The world’s most expensive wines

Here at Cranville we appreciate the quality of a wine, as well as its method of storage. Wine is synonymous with class and wealth and sometimes a particular brand or bottle can be worth large amounts of money, especially if they are rare or difficult to produce.

So, break out your finest bottle of bubbly as we showcase some of the most expensive wines ever produced.

Romanee-Conti DRC 1990

Valued at approximately $28,000 per bottle, this red wine is incredibly hard to come by. Apparently, the high price is attributed to the fact that the soil in France where the vines are grown has a very low yield; in fact, it takes approximately three full vines to make a single bottle. What’s more, the majority of the plants in the vineyard are over 50 years old. The full harvest produces enough grapes to make just 450 crates, a miniscule amount compared to other commercial growers.

Penfolds Grange Hermitage 1951

Australia has enjoyed something of a wine renaissance in the last few decades, with Aussie reds and whites found in wine racks across the UK. However, Penfolds Grange Hermitage 1951, created by the Treasury Wine Estates, is both rare and valuable; there are thought to be only 20 bottles left in existence and each is valued at approximately $40,000.

Chateau d'Yquem 1787

As a rule of thumb, the rarer a wine is the more expensive it will be; this white wine was sold in a London auction for $100,000. Chateau d’Yquem is made from Sauternes which produces the sweetest wine in the world. An 1811 vintage was tasted by a wine critic in 1996 and he described the flavour as a liquid crème brulee. It is said that the colour of the 1787 is now closer to amber than white because of the sheer number of years it has been left to mature.

Chateau Mouton Rothschild 1945

Widely regarded as one of the best vintages of the last century and considered something of a legend among connoisseurs, this bottle of wine is worth around £23,000. Mouton-Rothschild is regarded as one of, if not the, greatest clarets ever. Add to this, the fact that this vintage was the first to be produced after the Second World War in a conflict-weary France, you have yourself one expensive bottle of wine. Though rumoured to be delicious, if you ever happen upon a bottle do not drink it; sell it! 

Chateau Margaux 1787

The final wine on this list is something of an anomaly, as it was never actually sold. The story goes that in 1989 a wealthy wine dealer had the bottle valued at $500,000 (mainly because it was thought to have been owned by one of the American founding fathers). He took the bottle to a high class event, but in a moment of comical misfortune a waiter accidently dropped the bottle, breaking it. Though the wine was never tasted, or sold, the insurance company paid out $225,000.

So there you have it, the world’s most expensive wines. Though you may not be able to own any of those listed above, there is no reason you can’t store your wines in style! Cranville Wines supply a wide range of high quality wine racks, suitable for any décor and all of which can be viewed and ordered online!