Worlds top 10 most expensive wines

Thinking of picking up a bottle of wine for dinner tonight? It might be a good idea to give these bottles a wide berth as they currently are the ten most costly wines in the world.

The common assumption that old wine is expensive wine has held true, according to this list. And while the prices are astronomical, they have been described as some of the best wines on the planet.

Eight French wines made it into the top 10 list compiled by wine-searcher.com, as well as two bottles from Germany.

1. Domaine de la Romanee-Conti Romanee-Conti Grand Cru, Cote de Nuits, France, £8,310

Experts say this is the perfect Burgundy and in order to claim the appellation Romanée-Conti Grand Cru, the wine must be made from at least 85 per cent Pinot Noir grapes. The Archbishop of Paris once described it as ‘velvet and satin in bottles.’ 

2. Henri Jayer Cros Parantoux, Vosne-Romanee Premier Cru, France £4,894

Produced from grapes grown on a 2.5-acre site, this Burgundy is said to be full-bodied and rich. According to winesearcher.com the Henri Jayer Cros Parantoux wines – the last vintage of which was in 2001 – are highly sought after by collectors and command thousands of dollars a bottle.

3. Egon Muller-Scharzhof Scharzhofberger Riesling Trockenbeerenauslese, Germany, £4,577

The first German wine on the list, this Riesling is produced on the banks of the Moselle River in Germany’s Rheingau vineyard. German wines are some of the world’s most underrated, no thanks to the proliferation of the infamous Liebfraumilch and Blue Nun bottles which gained in popularity in the Sixties and Seventies. The 2010 vintage was given a score of a 100 out of 100 by wine critics.

4. Domaine Leflaive Montrachet Grand Cru, Cote de Beaune, France, £3,716

A biodynamic white wine produced in the famous Puligny-Montrachet estate, the growing cycles of the grapes takes into account the phases of the moon and the positions of the planet. Made from the famous Chardonnay white-wine grape, the wine itself is said to taste smoky, toasty and buttery, with a firm acidity.

5. Joh. Jos. Prum Wehlener Sonnenuhr Riesling Trockenbeerenauslese, Germany, £3,415

The second and final German entry on the list, this sweet white is produced at a vineyard which has been in the same family since the 17th century. According to the site, the wine stands out for its ‘finesse and delicacy, rather than its power.’ The grapes are grown on the precipitously steep, southwest-facing Wehlener Sonnenuhr slpe with its grey slate soil.

6. Domaine Leroy Musigny Grand Cru, Cote de Nuits, France, £3,379.

Chemical fertilisers, insecticides and herbicides have not been used on this vineyard for more than a generation. This wine is also biodynamic and the grapes which go into it are sorted individually on tables instead of on a conveyor belt.

7. Domaine Georges & Christophe Roumier Musigny Grand Cru, Cote de Nuits, France, £3,202.

Described as a ‘seductively fruity wine’ by wine specialists Berry Brothers & Rudd, the Pinot Noir grapes that go into this wine are sorted carefully by hand. The vineyard was founded in 1924 by George Roumier, who began bottling in 1945. The paterfamilias was succeeded by his son Jean-Marie in 1957, who worked alongside his son, Christophe until 1992, when the latter took over the estate.

8. Domaine de la Romanee-Conti Montrachet Grand Cru, Cote de Beaune, France, £2,948

According to winesearcher, this wine has received more awards than any other white wine from the region. The Guide Hachette des Vins awarded the 2005, 2004 and 2003 vintages three stars each. Reviewers have praised the scent of the wine, with one describing the nose as a ‘multi-dimensional aroma of honey and graphite, pear, pineapple, orange peel and vanilla.

9. Domaine Jean-Louis Chave Ermitage Cuvee Cathelin, Rhone, France £2,403

Produced in a vineyard owned by a family who have been making wine since 1481, the Chave line could lay claim to being France’s winemaking royal family, this wine is made from the dark-skinned red wine Syrah grape, also known as Shiraz. The wine is said to taste floral in its youth, developing more peppery and herbaceous notes as it ages.

10. Henri Jayer Echezeaux Grand Cru, Cote de Nuits, France £2,196

French vintner Henri Jayer opposed the use of chemicals in vineyards, choosing instead to plow the ground to control weeds. The innovative winemaker also refused to filter his wines and is particularly well known for always destemming his grapes. He also believed that low yields were the foundation of great wines.

The list is based on the average price of a standard bottle (750ml), counting all available vintages. The Information was drawn from the website’s database of 50,198 price lists

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