What Is the Most Expensive Wine in the World?
The most expensive wine in the world is a bottle of Domaine de la Romanée-Conti Grand Cru 1945, which sold at a Sotheby’s auction for $812,500 in 2026. Only 600 bottles of this Burgundy wine were ever made, and 1945 was the last harvest from those particular vines before they were removed.
Connoisseurs of fine wine will readily spend large sums of money to enjoy their favorite vintages. This list of the most expensive wine in the world shows what eye-watering amounts some bottles sell for at auction. Having said that, a few of these record-breaking wine prices have been achieved at charity auctions and benefited some great causes.
Most Expensive Wine Bottles
Up to the last twenty years, the most expensive wine in the world was exclusively from French vineyards. However, there are now a few New World contenders for the most expensive bottles of wine. Here are ten fine wines that have achieved eye-wateringly high prices at auction.
10. Chateau d’Yquem 1811
This vintage wine from iconic Chateau d’Yquem holds the Guinness World Record as the most expensive bottle of white wine in the world. This estate in the Sauternes region of France belonged to the King of England in the Middle Ages.
A vineyard was later established here, which flourished under the direction of Françoise Joséphine de Sauvage d’Yquem. The wine was popular with connoisseurs including the US President at the time, Thomas Jefferson.
1811 was a great harvest and Chateau Yquem wine is known for its longevity. This exceptional Sauternes wine was purchased by Christian Vanneque, a sommelier and restaurateur who drank it on the 50th anniversary of his career in wine.
Auction Price: $117,000
Year Sold: 2011
9. Château Lafite 1787
Owned by the Rothschild family, Chateau Lafite in France is famous for its Bordeaux wines. This outstanding vintage was another favorite wine of Thomas Jefferson.
It is thought that Jefferson even visited the estate, and that he owned this particular bottle of Bordeaux. The initials T.J. are etched onto the glass.
Publisher Malcolm Forbes bought this Chateau Lafite wine. However, there has been some question of whether it is genuine or fake, and it’s nicknamed the Billionaire’s Vinegar!
Auction Price: $156,450
Year Sold: 1985
8. Penfolds Kalimna Block 42 Cabernet Sauvignon 2004
The first non-French wine making an entrance in our list of the most expensive wine in the world is from South Australia. This renowned winery commissioned a hand-blown glass ampoule, housed in a hand-tooled wooden cabinet.
As part of the sale, the Penfolds chief winemaker travelled to the home of each buyer to help them open it using a specially designed sterling silver scribe-snap similar to a cigar cutter. Only 12 ampoule bottles were made in total.
The wine itself comes from 130 year-old vines and is in high demand. This Barossa wine has a rich complexity and notes of blackberries and macerated cherries.
Auction Price: $168,000
Year Sold: 2012
7. Château Margaux 1787
This exclusive bottle of Bordeaux wine holds the unfortunate record for the most expensive bottle of wine ever broken. New York wine merchant, William Sokolin owned this Chateau Margaux bottle of wine on consignment.
It was thought to have previously been owned by Thomas Jefferson, as like the Chateau Lafite previously mentioned, the initials Th.J. were etched on the bottle. Sokolin was trying to sell the bottle for $500,000 but had no takers and had the bottle insured for $225,000.
He took the bottle to a Château Margaux dinner at the Four Seasons. Unfortunately, a waiter bumped into the table, smashing the unopened bottle.
Insured For: $225,000
Year of Insurance Payout: 1989
6. Château Lafite-Rothschild 1869
At a wine auction by Sotheby’s in Hong Kong in 2010, three bottles of Chateau Lafite Rothschild sold for $ 233,972 each to an anonymous Asian bidder. Estimated at $60,000 each, the wines were subject to a bidding war.
Chateau Lafite wines are in high demand with wine collectors in Asia and these particular vintages were the very first ever bottled at Lafite. They were also the first wines produced under the ownership of Baron James de Rothschild.
Many French vineyards were badly affected by phylloxera in the late 1800s. This wine is a rare pre-phylloxera vintage, which explains the high price tag.
Auction Price: $233,972
Year Sold: 2010
5. Château Cheval Blanc 1947
One of the best clarets in the world, Chateau Cheval Blanc 1947 is one of only four to hold the rank of Premier Grand Cru Classé (A) status. This is the highest classification of Saint-Émilion wine.
Only a few thousand cases of Chateau Cheval Blanc were ever produced. Most of these were consumed soon after its release, making this Bordeaux wine extremely rare.
In 2010, an Imperial sized bottle of Chateau Cheval Blanc, equal to eight 750 ml bottles, sold for $304,375 at a Christie’s auction in Geneva. It is the only known bottle in this Imperial format of this particular vintage.
Auction Price: $304,375
Year Sold: 2010
4. Château Mouton-Rothschild 1945
Another over-sized wine bottle that achieved a record price at auction is a rare Chateau Mouton-Rothschild from 1945. Due to the late frost that year, the vintage was the smallest since 1915.
This jeroboam of 4.5 liters is the equivalent of six regular wine bottles. It is decorated with a V for victory, designed by the artist Philippe Jullian, hailing the end of World War II.
Auction Price: $310,700
Year Sold:
3. The Setting Wines Alexander Valley Cabernet Sauvignon 2015
In 2017, at a charity auction dinner organized by The Emeril Lagasse Foundation, a rare bottle of 2015 The Setting Wines Alexander Valley Cabernet Sauvignon was bought for $350,000. Together with the Foundation’s sold-out Boudin, Bourbon, and Beer event, $3.5 million dollars was raised in that weekend for children’s charities.
The Setting is a collection of luxury wines created by friends Noah McMahon, Jeff Cova and Jesse Katz. Jesse is an award-winning winemaker who has worked with Chateau Petrus and Screaming Eagle.
Auction Price: $350,000
Year Sold: 2017
2. Screaming Eagle Cabernet Sauvignon 1992
The iconic Screaming Eagle Winery in Napa Valley, California made its first vintage in 1992. Since then they have gone from strength to strength, with a limited production of 500 to 850 cases each year.
Original owner Jean Phillips was connected to winemaker Heidi Peterson Barrett by the Robert Mondavi team. Their 1992 Cabernet Sauvignon vintage was awarded 99 points by wine critic Rober Parker.
Since then, Screaming Eagle 1997 and 2007 vintages achieved the perfect score of 100 points. There are reportedly over 4,000 people on the Screaming Eagle membership waiting list.
As a result, prices for public purchase by non-members are sky high. A single bottle of Screaming Eagle Cabernet Sauvignon 1992 is the most expensive Napa Valley wine ever sold. It is also the most expensive wine made in the U.S.
Auction Price: $500,000
Year Sold: 2000
1. Domaine de la Romanee-Conti Grand Cru 1945
The most expensive wine in the world is a bottle of Domaine de la Romanée-Conti Grand Cru from Burgundy, France. Only 600 bottles of this legendary wine were made in 1945, which explains the high price.
What’s more, this is the last year that grapes were harvested from these particular vines. The vines were then removed and younger vines were planted in their place.
Sold by the auction house Acker for $812,500 in March 2026, the same bottle had previously achieved a then record-breaking sale price of $558,000.
This rare vintage wine belonged to Robert Drouhin, himself a well-known wine maker. His father Maurice Drouhin was the sole distributor of Romanee Conti in France and Belgium from 1928 to 1964.
When France was invaded by Germany in the 1930s, Maurice built a secret cellar wall to protect the wines. Maurice was a key member of the French Resistance movement, as General Douglas McArthur’s liaison officer.
The Gestapo discovered this and sent an execution squad for Maurice. He was warned in advance and escaped through the cellar vaults and the now famous Door of Freedom to the Hospices de Beaunes. Maurice was hidden in the building by the nuns until the Liberation in 1944.
Auction Price: $812,500
Year Sold: 2026
Why Are These the Most Expensive Wines in the World?
As we’ve seen, rare wines with a connection to prominent figures such as Thomas Jefferson can command exceptionally high prices at auction. Grand Cru wines from Bordeaux and Burgundy made of pinot noir are also in great demand.
All of these costly wines are extremely rare, creating a supply-demand imbalance. Most of them are aged in French oak. The rarest examples are known as unicorn wines.
This term was originally coined on Instagram by high-end sommeliers in New York. It designates incredibly exclusive wines such as the Shipwreck Champagne.
Reportedly sold at auction for $275,000, Heidsieck Monopole Gout Americain 1907 was one of 2,500 bottles salvaged from the wreck of the Jonkoping in 1997. The ship had been torpedoed by a German submarine in the first World War. The champagne was quite well preserved, being in salt water at a temperature of 4° C and protected from any light.
Having said that, many wines that are over 100 years old will not taste all that good!
Romanée-Conti: Why It Commands the Highest Prices
Domaine de la Romanée-Conti, known simply as DRC, produces Burgundy wines from a single Grand Cru vineyard in Vosne-Romanée, France. The vineyard covers just 1.8 hectares, making annual production tiny by any standard. Prices at auction reflect not only the wine’s quality but its near-mythical scarcity.
The 1945 vintage that sold for $812,500 came from vines that were pulled out immediately after that harvest, meaning no future bottles of that precise character could ever exist. DRC wines consistently dominate wine-searcher.com’s most expensive wine averages year after year, with bottles from more recent vintages still fetching tens of thousands of dollars.
The label is widely regarded as the benchmark against which all other Pinot Noir is measured.
Key Takeaways
●Most expensive wine: 1945 Romanée-Conti at $812,500.
●Only 600 bottles of the 1945 DRC were ever made.
●Most expensive American wine: Screaming Eagle 1992, $500,000.
●Most expensive white wine: Chateau d’Yquem 1811, $117,000.
●Pre-phylloxera vintages and Imperial-format bottles drive record prices.
●Provenance links to Thomas Jefferson boosted multiple Bordeaux prices.
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- Top Dom Pérignon Vintages
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the most expensive bottle of wine ever sold at auction?
The most expensive bottle of wine ever sold at auction is a 1945 Domaine de la Romanée-Conti Grand Cru, which fetched $812,500 at an Acker auction in New York in 2026. The Sotheby’s pre-sale estimate had been just $32,000, making the final price a record-breaking surprise.
What is the most expensive red wine in the world?
The most expensive red wine in the world is the 1945 Domaine de la Romanée-Conti Grand Cru, a Pinot Noir from Burgundy, France, sold for $812,500 at auction in 2026. Among Cabernet Sauvignon reds, the Screaming Eagle Cabernet Sauvignon 1992 from Napa Valley holds the record for the most expensive American wine, having sold for $500,000 in 2000.
Can you drink a 100-year-old wine?
It is physically possible to drink a 100-year-old wine, but most will not taste good. Storage conditions determine survival: the 1907 Heidsieck Monopole Gout Americain champagne, salvaged from a shipwreck and kept at 4°C in salt water with no light exposure, was reportedly well preserved.
The rarest examples that remain drinkable command extraordinary prices precisely because of that survival.
Why is old wine so expensive?
Old wine is expensive because of scarcity, provenance, and the difficulty of surviving in drinkable condition. As bottles are consumed over decades, surviving examples of a great vintage become rarer, pushing prices up.
Wines connected to famous figures (such as Thomas Jefferson) or produced in historically significant years (such as the V for Victory 1945 Château Mouton-Rothschild) command a premium beyond the wine itself. Grand Cru vineyards in Bordeaux and Burgundy, aged in French oak, are the most sought-after.
How much is a 300 year old wine?
A 300-year-old bottle of wine generally costs between $10,000 and $40,000 at auction, depending entirely on its type, producer, condition, and origin history.
Because standard table wines (like red or white Bordeaux) turn to vinegar long before reaching three centuries, virtually all surviving, drinkable 300-year-old wines are fortified wines like Madeira or highly resilient sweet dessert wines like Tokaji. Their high sugar and alcohol content act as natural preservatives.
What makes a wine a “unicorn wine”?
The term unicorn wine was originally coined on Instagram by high-end sommeliers in New York. It designates an incredibly exclusive wine that is almost impossible to find on the open market.
Examples include bottles salvaged from shipwrecks, pre-phylloxera vintages from the 1800s, and wines produced in quantities so small that virtually all bottles have already been consumed or locked away in private collections.
Why are Château Lafite wines so popular with Asian collectors?
Chateau Lafite wines are in high demand with wine collectors in Asia, as demonstrated by the 2010 Sotheby’s auction in Hong Kong where three bottles of Château Lafite-Rothschild 1869 sold for $233,972 each to an anonymous Asian bidder. Estimated at $60,000 each before bidding began, the wines were the very first ever bottled at Lafite and the first produced under the ownership of Baron James de Rothschild, adding exceptional historical prestige to their rarity as pre-phylloxera vintages.
Are there expensive wines from outside France?
Yes. Two notable examples from outside France appear in this list. The Penfolds Kalimna Block 42 Cabernet Sauvignon 2004 from South Australia sold for $168,000 in 2012, with only 12 ampoule bottles made in total.
The Screaming Eagle Cabernet Sauvignon 1992 from Napa Valley, California sold for $500,000 in 2000 and holds the record as the most expensive wine made in the U.S. The Setting Wines Alexander Valley Cabernet Sauvignon 2015, also from the U.S., sold for $350,000 at a charity auction in 2017.
What is the most expensive wine from a charity auction?
The Setting Wines Alexander Valley Cabernet Sauvignon 2015 sold for $350,000 at a charity auction dinner organized by The Emeril Lagasse Foundation in 2017. Together with the Foundation’s sold-out Boudin, Bourbon, and Beer event, $3.5 million dollars was raised in that weekend for children’s charities.
Several other wines on this list, including bottles from Screaming Eagle, have also achieved record prices at charity events. Charity auctions can push prices well beyond what comparable bottles fetch in private sales, as bidders are motivated by philanthropy as much as by the wine itself.
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