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Most Expensive Bottle of Port?
Posted: 18:43 Sun 08 Jul 2007
by 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
Posted: 19:31 Sun 08 Jul 2007
by 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
Posted: 20:20 Sun 08 Jul 2007
by 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
Posted: 21:38 Sun 08 Jul 2007
by DRT
Is that the £5,000 bottle that turned out to be a bit if a disappointment
- ouch
Derek
Posted: 21:43 Sun 08 Jul 2007
by 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
NN31: reflected glory
Posted: 01:57 Mon 09 Jul 2007
by jdaw1
I have the PDF of the catalogue (don’t challenge reflected glory unless you have better):
Christies wrote: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.
Yes, I am aware of the apostrophe crime. But it is in quoted text.
Posted: 08:34 Mon 09 Jul 2007
by 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
Posted: 02:14 Thu 12 Jul 2007
by Todd P
Ouch, that IS an expensive disappointment.
Todd