Wine Sale Sets Guinness World Record

LONDONThe Antique Wine Company announced a Guinness World Records-setting sale of a bottle of white wine. The bottle of 1811 Château dYquem was sold by the company to wine connoisseur and private collector Christian Vanneque for $117,000.

The bottle is accompanied by a record of inspection from Chateau dYquem, where five years ago, the label was examined and compared to the 1811 paper labels held in the files at the chateau. Further, inspection of the glass bottle confirmed that the shape, punt and color appeared to be in accordance with other examples previously seen from the early vintages of the 19th century. The new owner of the wine purchased the rare bottle for his new establishment, SIP Sunset Grill in Bali, Indonesia, where it will go on display when the restaurant launches in September 2011.

 I was very happy to have had the opportunity to acquire such a gem," Vanneque said. This bottle will serve as a central feature and major attraction for my new restaurant. This bottle of Chateau dYquem signifies unrivaled quality and character, attributes that I wish to emulate in the new establishment."

The 1811 Chateau dYquem is prized as one of the greatest wines in the history of Bordeaux and one of the most supreme vintages ever produced. It was rated the ultimate 100 points by respected wine critic Robert Parker and again 100 points by The Wine Spectator's Per-Henrik Mansson in 1999. Parker described it as follows: "...The dYquem, with its dark gold color, awesomely intense, sweet nose, unctuous, thick, fabulous flavor extraction, pinpoint precision, and a finish that lasted a minute or more, is the kind of wine on which Yquems reputation is based. It was liquified Creme Brulee - an astonishing wine..."

Stephen Williams, Managing Director of The Antique Wine Company, added: To some people this might seem a lot of money for a bottle of wine, but its not just wine, its history and nostalgia in a bottle. When these grapes were on the vine the Great Comet" visibly passed the earth, Napoleon Bonaparte was building his empire, Beethoven was writing music and the electric light was still almost half a century into the future. Whenever I enjoy old vintages like this, these are the thoughts on my mind whilst the wine is on my palate".

Certified with a Guinness World Records adjudicator present, the bottle goes down in history as the most valuable bottle of white wine ever sold to date.