$156,450
A thick black wax-sealed dark green glass wine bottle was sold at a Christie’s London auction in December 1985. Along with other fine wines from renowned vineyards, like as Lafite, it was found in Paris. The year 1787, the name Lafitte, and the letters “ThJ” were etched onto the unlabeled bottle. According to glass specialists at Christie’s, the wine was of exceptional quality and the engravings were from the eighteenth century France, despite the vessel’s worn appearance. It is thought that Thomas Jefferson, who acquired a love for French wine while serving as America’s Minister to France, once owned the bottle. Regardless of whether these reports are accurate, Chateau Lafite 1787 stands as the most expensive wine bottle ever sold at auction.
