Top 5 most expensive French wines: would you like a bottle for 34 rubles?

It’s cold outside and I’m warming myself in an armchair by the fireplace on my estate. At my feet lies a huge black mastiff. Chess is placed on the table, and in the hand is a glass of Chateau Margaux 1999 for 101 rubles per bottle.

We are such aristocrats! Oh okay! I’m not lying, I’m fantasizing. I must imagine the atmosphere in which one should drink such wines. It’s just that today I’m telling you about the most expensive French wines, so I’m getting into character.

Wine in the minds of most people is inextricably associated with France. Almost all terms related to the production, aging of wine and other related concepts come from the French language.

French wine can be quite affordable, but there are also bottles that are sky-high. While preparing the article, I found several bottles of 500 thousand rubles each. Moreover, these are not some very old wines. For example, Petrus, 2011 costs some 493618 rubles. And the price for vintage is approaching a million!

Producers of elite French wines

The birthplace of the most expensive French wines is Bordeaux. Since the middle of the 5th century, this region has had its own strict classification of farms, dividing them into 5 classes (Grand Cru Classe). The highest category (Premier Grand Cru Classe) has XNUMX chateaus:

  1. Latour (Latour). Produces wines under the brands Les Forts de Latour, Grand Vin de Chateau Latour.
  2. Haut-Brion (Haut-Brion). The elite varieties produced by the brand include both red (Chateau Haut-Brion Rouge, Chateau Bahans Haut-Brion) and white (Chateau Haut-Brion Blanc, Les Plantiers de Haut-Brion) wines.
  3. Mouton Rothschild (Mouton Rothschild). The main brand of wine is Chateau Mouton Rothschild, the “second” is Le Petit Mouton de Mouton Rothschild.
  4. Lafite Rothschild (Lafitte Rothschild). The “first” wine of the brand is Chateau Lafite Rothschild, the “second” is Carruades de Lafite.
  5. Margaux (Margo). It specializes in the production of “viscous” wines, the shelf life of which is calculated for centuries – Chateau Margaux, Pavillon Rouge de Chateau Margaux Pavillon Blanc de Chateau Margaux.

Important! Even the wine from these estates must undergo annual analytical research and tasting to “confirm” its class.

What determines the price of wine

The price of wine is made up of many factors:

  1. The reputation of the wine region and the chateau itself, its prestige, “legendary”.
  2. Production technology. For example, Chateau Mouton Rothschild still maintains the tradition of aging wine in real oak barrels, which are several hundred years old.
  3. Package. Even the bottle and cork look “premium” for elite wines. Label design also matters. For example, Mouton Rothschild has a reproduction of a painting or just sketches created by famous artists and other public figures on the front side every year.
  4. Transportation and storage. Wine needs special conditions both at the place of storage and during transportation.
  5. Marketing. In this case, these are tastings, exhibitions, master classes for specialists and collectors.

But still, in my opinion, the determining factor in the high cost of wines from Bordeaux is their “cult”. Demand is so high that manufacturers can fearlessly raise prices almost indefinitely.

How expensive wines are made

In addition to table and local wines, which are quite affordable for mere mortals, France produces vintage wines AOP (Appellation d’Origine Protegee), which translates roughly as “controlled designation of origin.” In order for alcohol to be classified in this category, many conditions controlled by the state must be met:

  • grape growing region;
  • conditions for its cultivation;
  • belonging of berries to certain varieties;
  • ways of processing and pruning vines;
  • minimum strength of the finished drink;
  • conditions of squeezing, aging, storage.

Wines that have successfully passed the strictest comprehensive control receive the AOP label, which is automatically a mark of the highest quality.

What are the most expensive French wines?

To become truly expensive, wine needs not only a “good origin”, but also a legend:

  1. Chateau d’Yquem (Chateau d’Yquem) 1811. French wine producers are firmly convinced that in the year when a comet appears in the sky, the drink turns out to be simply divine. The “great comet of 1811” over France could be observed for almost 290 days. The last time at auction a bottle of this wine was sold for $117000.
  2. Chateau Lafite (Chateau Lafite) 1787. Not only the wine itself is unique, but also its history. The bottle belonged to Thomas Jefferson and is engraved with his initials. It was purchased at auction for $160000.
  3. Champagne Heidsieck & Co (Champagne Heidsieck & Co) 1907. Another “historical” wine. It was ordered personally by Nicholas II, but the emperor did not receive it. The cargo ship sank. It was possible to raise it to the surface only at the end of the 275000th century. The price of a bottle is over $XNUMX.
  4. Jeroboam Chateau Mouton-Rothschild (Jeroboam Chateau Mouton-Rothschild) 1945. Due to the Second World War, the grape harvest, harvested in 1941, went into production only in 1945. The bottle was decorated with a golden V on the label in honor of the victory over Nazism. Its cost now is about $ 310000.
  5. Romanee-Conti Grand Cru (Romanee-Conti Grand Cru) 1945. Then, for the last time, the oldest vines of this absolutely luxurious vineyard were harvested. Enough for only 600 bottles. The price of each exceeded half a million dollars (according to the latest estimates, $ 551000).

Important! Many of the most expensive French wines cannot even be tasted. Over the years, they have turned almost into vinegar. But this does not stop collectors who want to have a unique bottle at all costs.

The most expensive French wines come from Bordeaux. But even within this region, the price of the drink varies greatly. The cost depends on many factors, including the “legendary” chateau, the year of harvest, the history of the bottle.

Excessive alcohol consumption is harmful to your health. Take care of yourself!

Would you agree to pay for a bottle of wine the amount for which it is quite possible to buy a car (and even more than one)? Especially considering you can’t even drink it? Or do you think the passion for collecting justifies any spending?

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