Over recent years, there’s been a lot of commotion whenever world records are broken in the wine world. Just the day before, Chateau Y’quem created anew recordwhen a 200-year-old bottle of wine from this legendary Sauternes chateau was sold to Christian Vanneque, a French collector and restaurateur at USD$108,892. For our Asia-based readers, you may be delighted to know that the bottle will be displayed at Mr. Vanneque’s new restaurant, Sip Sunset Grill, in Bali, Indonesia. 

The following survey presents the most expensive wines that have made their mark by breaking world records:

World’s most expensive bottle of wine– 1947 Imperial Château Cheval-Blanc (USD$304,375)

This record was freshly created November last year during aChristie’s auction at Geneva. Referred by Michael Ganne, Christie’s wine expert as a “mythical” wine, this Imperial bottle was also unique for the fact that it is the “only known bottle in the Imperial format” coming from Saint-Emilion from the 1947 vintage.

World’s most expensive single– bottle 750ml Pinot Noir – 1945 Domaine Romanee Conti (US$123,889)

A private U.S. collector managed to break the streak of price records that were dominantly set by Asian buyers by taking abottle of 1945 DRC at US$123,899from Christie’s auction sale in Geneva on May 17, 2011. There were only 600 bottles of this vintage that comes from the end of Second World War and it was the last vintage harvested from ungifted pre-phylloxera vines. The bottle also came with spectacular provenance – it stayed with Aubert de Villaine, owner of the Domaine, until 2007 when the bottle was donated for a charity auction. 

World’s most expensive sparkling– Ancient Veuve Clicquot salvaged from a 19th century shipwreck (USD$43,530)

On June 3, Acker, Merral & Condit held an auction at the most unconventional capital – Mariehamn of the Finnish Aland Islands.  The limelight was on a handful of bottles ofVeuve Clicquot and Juglar Champagnethat were over 170 years old and salvaged from the bottom of the Baltic Sea.  Not surprisingly, given the champagne’s unusual proveneance, great age and rarity, they were sold at a record breaking price of USD$43,530 per bottle. 

Photo Credit:Bruno Agostini