By Rai Cornell

 

In November 2017, the Emeril Lagasse Foundation raised $3.5 million for children’s charities. A large part of that success was thanks to a single bottle of wine that sold for $350,000.

 

The top dollar bottle was a 2015 Setting WInes Alexander Valley Cabernet Sauvignon created by celebrity winemaker Jesse Katz. Katz’s California vineyard, Devil Proof, caters to the palettes of distinguished celebrities including Wolfgang Puck, Pink Floyd, and, of course, Emeril Lagasse himself.

 

Now, with the $350,000 cab off the market, we’re wondering...which bottles are carrying the heftiest price tags in 2018?

 

$2.07 Million - 2013 Taste of Diamonds

 

The sticker price on this bottle of champagne is no joke. Topping the list of the most expensive wine in the world as of early 2018 is the 2013 Taste of Diamonds Champagne.

 

This champagne is a refreshing yet creamy blend of Grand Cru Chardonnay, Pinot Meunier, and Pinot Noir.

 

While the liquid gold inside certainly commands a large price tag - evidenced by the fact that it won the “Best Taste” award in 2012 - it’s the bottle that really raises the stakes.

 

First, the bottle is emblazoned with a stunning shield of 18-carat solid gold featuring the vintage logo. As if that isn’t enough, at the center of the precious metal logo is a flawless 19 carat white diamond. To top it off, the bottle was made by the hands of Alexander Amosu, a young millionaire known for his impressive tech savvy and business acumen.

 

$500,000 - 1992 Screaming Eagle Cabernet

 

Next up on our list of the world’s most expensive wine is this stunning red, the 1992 Screaming Eagle Cabernet.

 

Despite its youth and size (the bottle cradles a whopping 6 liters of the delicious wine), this Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon commands top dollar.

 

The wine is an oak-aged vintage with notes of blackcurrant, boysenberry, dark chocolate, vanilla, and licorice. It was last sold during a charity auction in Napa Valley in 2000, but rumor has it that the bottle could be yours today for half a million.

 

$275,000 - 2013 Armand de Brignac Rose

 

Coming in at third place, this bottle towers over the competition… literally.

 

The bottle of the 2013 Armand de Brignac Rose stands four feet tall and weighs more than 40 pounds. Housed inside is 40 standard bottles worth of some of the most luscious pink bubbly on the market today.

 

We’re just not sure that anyone would be able to actually pour a glass from this goliath.

 

$225,000 - 1787 Chateau Margaux

 

The second red wine on our list, the 1787 Chateau Margaux once belonged to Thomas Jefferson. The bottle eventually found its way through 250 years without being broken or damaged only to end up a casualty of a clumsy waiter at the Four Seasons Hotel.

 

Sadly, this vintage is no longer up for sale. Technically, the last buyer was the insurance company who had to shell out $225,000 for the insured bottle after the accident.

 

$156,450 - 1787 Chateau Lafite

 

Apparently, 1787 was the year for great wine - and Thomas Jefferson stocked up. This 1787 Chateau Lafite was also among Jefferson’s personal collection and his initials are carved into the glass.

 

Rumor has it that Jefferson picked up this bottle - among others - while serving as the ambassador to France during his long political career. In 1985, the bottle found a new home with Malcom Forbes.

 

The sheer fact that this bottle is one of the oldest known bottles of wine still intact today is what allows it to command six figures.

 

$117,000 - 1811 Chateau d’Yquem

 

The only white wine to hit the list of the most expensive wines over $100,000, this 1811 Chateau d’Yquem is something special. While most white wines turn well before their 200th birthday, this beauty has been able to stand the test of time thanks to its unusually high levels of residual sugar.

 

The wine was originally produced with a combination of Semillon and Sauvignon Blanc grapes, which we’re just dying to try.

 

Now, we don’t recommend that you go out and drop seven, six, or even four figures on a bottle of wine. In fact, we can get some world class wines in your hand for two figures.

 

But we would like to know…what’s the most expensive wine you’ve been fortunate enough to taste? And was it worth every penny? Our mouths are salivating for the answers. Drop us a comment below!