If you’re one of those people that like to spend thousands of cash for a single wine bottle, then this article is for you. Listed below are five traits that the world’s most expensive wines have in common. Let’s take a look at them, shall we?
- They’re Made from Popular Wine Grapes
- Expensive wines are made from rare (almost extinct) grapes. And just because it’s rare doesn’t mean it doesn’t deserve a spot in the auctioning hall in the form of wine. However, you can find deal-stealer wines at a lesser price, but they are probably made from lesser-known grapes.
- They’re Still Aged in Oak
- What does this mean? It means that wines that ages for long haven’t still reached the auction market just yet, making them a rarity. élevage is a wine aging program that evaluates various expensive wines and their age. Here’s what winemakers have to say about it:
- “Aged for 16–20 months in 50% new or once-used French oak.” – Château Petrus (Bordeaux, France)
- “Fermented and aged on the lees in 30% new French oak for 15 months.” – Domaine Leflaive Chevalier-Montrachet Grand Cru (Burgundy, France)
- “65% new French oak for almost 2 years.” – Screaming Eagle (Oakville, Napa Valley)
- Harvest Timing is Key
- Grapes don’t get ripen once they are picked, unlike any other fruit. That’s why winemakers perfectly time their harvest to get the right amount of ripeness. Each grape looks different once they are ripe.
- Chardonnay – Highly-prized Chardonnay wines over 14% ABV and lesser.
- Pinot Noir – With plenty of American wine options around, the most collectible Burgundy Pinot Noirs are lower in alcohol that usually has a number of between 13–13.5% only. Sometimes, they can go with higher levels of acidity as well that can go up to 3.3 pH.
- Keep in mind that the riper the grape, the sweeter it tastes. However, there is a sacrifice which loses their acidity. With lower acidity, wines won’t age well. That’s why some wine manufacturers can get away with it by adding acids, a process that’s called acidification.
- Where It’s Grown
- Just like the harvest timing, the world’s most expensive wines are often made from single estates. These estates have vineyards where they do viticulture, a process for wine growing. That’s why winemakers have practiced biodynamics, a method of organic farming.
- They’re Not Made Every Vintage
- The most expensive wines are made from specific vintage yields or with limited fruit supply. Here are some samples:
- Petrus – Château Petrus produces wine each vintage. However, the unwanted lots are offered as generic Pomerol AOC.
- Unico – This is a famous Spanish winery estate located in Vega Sicilia that produces wine only on the best vintages. Their wine was aged at least ten years before being sold.
- d’Yquem – Bordeaux’s most crucial sweet wine producer can’t produce their famous Sauternes on a bad vintage. This happened back in 2012, where the estate lost millions of revenue because of this.
