WHAT IT IS Some of the most expensive wine in the world
WHY YOU WON’T DO IT Who wants to spend a fortune on a tipple that’s probably corked by now?
In 1985, a bottle of 1787 Château Lafite was sold at auction by Christie’s for a cool US$160,000, making it the most expensive standard bottle of wine in history. If you pride yourself on knowing your Sauvignon Blanc from your Shiraz, you might lust after a bottle of this choice vintage – but you probably wouldn’t want to drink it.
The record-breaking bottle was bought by Christopher Forbes, a son of the famous Forbes Magazine dynasty. As a wine collector, he was particularly drawn to the bottle because it was etched with the three letters ‘Th.J’. This, it was reported, was proof that the wine came from the collection of the USA’s third president and one of its founding fathers, Thomas Jefferson.
Jefferson served a stint as ambassador to France and took the opportunity to develop his taste for fine wine. And they don’t come any finer than those from the vineyards of Château Lafite, near the village of Paulliac in the Médoc region northwest of Bordeaux. The Château made its name in the early 18th century thanks to the winemaking prowess of its owner, Nicolas-Alexandre, the marquis de Ségur, and his shrewd stroke of marketing genius in introducing his wines to the French royal court. Since the 19th century it has been owned by the powerful Rothschild family, and today it is often known as Château Lafite Rothschild.
Even the greatest vineyards have their ups and downs, of course, but the glorious summer of 1787 produced a vintage that was widely acknowledged as one for the ages. However, Bordeaux wines have a drinkable lifespan of no more than 50 years. Today, the contents of this once-glorious 1787 Lafite would, almost certainly, taste about as good as table vinegar. But to find out for certain, you’ll need the permission of the Forbes Collection to test it – and it seems unlikely that they would say yes.
Top-end bottles of wine are generally sold at auction, where bidders get caught up in the heat of battle – Forbes clearly won on the day, but there must have been an underbidder willing to bid US$150,000. Unsurprisingly, 1787 Lafites seldom come on to the market. Nonetheless, other bottles of the vintage have since been sold on the internet for less than the 1985 price – though they lack the presidential link. So if you have US$120,000 burning a hole in your pocket, why not treat yourself to a bottle and sprinkle it over your fish and chips?