NATIONAL WINE DAY
List of the most expensive wines in the world: How much does the most exclusive bottle cost?
Seven of the 10 most expensive bottles ever sold come from France, although one American wine makes the list.
What better way to celebrate National Wine Day 2024 by crashing on the sofa, kicking off your shoes and cracking open your favourite bottle of red (or maybe white or rosé)?
The chances are most of us won’t be breaking the bank as we celebrate our preferred grape-based drink and most of us, in fact, will be actively trying to avoid doing so. Even the most avid wine enthusiast will concede there are plenty of budget wines out there that really hit the right spot.
For a small minority in certain circles, however, going big is the only way to go. You’re unlikely to find any of the world’s most expensive wines in your local grocery store, so you’ll have to look elsewhere if you’re ready to splash the cash on some vino.
10 most expensive wines ever sold
We’ve all heard the expression “ageing like a fine wine,” so you may not be surprised to learn seven of the 10 most expensive wines on the planet are from 1947 or earlier. That includes three bottles that date back to the 18th century. No need to check the “best before” date.
| Rank | Wine | Year | Country | Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Domaine de la Romanee-Conti Grand Cru | 1945 | France | $558,000 |
| 2 | Screaming Eagle Cabernet Sauvignon | 1992 | United States | $500,000 |
| 3 | Jeroboam of Chateau Mouton-Rothschild | 1945 | France | $310,700 |
| 4 | Cheval Blanc | 1947 | France | $304,375 |
| 5 | Château Lafite | 1869 | France | $230,000 |
| 6 | Château Margaux | 1787 | France | $225,000 |
| 7 | Ampoule from Penfolds, Block-42 Cabernet Sauvignon | 2004 | Australia | $168,000 |
| 8 | Chateau Lafite Rothschild | 1787 | France | $156,450 |
| 9 | Henri Jayer, Vosne-Romanée Cros Parantoux | 1999 | France | $136,955 |
| 10 | Massandra Sherry de la Frontera | 1775 | Spain | $43,500 |
France leads the way for luxury wines
What conclusions can we draw from the list? We all already knew that they like their wine in France, so the fact they produce the most expensive wines around won’t come as a huge shock.
Seven of the top 10 most expensive wines ever sold hail from France, although special mention must go to the United States’ own Screaming Eagle Cabernet Sauvignon, made in Napa Valley in 1992. Only 175 cases were produced at a time when Screaming Eagle Cabernet hadn’t yet established itself as a premium wine producer.
As for the world’s most expensive wine, it was made in the immediate aftermath of World War II at Domaine de la Romanee-Conti near Dijon in the east of France. A shortage of resources at the time meant just 600 bottles were produced, which had a later impact on its price tag.
A bottle of the French Burgundy wine was sold at an action in Geneva, Switzerland for a record price of $558,000 in 2018. Incredibly, it had been expected to go for only $32,000.