There is something unique about wines that make them expensive. Each glass of wine gives you a royal feeling and satisfaction. Aside from drinking and offering to guests, some people buy wines as a long-term investment.
Some of these wines have a rich history and story behind them and they do not come cheap. The older the wine, the better it is and the more expensive it becomes.
Interestingly, some of these expensive wines cost more than some homes going as high as half a million dollars. Howbeit, some buyers are willing to purchase them. If you’re looking to spend extravagantly on wine, then take a glimpse at our list of most expensive wines in the world.
20. Domaine Leroy Musigny Grand Cru 2012 – $14,450
Featuring at number 20 on our list of most expensive wines in the world is the Domaine Leroy Musigny Grand Cru 2012 with a price tag of $14,450.
Described as a magical and sumptuous wine, the Grand Cru has a flowery taste and a gentle, silky texture. If we were to sell the wine based on the state’s reputation alone, then it’s without a doubt worth every drop.
However, the hot tail-end of the summer in 2012 provided this wine with robustness like no other, so it can demand such a high price.
19. Domaine de la Romanee-Conti Romanee-Conti Grand Cru 1990 – $21,200
A bottle of Domaine de la Romanee-Conti Romanee-Conti Grand Cru 1990 goes for $21,200. This vintage wine is worth the investment according to experts. The wine has a well-balanced harvest, rich in plentiful healthy grapes.
18. 1959 Egon Muller Scharzhofberger Riesling Trockenbeerenauslese – $27,346
Featuring on our list of most expensive wines in the 1959 Egon Muller Scharzhofberger Riesling Trockenbeerenauslese. This wine was produced by the famous German winemaker, Weingut Egon Muller.
This sweet wine has sublime aromas of ripe lemon, rock, minerality, and spices. It has an airy texture on the paate and many flavors that lead to an infinite finish.
17. Penfolds Grange Hermitage 1951 – $38,000
The Penfolds Grange Hermitage 1951, holds the record as the most expensive Australian wine with a price tag of $38,000. Only 20 bottles of this wine are known to exist, becoming one of the rarest wines on the planet.
The Hermitage is regarded by many as one of Australias finest wines and is best described as predominantly Shiraz with a hint of Cabernet Sauvignon.
16. Royal Tokaji limited edition Essencia 2008 – $40,000
This limited edition Essencia 2008 was produced by Hungarian winemaker Royal Tokaji with a price tag of $40,000. This dessert wine is absolutely delicious and can be cellared until the year 2300.
There are only 20 of this unique 1.5-liter wine made. The wine is described as the world’s most expensive wine at the time of launch.
This wine is made from grapes affected by the noble rot fungus (botrytis cinerea) that lends depth and character to the aszu berries. It has the aromas of ripe peach, honey, spice, and ginger notes. This is a rich dessert wine with a concentrated palate and a balanced and taut acidity.
15. 1937 Domaine de la Romanee-Conti Romanee-Conti Grand Cru – $73,228
This 1937 Domaine de la Romanee-Conti Romanee-Conti Grand Cru goes for $73,228 a bottle. The vintage wine has aromas of garden, mint, rose, jasmine, and spice. The palate retains its flavors of mint, anise, wax, menthol, and citrus.
14. 2015 Domaine Leroy Musigny Grand Cru – $101,206
The 2015 Domaine Leroy Musigny Grand Cru is one of the most expensive wines in the world with a price tag of $101,206. Produced by Domaine Leroy, the Musigny Grand Cru is a truly spectacular wine with aromas of raspberry, rose, cherry, and spice. This red wine has a multidimensional palate with satiny tannins.
13. Chateau d’Yquem – $117,000
The Chateau d’Yquem holds a Guinness World Record for being the most expensive bottle of white wine ever sold. In 2011, the buyer, a world-renowned wine connoisseur Christian Vanneque, paid the enormous amount of $117,000, with plans to enjoy the wine on the 50th anniversary of his career in wine.
12. Romanee Conti 1945 – $123,900
Among the most expensive wines in the world is the 1945 Romanee Conti which was produced from the legendary vines of the Romanee Conti being destroyed by Phylloxera in 1946.
Only 600 bottles of the were produced before the vineyards could sell wine again in 1952.
The wine has a price tag of $7,500. However, the only true original owned by Audebet de Villaine sold at auction in 2007 for $123,900.
11. Cheval Blanc St-Emilion 1947 – $135,125
The Cheval Blanc St-Emilion 1947 vintage wine is one of two wines granted A status in the Classification of Saint-Emilion wine. The three-liter bottle of wine was sold in 2006 at Vinfolio in San Francisco for $135,125.
Only 110,000 bottles of these wines were produced and only a few have managed to survive.
Considered by the best sommeliers in the world as the finest Cheval Blanc in the twentieth century, the Cheval Blanc St-Emilion 1947 has a sensual flavor and luxurious texture.
10. Henri Jayer, Vosne-Romanée Cros Parantoux 1999 – $136,955
Featured at number ten on our list of most expensive wines is the Henri Jayer, Vosne-Romanée Cros Parantoux 1999. This wine is actually a bit of a bargain, as the buyer got a whole case of wine, instead of one individual bottle.
The case of Cros Parantoux was sold for $136,955 at a Christie’s Hong Kong wine sale. The wine was produced by famous French winemaker Henri Jayer.
9. Chateau Lafite 1787 – $156,450
The Chateau Lafite 1787 is dubbed as the most expensive ‘standard” bottle of wine. The vintage wine is believed to be from former US President Thomas Jefferson’s cellar.
With the initials (ThJ) etched into the glass and Jefferson’s well-known love and passion for wine, this theory seems to be true.
The vintage wine was bought by publisher tycoon Malcolm Forbes in 1985 for $156,450 and remains one of the most expensive wines in the world
8. Ampoule from Penfolds – $168,000
A bottle of this wine cost $168,000. The wine was released by South Australia’s most famous winery, Penfolds, the wine does not have much history, instead, it relies on the experience, presentation, and reputation of the brand.
The ampoules of Cabernet Sauvignon come in a glass container that can only open by breaking off the end. To make sure it is opened correctly, a winemaker will accompany the buyer to open the ampoule of Cabernet Sauvignon.
7. Chateau Margaux 1787 – $225,000
This 1787 Chateau Margaux cannot be bought with any amount of money. Previously owned by US President Thomas Jefferson, this Chateau Margaux found itself in the hands of wine trader William Sokolin, who valued it at $225,000.
He took it to a Bordeaux dinner, and a waiter accidentally bumped the table, causing the bottle to shatter. Even though insurance reimbursed Solokin, he will never fulfill the dream of tasting this stunning wine.
This wine is said to be the most expensive wine not to be sold.
6. Chateau Lafite 1869 – $230,000
The Chateau Lafite 1869 is one of the most expensive wines ever sold. This bottle of vintage wine was sold at an auction in Hong Kong. A private bidder bought three bottles of the 1896 Chateau Lafite for $230,000 each.
5. Shipwrecked 1907 Heidsieck – $275,000
This vintage wine has a lot of history behind it which contributes to its price tag of $275,000. The Heidsieck was specifically made for the last Emperor of Russia, Nicholas II.
However, during the First World War in 1916, a German submarine had torpedoed the ship. The wines have been left undisturbed, under the sea, at freezing temperatures, and away from light sources for over 80 years.
The wreckage was discovered in 1997 and 2,000 bottles were recovered. A bottle of the Shipwrecked 1907 Heidsieck was auctioned for $275,000.
4. 1974 Cheval Blanc – $304,375
Featuring at number four on our list of most expensive wines is the 1947 Chateau Cheval Blanc. The Chateau Cheval Blanc is said to be the best Bordeaux ever made. The 1947 vintage wine was sold at a Christie’s auction in 2010 for $304,375.
Chateau Cheval Blanc has the Premier Grand Cru Classe (A) rank in the Classification of Saint Emilion wine.
3. Jeroboam of Chateau Mouton-Rothschild 1945 – $310,000
Château Mouton Rothschild vineyard has produced some of the most valuable wine brands in the world.
Jeroboam of Chateau Mouton-Rothschild was auctioned in 1997 for a whopping price of $310,700. The “V” on the 1945 vintage wine bottle is in commemoration of the Allied forces in the Second World War. It is one of the best vintages of the last 100 years.
2. Screaming Eagle Cabernet 1992 – $500,000
The Screaming Eagle Cabernet 1992 is the second most expensive wine in the world. With a price tag of $500,000, you will need to break the bank to have this bottle of wine.
The wine is produced from the Screaming Eagle winery in Napa Valley, California. Over the years the cabernet has topped several of the world’s most expensive wine lists. It eventually sold at a charity auction in 2000 for $500,000.
The wine is aged in 60% new oak and has an aroma of blackcurrants, a subtle trace of oak, and an opaque purple appearance
1. 1945 Domaine de la Romanée-Conti, Romanée-Conti Grand Cru- $558,000
Thee 1945 Domaine de la Romanée-Conti is the most expensive wine ever sold in the world. In 2018, an Asian collector paid $558,000 for the wine at a Sotheby’s auction. Only 600 bottles of this vintage wine were produced back in 1945.
With only one bottle remaining to date, the wine becomes the most expensive wine in the world after being sold for over half a million US dollars.
