7 of the World’s Most Expensive Wines

By Arushi Sakhuja

Wine, often hailed as the nectar of the gods and holds a unique place in the world of indulgence. Thus when it comes to indulgence a fine bottle of wine is often called Liquid Luxury. It’s not just a beverage; it’s a journey through time, and an embodiment of craftsmanship. Wine enthusiasts and collectors, know the sourcing the best bottle of wine is a hard task and the allure goes beyond the taste. Rather, the come with quite a hefty
price tag that is always justified upon having the first sip. But what makes some wines so exclusive (and expensive) is that they are rare. However, several factors like terroir, vintage, and the winemaking process itself all play pivotal roles in shaping these vinous treasures. For instance, wines produced from grapes grown in a specific terroir often possess an unmatched character that cannot be replicated elsewhere. Vintage variation, the fluctuation in grape quality and yield from year to year due to weather conditions, is another pivotal element. Limited production, whether due to the nature of the vineyard or the winemaking process, can turn a wine into a rare commodity. And finally, the winemaking process itself, the artistry of the winemaker, can elevate a wine to legendary status.

Collecting fine wine is like buying fine art, so we’ve rounded up of the finest wines in the world that are expensive and exclusive.

Avenue Foch 2017 Mig designed ape-clad Magnum

Price? $2,500,000! You may ask WHY someone would spend such a hefty amount on a bottle of wine. But the irony is that this isn’t just a bottle of wine. The bottle, which is a combination of wine, digital tokens, and art, is a collaboration between Mig, who became famous for his Bored Ape Yacht Club NFT, and British entrepreneur and luxury Champagne collector Shammi Shinh. Just one bottle of this 2017 vintage premier cru wine was made.
The crypto currency NFT’s gives the owner the intellectual
property rights to the image of the Bored Ape Mutant and the other cartoon figures that appear on the bottle. Purchased by two Italian brothers Giovanni and Piero Bruno, Mr. Shinh hopes that the sale will help to raise awareness of NFTs so that people will be able to better understand their purpose and how they work.

Domaine de la Romanée-Conti 1945

Priced at a whopping, $558,000, Romanée-Conti is the Mount Olympus of the wine world. Situated in the hallowed vineyards of Burgundy, France, DRC is synonymous with perfection and
revered as the holy grail of wines. Its ethereal wines, produced from a mere 4.5 acres of land, command astronomical prices and have an almost mythical reputation. The vineyard of Domaine de la Romanée-Conti are renowned throughout Burgundy and is well known for the highest quality standard of wine. There were only 600 bottles made of the 1945 vintage, which is actually heralded as the unicorn vintage. This is not only the most expensive bottle of Burgundy ever sold but is the most expensive bottle of wine ever sold. It was purchased by a collector in 2018 at a Sotheby’s sale in New York of the estate of Robert Drouhin.

Screaming Eagle Cabernet Sauvignon 1992

Screaming Eagle Cabernet Sauvignon is a highly esteemed and
sought-after wine produced by the Screaming Eagle Winery in Napa Valley, California. The 1992 vintage, in particular, is renowned for its exceptional quality and a notable event where it was sold for an astonishing $500,000 at a charity wine auction in Napa Valley in the year 2000. This Napa Cabernet is opaque purple in color with a beautiful blackberry flavor and has aromas of toasty oak, vanilla, and mint. The wine is known for its meticulous winemaking process and bottled unfined and unfiltered, allowing it to retain its natural character and depth. Additionally, it is aged in 60% new oak barrels, which imparts a refined oak influence that beautifully complements the wine’s fruit profile. On the palate, the Screaming Eagle Cabernet Sauvignon 1992 is known for its opulent blackberry flavor, which is intertwined with the oak’s richness. The combination of fruit and oak provides a balanced and luxurious tasting experience, with a long and harmonious finish.

Château 1947 CHEVAL-BLANC

The 1947 French Cheval-Blanc is widely recognized as the most expensive sold bottle of vino in history at $304,375. Château Cheval Blanc is one of the most famous properties in Saint-Emilion, founded in the 15th century. The 1947 vintage was declared as one of the finest Cheval Blanc vintages that have ever been produced, and also consider it as being one the best clarets made in the 21st century. The winemaking style that was used by the winemaker was risky, but so successful in creating a combination of voluptuous flavours and lush texture made it beautiful to drink. Only 110,000 bottles of the vintage were produced.
In 2010, the 67-year-old bottle was sold to a private collector at a Christie’s auction in Geneva. As per the Classification of Saint-Emilion wine, the Cheval Blanc has a class A status, and of all the merlot wines, there are only two which were granted with this classification. The grapes were said to be legendary between April and October of 1947, and the survivor bottle is the only known bottle in the Imperial format from this particular Saint-Emilion vintage.

Jeroboam of Chateau Mouton-Rothschild 1945

Jeroboam of Chateau Mouton-Rothschild 1945 is one of the most prestigious wines made in the vineyards of Nathaniel Rothschild. The 1945 vintage is considered among the best produced in the last 100 years. Each vintage has a label that is specially designed by a chosen artist. The 1945 label created by Artist Philippe Julian displays the words, “Année de la Victoire” (year of victory) and production of the wine for the 1945 vintage was carefully supervised by the famed cellarmaster Raoul Blondin. The wine has elegant blackberry and oak flavour and an opulent nose of mint, vanilla, and baking spices. The Jeroboam (which holds three 75cl bottles) was sold to a private collector in 1997 for $310,700.

Shipwrecked 1907 Heidsieck

Heidsieck & C° Monopole is one of the oldest Champagne houses in France.The 1907 vintage of Heisieck & Co Monopole Gout Américan is considered one of the most expensive Champagnes in the world. Although, there are still bottles available today, yet the quantities are minuscule and very hard to attain, making this an elusive and prized bottle of wine. The shipwrecked bottles were recovered in 1997 from the Jönköping shipwreck in the Gulf of Finland. Divers discovered nearly 2,000 bottles of perfectly preserved Champagne, which included bottles of the 1907 Heidsieck. These bottles had been resting at the bottom of the sea for nearly eight decades in ideal conditions for aging. This Champagne is known for its deep and complex flavor profile. It may offer a combination of caramelized and candied fruit notes, along with a toasty and nutty character. The long aging process
can lead to a rich and harmonious taste with a lasting finish. Bottle #1392 was sold to a New Zealand wine collector for
$275,000.00 in 2003.

Château Lafite-Rothschild 1869

Château Lafite Rothschild has four hundred years of proud
winemaking history and the vineyards are some of the finest in the Médoc region. Sourced directly from the cellars of the Château, this rare bottle of 1869 Lafite was sold at Sothby’s in Hong Kong on 22 November 2010. A standard size bottle of Château Lafite-Rothschild 1869 was sold for $233,972 given that
there were only three available 1869. It made history by being the most expensive bottle of wine on the planet. The estate is one of the five First Growth wineries in the Bordeaux Classification of 1855, which is a classification of Bordeaux’s top vineyards.