Wine Searcher, a magazine and popular wine search engine, has just published the list of the 50 most expensive wines in the world.
This list is based on the average tax-free price of 750mL bottles, without any distinction between vintages. Wine auctions were not taken into account, and sale prices judged excessive or too low were discarded. Other wines, such as Penfolds Ampoule for example, were also not taken into account as being limited releases.
Burgundy wines take the lion’s share, with 36 wines in the top 50. According to Wine Searcher, the most expensive wine in the world is the cuvée Richebourg Grand Cru which the now defunct Henri Jayer used to make (average bottle price ZAR 115,000).
Pétrus stands out as the first Bordeaux wine in this classification (ZAR 22,000). It is fascinating to note that although only 5 Bordeaux wines have made this top 50, the 5 most “searched” wines on Wine Searcher’s engine are from Bordeaux (Pétrus is fourth among the most “searched” wines, whereas Henri Jayer’s cuvée Richebourg only comes in at position 1225).
The three Champagne wines which have made this top 50 are produced by the Krug maison. The only other French region to be represented is the Rhône Valley, with the Cuvée Cathelin produced by Domaine Jean-Louis Chave in the Ermitage appellation (ZAR 14,200).
Also represented in this classification are two American wines, one Australian, one Portuguese and one German wine. No South African wines though!
Classification of the top 50 most expensive wines in the world, according to Wine Searcher:
1. Henri Jayer Richebourg Grand Cru, Côte de Nuits, Burgundy
2. Domaine de la Romanée-Conti Romanée-Conti Grand Cru, Côte de Nuits, Burgundy
3. Henri Jayer Cros Parantoux, Vosne-Romanée Premier Cru, Burgundy
4. Domaine Leflaive Montrachet Grand Cru, Côte de Beaune, Burgundy
5. Egon Muller-Scharzhof Scharzhofberger Riesling Trockenbeerenauslese, Mosel, Germany.
6. Domaine de la Romanée-Conti Montrachet Grand Cru, Côte de Beaune, Burgundy
7. Domaine Georges Roumier Musigny Grand Cru, Côte de Nuits, Burgundy
8. Georges et Henri Jayer Echézeaux Grand Cru, Côte de Nuits, Burgundy
9. Domaine Leroy Musigny Grand Cru, Côte de Nuits, Burgundy
10. Pétrus, Pomerol, Bordeaux
11. Krug Clos d’Ambonnay, Champagne
12. Domaine de la Romanée-Conti La Tache Grand Cru Monopole, Côte de Nuits, Burgundy
13. Screaming Eagle Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa Valley, Etats-Unis
14. Le Pin, Pomerol, France
15. Domaine Leroy Chambertin Grand Cru, Côte de Nuits, Burgundy
16. Domaine Faiveley Musigny Grand Cru, Côte de Nuits, Burgundy
17. Domaine Leroy Grands-Echézeaux Grand Cru, Côte de Nuits, Burgundy
18. J.-F Coche-Dury Corton-Charlemagne Grand Cru, Côte de Beaune, Burgundy
19. Domaine Leroy Richebourg Grand Cru, Côte de Nuits, Burgundy
20. Domaine Jean-Louis Chave Ermitage Cuvée Cathelin, Rhône
21. Domaine du Comte Liger-Belair La Romanée Grand Cru, Côte de Nuits, Burgundy
22. Domaine Dugat-Py Chambertin Grand Cru, Côte de Nuits, Burgundy
23. Domaine de la Romanée-Conti Richebourg Grand Cru, Côte de Nuits, Burgundy
24. Domaine des Comtes Lafon Montrachet Grand Cru, Côte de Beaune, Burgundy
25. Domaine Leroy Clos de la Roche Grand Cru, Côte de Nuits, Burgundy
26. Domaine Georges Roumier Les Amoureuses, Chambolle-Musigny Premier Cru, Burgundy
27. Domaine Leroy Echézeaux Grand Cru, Côte de Nuits, Burgundy
28. Domaine Ramonet Montrachet Grand Cru, Côte de Beaune, Burgundy
29. Domaine Leroy Romanee-Saint-Vivant Grand Cru, Côte de Nuits, Burgundy
30. Domaines Barons de Rothschild Chateau Lafite-Rothschild, Pauillac, Bordeaux
31. J.-F Coche-Dury Les Perrières, Meursault Premier Cru, Burgundy
32. Seppeltsfield Para Centenary 100 Year Old Vintage Tawny, Barossa Valley, Australia.
33. Domaine de la Romanée-Conti Romanee-Saint-Vivant Grand Cru, Côte de Nuits, Burgundy
34. Domaine de la Romanee-Conti Grands Echézeaux Grand Cru, Côte de Nuits, Burgundy
35. Domaine Leroy Latricieres-Chambertin Grand Cru, Côte de Nuits, Burgundy
36. Krug Clos du Mesnil Blanc de Blancs Brut, Champagne
37. Emmanuel Rouget Cros Parantoux, Vosne-Romanée Premier Cru, Burgundy
38. Domaine Méo-Camuzet Au Cros Parantoux, Vosne-Romanée Premier Cru, Burgundy
39. Chateau Lafleur, Pomerol, Bordeaux
40. Domaine Leroy Clos de Vougeot Grand Cru, Côte de Nuits, Burgundy
41. Krug Collection Brut, Champagne
42. Domaine Armand Rousseau Père et Fils Chambertin Grand Cru, Côte de Nuits, Burgundy
43. Château Ausone, Saint-Emilion Grand Cru, Bordeaux
44. Domaine Méo-Camuzet Richebourg Grand Cru, Côte de Nuits, Burgundy
45. Schrader Cellars Old Sparky Beckstoffer To Kalon Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa Valley, Etats-Unis
46. Domaine Leroy Corton-Charlemagne Grand Cru, Côte de Beaune, Burgundy
47. Quinta do Noval Nacional Vintage Port, Portugal
48. Charles Noellat Richebourg Grand Cru, Côte de Nuits, Burgundy
49. Domaine de la Romanée-Conti Echézeaux Grand Cru, Cote de Nuits, Burgundy
50. Domaine Armand Rousseau Père et Fils Chambertin Clos-de-Beze Grand Cru, Côte de Nuits, Burgundy
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Thanks to Vitisphère for the original article