Most Expensive Bottle of Port?

[Conky]

A bit of a trivia point. But my research suggests the most expensive bottle of Port ever sold was a 1931 Quinta do Noval Nacional for $6,000 (£4200). This sale took place in the Graycliff restaurant in Nassau in the Bahamas in the mid 90's.

Thats some serious money, and as we all know, you can have a disaster with any bottle, if its not up to scratch.

Anyone heard of a dearer one?

Alan

[uncle tom]

I don't have the exact numbers, but the three NN31's sold at Christies last summer were comfortably above that - around the £4000 mark.

I should have kept a note

Tom

[Alex Bridgeman]

One of those bottles of NN31 sold at Christies last year was bought by Linden Wilkie and used in his Noval vs Nacional tasting that he organised in March 2007.

I believe that he paid slightly over £5,000 for that bottle (after taking into account buyer's premium and tax). Julian was also at the tasting and may have a better memory as to the amount that Linden paid.

Alex

[DRT]

Is that the £5,000 bottle that turned out to be a bit if a disappointment - ouch

Derek

[Conky]

It was a good job he turned it into a bit of a business enterprise with several other great bottles, and dozens paying tickets for the Tasting.
Imagine opening that with a mate or two, on a special occasion. It would be like the effect I had when my second wife left me. That was a really crap weekend!

Alan

[jdaw1]

I have the PDF of the catalogue (don’t challenge reflected glory unless you have better):

LEGENDARY NOVAL NACIONAL FROM A PRIVATE CELLAR

Lying in Twickenham, Middlesex (EHD)

Quinta do Noval, Nacional—Vintage 1931
Bottled by Justerini & Brooks. Remains of embossed wax capsules. Recent hand written slip labels. Lot 35 level into neck. Lot 36 level base of neck. Lot 37 level top-shoulder
Tasting Note: This, of course, is the supreme ‘31. Some of the above Novals might have been made from the 10% of the vineyard planted, ungrafted, with the traditional Nacional grape variety. Usually, however, Nacional appears somewhere on the bin label, wax seal and/or cork. A typical Noval Nacional was served by Tawfiq Khoury at a dinner in San Diego in 1982. I noted its amazing high-toned bouquet which reminded me of eau de cologne, armagnac and a sort of ultra-refined liquorice. Although only medium-sweet, it was incredibly full-bodied, a rich, bitter sweet wine, spicy, of great length. Tasted in 1982 ***** M.B.

35 4,600
36 4,400
37 4,500

Yes, I am aware of the apostrophe crime. But it is in quoted text.

[Alex Bridgeman]

To those prices you have to add buyers' premium (or should that be buyer's premium?) and VAT on the buyers' premium.

So these prices become £5,140.50, £4,917 and £5,028.75.

And it was this bottle that I found rather disappointing. It certainly wasn't the epiphany I had been hoping for.

Alex

[Todd P]

Ouch, that IS an expensive disappointment.

Todd