The bottle was expected to fetch around $150,000-200,000 before the auction. "This wine is undoubtedly one of the greatest Bordeaux of all times, not only because of its rare quality but also due to its extensive life span, as it could still be kept and enjoyed 50 years from now with no problem at all," Christie's wine specialist Michael Ganne said before the sale, according to media reports.
Apparently, it took Christie's two years to convince the owner to agree to auction the wine bottle from the coveted Premier Grand Cru Classé (A) chateau (highest quality classification) in Saint-Emilion on the right bank in Bordeaux, after the market had improved considerably after the recession.
The Hong Kong Auction held by Sotheby’s had fetched about $232,000; Chateau Lafite-Rothschild 1869 that fetched the record price at that time was a standard bottle (750 mL) though, as compared to the imperial bottle which holds 6 liters or 8 bottles and is currently a rarity.
"Probably the only known existing 'imperial' of this wonderful Bordeaux, it sets a new world record price for a bottle of wine at auction," he added. The wine was purchased by a Swiss collector and had been reportedly recorked by Chateau Cheval Blanc.
For the information of our non Indian readers, India got independence from the British in on 15 Agust, 1947, barely weeks before the grapes for the record holding wine were harvested. The comparison may be a little crass but to give a better perspective to our Indian readers, the buyers could have instead bought over 140 Nano cars from Tata Motors!
Meanwhile, for those skeptics who might doubt the wine longevity of 100 years like this bottle of Cheval Blanc, or the Chateau Laffite 1869 which is already over 140 years old, a recent cache of Champagne retrieved from the bed of Baltic Sea and considered to be around 200 years old is still drinking well as the popping of one bottle yesterday indicated.
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