Old Château d'Yquem becomes 'world's most valuable' commercially sold wine

Bought for $122,206, this coveted 1811 bottle famed for its longevity has sold to a French collector

It is now the most valuable bottle of white wine sold commercially anywhere in the world.

A bottle of 1811 Château d'Yquem was auctioned at the Ritz in central London by rare wine experts The Antique Wine Company.

The lucky buyer was Christian Vanneque, a French private collector who bought it for £75,000 ($122,206).

While it's an impressive sum, the figure is still some way behind the £192,000 ($312,847) paid for a 1947 French Cheval-Blanc at a Christie's sale in Geneva, last November.

Nevertheless, the 1811 Château d'Yquem has still set a new World Record price for a commercial (non auction) sale.

So, why did the Château d'Yquem sell for so much? Well, aside from its complexity, concentration and sweetness, Château d'Yquems are also renowned for their longevity.

Indeed, with the right care and attention a bottle can keep for a century or more, resulting in more complex flavours in the wine.

The 1811 Château d'Yquem's new owner will exhibit it in Bali, Indonesia

Of course, this wine has been around for more than a century. Vanneque told reporters that he will exhibit the coveted bottle in his new restaurant, SIP Sunset Grill, in Bali, Indonesia.

Meanwhile, the 1811 vintage will be sure to continue to gain value on the markets in future years.

As we recently reported, The Antique Wine Company's Ritz auction is one of a growing number of high-end sales being held in top hotels around the world.

This includes in Asia, particularly Hong Kong, whose markets have been dubbed a 'free trade zone for wine' following the government's cutting of its wine duty from 40% in February 2008.

The growing international boom in fine wines means that plenty of worldwide collectors will likely have their eye on Mr Vanneque's World Record bottle.

And it may only be a matter of time until the World Record for a bottle of wine - whether it's a commercial sale or top-end auction result - will be broken again.

Watch this space for more upcoming news from the global wine markets.

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Image: The Antique Wine Company