Here are the list of the most expensive wines ever sold:
1. $558,000 — Romanée-Conti (1945)
It’s no surprise to see a Romanée-Conti wine leading the list for the most expensive bottles of wine ever sold. They consistently produce some of the most expensive wines around. Their 1937 Grand Cru red retails for $73,228. Their 1994 white, Montrachet Grand Cru commands a $10,911 price tag.
Where they really shine, like the rest of the wines on this list, is at auction. The 1995 Domaine de la Romanée-Conti Grand Cru sold for a world-record-setting $558,000 back in 2018.
A particularly rare wine, only two were available at auction, with only 600 bottles ever produced.
2. $500,000 — Screaming Eagle (1992)
Apparently, the most expensive way to hail a cab is at auction. This cabernet sauvignon was the previous world-record holder for the most expensive bottle of wine purchased. Back in 2000, the bottle sold at a charity event for $500,000. The record stood for 18 years.
Screaming Eagle cabernets, with small quantity production, tend to resell at high values. Yet, this particular bottle selling for a cool half-million took most wine enthusiasts by surprise.
3. $310,000 — Château Mouton-Rothschild (1945)
In the 19th Century, the Rothschild family had amassed the largest private fortune on earth. Today, the family remains one of the wealthiest with an estimated net worth exceeding $350 billion. Their vineyards, likewise, are known to produce wines for those with expensive tastes.
A bottle of 1945 Château Mouton-Rothschild is said to be one of the best vintages of the last century. Hopefully, whoever purchased the bottle for $310,000 at a 1997 auction agrees!
The bottle itself commemorates the Allied victory in WWII. This is evidenced by a “V” on the label.
4. $304,374 — Château Cheval Blanc (1947)
Coming in at a price just a few thousand dollars below the Mouton-Rothschild is the 1947 Château Cheval Blanc. Ranked as a Premier Grand Cru Classe (A), this wine is said to be the best Bordeaux ever vinted. Only two wines have ever received Class A status of Saint-Emilion wine.
The bottle sold at auction in 2010.
5. $275,000 — Heidsieck (1907)
The most expensive wines are dominated by prestigious winemakers, vintages, and ruled by small batch production. This 1907 Heidsieck earned its value through the bottle’s journey.
During the first World War, a ship carrying the wine was sunk by a German submarine. Fortunately, some of the bottles survived the torpedo, although they weren’t recovered for 81 years.
In 1997, over 2,000 bottles of the wine were salvaged from the bottom of the ocean. It may not be the best choice to drink, but the Heidsieck’s story pairs well with any meal.
