Image – Château d’Yquem in Sauternes
Collectors of white wine will pay a small fortune for certain bottles. Although red wine is generally more expensive, some white wines can sell for spectacular amounts of money. Unlike other collectables, the value of wine is diminished as soon as the bottle is opened. Yet people will still go to great lengths to purchase great wines, even if it does cost them the earth.
Some of the most expensive white wines in the world are not suitable for drinking, some are over 200 years old. Yet they are extremely coveted by collectors who want to acquire a piece of wine history, the appeal of owning one of the best white wine vintages in the world is hard for some to resist. Many expensive bottles of white wine have interesting stories behind them, making great dinner party conversation. As a general rule, the older these white wines, the more they are worth, like many collectable items. This article explores some of the most expensive white wines in the world, looking at how much they sold for and exactly what makes them so special.
At present the most expensive bottle of white wine in the world sold for $90,000 or around £55,000. It was a 1787 Sauternes from Château d’Yquem. This wine is part of American history. The Grapes of the wine were first picked when George Washington became the first President of the United States, making this bottle nearly as old as the country itself. As with many of the worlds most expensive wines, it is the scarcity value of this wine and its place in history that makes it special. The buyer of this bottle who did not want to disclose his name, was an avid wine collector based in the US. This vintage bottle added to his already remarkable collection. The sellers of this wine are The Antique Wine Company, they managed to source the wine from a collector in France.
Another expensive white wine is the 1784 Chateau d’Yquem, this sold for a massive $56,588.00 back in 1986. This bottle is significantly old which is part of its charm. However, it also once belonged to Thomas Jefferson, only the third president of the United States of America. His initials are still visible on the bottle, making it a fantastic collector’s item. The 1784 Chateau d’Yquem is a sweet white wine made from the Semillon grape. This wine is no longer drinkable yet holds great value to collectors as a piece of history. Bottles such as this one are often sold at auction, this raises the number of potential buyers and gives the bottle some valuable publicity, raising the price. The scarcity of this wine is the main aspect of the appeal.
In terms of wine that can be drunk, there are some extremely expensive bottles. The most expensive drinkable wine is a Montrachet from 1978. This managed to reach $23,929 per bottle, when sold in 2001. This was again sold in an auction. Although these bottles were expected to go for quite a price, the particularly high price was certainly due in part to the increased publicity due to the auction. This wine is considered the best white wine in the world at present, it is made in very small quantities. It is a very powerful wine, with a slightly acidic taste. Montrachet is well known for providing a thrilling experience, a fantastic dry white, which is priced accordingly.
White wines are very popular with people from all different walks of life. They come in widely differing styles as well as price ranges. However, some people will pay remarkable sums of money for the right wine. Wine collectors will shell out thousands of pounds for particularly scarce and rare wines. Wines with very interesting stories or historical significance, fetch a fair few pounds despite often being completely undrinkable. Although some expensive white wines are drinkable, they do not generally reach the prices of those older more interesting bottles. Although it may seem a great deal of money to spend on a bottle of wine, many wine collectors are desperate to get their hands on valuable bottles of significance and are willing to pay the price.
