68 LEXPERT MAGAZINE
|
MAY 2018
PHOTO:
SHUTTERSTOCK
WINE
CONGRATULATIONS! You just won the lottery. e Big One.
Once you've set up those foundations for the kids, bought a holiday
home in Monaco and scattered a few million among the charities
you support, it's time to think of that fantasy wine cellar you've al-
ways dreamed about.
Now that you have the wherewithal, you can indulge our inner
Dionysus without guilt or buyer's remorse. e question is: what to
buy when you can afford the most expensive wines on the planet?
You're not going to load up on the usual plonk you drink during
the week. You're going to buy the very best and hang the expense.
So, what are the most expensive wines in the world?
No great secret here: they come from France and Germany. So, if
you are able to earmark a million dollars for your cellar, here's what
to choose.
Beginning with Burgundy (where all sensible wine drinkers
should start), the wines are:
Domaine de la Romanee-Conti Romanée-Conti, the ne plus
ultra of Grand Cru red Burgundy (those in the know call it DRC
even if they can't afford it). is is the world's most expensive wine,
with an average price of $21,682 per bottle. (I refrained from put-
ting double exclamation marks at the end of that sentence because
I'm a journalist and so blasé about these things.) Only some 450
cases of this wine are produced each vintage, so you'd better get
your order in as the worldwide demand is stratospheric.
And, of course, you will want DRC's equally expensive white
Burgundy, Domaine de la Romanée-Conti Montrachet
Grand Cru, which clocks in at an average price of $7,961 a bot-
tle. Again, supplies are limited, so get on the phone now to the
importing agent.
Domaine Leroy Musigny Grand Cru, from Chambolle-
Musigny: Owned by Madame Lalou Bize-Leroy, who used to co-
manage DRC. Average price is $13,529.
No cellar is complete without claret, which the British call red
Bordeaux. You've probably heard of Château Pétrus, the leading
wine from Pomerol. It's yours for an average price of $3,877 a bottle.
But you may not have heard of Liber Pater, from a boutique
winery in the Graves region of Bordeaux, produced by Loïc Pasquet
from a blend of ancient Bordeaux's long-forgotten varieties such as
Castet, Mancin, Lauzet, Camaralet and Prunelard, with Sémillon,
Petit Verdot and Cabernet Sauvignon. is very rare wine, named
for the ancient Roman god of wine, fertility and freedom, will set
you back about $6,965 a bottle.
Naturally, you will want some champagne in your cellar to
toast your good fortune. Why not stock a case of Krug Clos
d'Ambonnay, a blanc de noirs (that is, a champagne made ex-
clusively from black grapes, in this case Pinot Noir) grown in a
| DETOURS |
The World's Most Expensive Wines
So, you've just won the lottery! Here's the inside scoop on how to stock your wine cellar with the most select vintages
