What a corker: White wine sells for record €85k

A FRENCH wine expert has splashed out €85,000 = on a bottle of wine — a Chateau d’Yquem from 1811 — making it the most costly bottle of white wine ever sold.

The buyer, Christian Vanneque, is a sommelier and restaurateur but the bottle is unlikely ever to see a corkscrew, serving instead as a talking point at his new restaurant in Bali.

It’s rare to see a white fetch such prices, or even to remain drinkable. The explanation seems to be that the bottle is a Sauternes which, being a dessert wine, would contain high acidity and a lot of sugar, which may prolong its life.