The most expensive white wine ever sold is an 1811 Château d’Yquem, which fetched $117,000 (about £75,000) in a private sale at the Ritz in London in July 2011. This list ranks white wines by the verified price per bottle at auction or private sale, with case lots divided by 12 and flagged. Older sales are the high end, since the very top still belongs to rare 19th century Yquem.
| Rank | Item | Price | Date | Sold at |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1811 Château d’Yquem | $117,000 (about £75,000) | Jul 2011 | Private sale, The Ritz, London |
| 2 | 1847 Château d’Yquem | $71,675 | Oct 2004 | Zachys, Los Angeles auction |
| 3 | DRC Montrachet 1989 (case) | $77,675 for a case; about $6,470 a bottle | Date not confirmed | Hart Davis Hart wine auction |
| 4 | DRC Montrachet 2014 | $3,690 a bottle | Feb 2026 | Hart Davis Hart wine auction |
| 5 | Coche-Dury Meursault Perrières 1982 (case) | $43,560 for a case; about $3,630 a bottle | 2017 | Zachys auction |
| 6 | DRC Montrachet 1996 (case) | $41,125 for a case; about $3,430 a bottle | Mid-2000s | Sotheby’s, New York |
| 7 | Domaine Leflaive Bienvenues-Bâtard-Montrachet 2021 | $1,660.50 a bottle | Dec 2025 | Heritage Auctions wine sale, New York |
| 8 | Domaine Leflaive Bâtard-Montrachet 2021 | $1,230 a bottle | Dec 2025 | Heritage Auctions wine sale, New York |
1. 1811 Château d’Yquem: $117,000 (about £75,000)
A bottle of the 1811 vintage, the year of the Great Comet, sold at the Ritz in London through a UK wine merchant. It is the highest price we found for any white wine bottle.
Yquem is a sweet Sauternes with a high sugar level, which is why it can last two centuries. The buyer was a collector named in the press.
How we valued it: price paid in a private sale, reported in sterling and dollars at the time.
2. 1847 Château d’Yquem: $71,675
This bottle sold at Zachys’ first Los Angeles auction, held with a local retailer, to a bidder in the room. Coverage at the time called it the highest price ever for a white wine.
The 1847 vintage is a perennial favourite with collectors, and 19th century Yquem is the only white wine that regularly reaches this tier.
How we valued it: hammer price with premium as reported by the auction coverage.
3. DRC Montrachet 1989 (case): $77,675 for a case; about $6,470 a bottle
A case of the 1989 Montrachet from Domaine de la Romanée-Conti set a record at a Hart Davis Hart sale. The domaine makes only a few barrels of this white, so supply is tiny.
The per-bottle figure assumes a 12-bottle case.
How we valued it: case price reported as a record, divided by 12 for the per-bottle figure.
4. DRC Montrachet 2014: $3,690 a bottle
Two bottles of 2014 Montrachet sold for $7,380 in total on 20 February 2026. It is a recent vintage, so the price comes from demand for the name alone.
How we valued it: lot price of $7,380 for two bottles, divided by two.
5. Coche-Dury Meursault Perrières 1982 (case): $43,560 for a case; about $3,630 a bottle
Coche-Dury is a small Meursault estate whose bottles rarely appear. A case of the 1982 Perrières made $43,560 in a sale of a private Coche-Dury collection that raised $917,785 across 109 lots.
How we valued it: case price from the auction results, divided by 12.
6. DRC Montrachet 1996 (case): $41,125 for a case; about $3,430 a bottle
A case of 1996 Montrachet from the domaine sold for $41,125 at Sotheby’s, a 133 percent jump on the previous sale, and was reported as a record at the time.
How we valued it: case price as reported at the sale, divided by 12. The exact date is not confirmed.
7. Domaine Leflaive Bienvenues-Bâtard-Montrachet 2021: $1,660.50 a bottle
This Grand Cru from Puligny-Montrachet sold on 12 December 2025. Buyers pay for a named Grand Cru vineyard and a young vintage.
How we valued it: lot price for one bottle at the sale.
8. Domaine Leflaive Bâtard-Montrachet 2021: $1,230 a bottle
The sibling Grand Cru sold the same day for $1,230. It is the cheapest entry here, and still more than most people spend on a wine in a year.
How we valued it: lot price for one bottle at the sale.
Records set in 2025 and 2026
We found no new record for a white wine in 2025 or 2026. The newest verified sales are a 2014 DRC Montrachet at $3,690 a bottle in February 2026 and Domaine Leflaive Grand Crus in December 2025. Across the wine market, 2025 reds took about 71 percent of auction value, while dry whites held about 20 percent, which keeps white prices well below the red record bottles.
What drives these prices
- Sugar, not oak, makes the oldest whites. Sweet Sauternes survives for two centuries, dry whites rarely do.
- Tiny supply. DRC makes a few barrels of Montrachet a year.
- Provenance. Bottles from a named private cellar, like the Coche-Dury collection, bring more than the same wine from a dealer.
- Vintage and vineyard. A Grand Cru label adds a premium before age is counted.
FAQ
What is the most expensive white wine in the world?
An 1811 Château d’Yquem sold privately for $117,000 in July 2011. That is the highest we found.
What is the most expensive white wine sold at auction?
A 1847 Château d’Yquem at $71,675 at Zachys in Los Angeles in October 2004.
How much is a bottle of DRC Montrachet?
A 2014 bottle sold for about $3,690 in February 2026. Older vintages and cases sold far higher.
Why is Yquem so expensive?
It is a sweet wine that can age for centuries, and very old bottles are rare.
What does a top Burgundy white cost today?
Our December 2025 examples were $1,230 and $1,660.50 a bottle for Leflaive Grand Crus.
How we put this list together
We rank white wines by the verified price per bottle at auction or private sale, dividing case lots by 12. Prices are approximate, older sales are not adjusted for inflation, and dates marked as unconfirmed are hedged.
Keep reading
Last updated: October 2026.
