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The World of Rare Wine: Chateau Lafitte and Chateau dYquem

Filed under: Wine

If price is any indication of rarity these wines certainly qualify especially with well-known names like Chateau d'Yquem, Lafite, and Château Pétrus. Some of the rarest bottles in the world lie in collector's cellars and some pass through well-known auction houses such as Christie's and Sotheby's, sold to the highest bidder. Most wines are from abroad, some are from the U.S., but all are coveted by the true connoisseur.

One of the rarest bottles ever sold was purchased by Christopher Forbes for a mere £105,000 ($160,000). It was an unmarked green glass bottle with the inscription of "1787 Lafitte Th. J." (now known as Lafite and thought to be owned by Thomas Jefferson), found behind a wall in Paris. The third president of the U.S. is also associated with the most expensive white wine ever sold 1787 Chateau d'Yquem for $56,588. Last year's top lot of the year at Christie's was a 12-bottle case of 1961 Hermitage, La Chapelle sold in London for £123,750 which set a new world auction record for a case of Rhone wine and for any wine case sold in Europe. On December 1st, 2007, Sotheby's had an auction of Finest and Rarest Wines featuring 1,795 lots but the highlight was a case of 2000 Château Pétrus which sold for $44,812 as well as a case of 1998 Pétrus for $41,825.

The world of wine has many gems which would be impossible to all highlight here. Maybe there are even more hidden behind walls and in cellars underground.

Tags: chateau-d'yquem, chateau-petrus, christie's, lafite, lafitte, rare-wine, sotheby's, thomas-jefferson

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The World of Rare Wine: Chateau Lafitte and Chateau dYquem

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The World of Rare Wine: Chateau Lafitte and Chateau dYquem

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