HomeOne of the rarest, most expensive, and renowned red wine in the...

One of the rarest, most expensive, and renowned red wine in the world which was forgotten about for 50 years in a cellar to fetch thousands at auction

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The 1961 Romanée Conti was one of only 600 bottles made at the Burgandy estate and is expected to go for $11,000.

But it could go for a lot more as the most expensive wine ever sold at auction is a Romanée Conti. A bottle of the 1945 batch sold for $581,000 in 2018, more than 17 times its original estimate.

The mark up in the bottle’s value was suspected to be a result of Chinese market’s interest in French Burgundy.

In addition, the bottle was sold by Robert Drouhin, patriarch of Maison Joseph Drouhin.

This 1961 bottle was discovered tucked away in a corner by a man who was searching for an appropriate bottle for his diamond anniversary with his wife. Thankfully, the couple did not drink the bottle as they married in 1960.

The bottle was originally sold by Andre Noblet, Head Wine Maker at Domaine Romanée Conti since 1948, to a French client in Lozère in Languedoc-Roussillon in 1963.

It was then given as a gift to the current family shortly afterwards and then remained in their Wiltshire cellar ever since.

Dreweatts, who will sell the wine on April 29 at its Fine and Rare Wine and Spirits, said the bottle has “excellent provenance and its’ storage in perfect cellarage condition”.

Grand Crus are known for their longevity and it is not recommended to drink it before 10 years, so it is likely the rich flavour of the Pinot Noir grape is only expected to have been enriched over the decades.

Speaking of Romanée-Conti, wine critic Clive Coates said: “The scarcest, most expensive – and frequently the best – wine in the world.

“If you can lay your hands on a case – and that is a big ‘if’ – you would have to pay £5,000 or more for a young vintage, double or triple for a wine in its prime.

“This is the purest, most aristocratic and most intense example of Pinot Noir you could possibly imagine. Not only nectar: a yardstick with which to judge all other Burgundies.”

Mark Robertson, Head of Dreweatts Wine Department, said: “It is such a pleasure to be able to offer such a rare bottle, that is so prized by so many.

“The fact that its’ history can be traced directly all along its’ journey from the Romanée Conti estate and it has so been perfectly preserved, makes this even more exciting.

“How amazing that it was tucked away forgotten for so many years, but someone will be extremely happy that it was!”

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