It’s always nice to splurge a little—treating yourself to a more expensive wine by the glass at the end of a hard week, or pulling out a prized bottle to mark those special moments. For some people dining out, splurging a little actually means spending a lot, especially for a rare bottle of wine—or two, or eight. Wine Spectator reached out to nine sommeliers to find out the most expensive bottle of wine they’ve ever sold at a restaurant. They came back with tales of big bottles with big numbers attached, a World War II victory vintage and wine flights that broke restaurant group records. See what brought in the big bucks!
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“Château Mouton-Rothschild 1945 for $20,000. It was in great condition and helped shape my opinion about Bordeaux from the 1940s. We interact with bottles like this once every few years, but that one was singular and stood out. The guest knew what they were getting into, but it took some confirmation and context to illustrate how special it really was. At the time, it may have set a record in the dining room, and there was certainly commotion amongst the staff. The buyer had just sold a company and was in a celebratory mood!”— Steven McDonald, executive beverage director for Grand Award-winning Pappas Bros. Steakhouses in Dallas and Houston
“The most expensive bottle I’ve ever sold was a Pétrus 1979, priced around $8,000 to $9,000, during my time as head sommelier at [Best of Award of Excellence winner] Gramercy Tavern. It went to a group of regulars with a deep love for vintage Bordeaux—1979 happened to be the birth year of one of them. It was the final bottle in an epic evening that featured a lineup of about 20 wines, including a medley of vintage Champagne, Burgundy and Bordeaux. While 1979 isn’t considered a top-tier Petrus vintage, we all agreed it was absolutely spectacular in the moment—a perfect way to close out a truly memorable night.”—Dorian González Vega, beverage director at Best of Award of Excellence winner Union Square Cafe, New York City
“The most expensive bottle I’ve ever sold was a Domaine Leflaive Grand Cru Bâtard-Montrachet, priced around $1,200, which I sold while working at [now-closed Best of Award of Excellence winner] Aureole in New York City. I remember being a bit nervous during the service, wanting everything to go perfectly and hoping the wine showed exactly as expected. After I carefully presented and opened the bottle, the guest smiled, thanked me and then casually asked for a side of ice. Without hesitation, he dropped a handful of ice cubes right into his glass of white Burgundy. It was a humbling reminder that once the wine is poured, it belongs to the guest, and their enjoyment is what matters most.”— Matt Reina, wine director and general manager of Award of Excellence winner The Left Bank, Weston, Vt.
“I loved working at Parcelle in Chinatown. The neighborhood is rowdy, the space is gorgeous, and the list is full of incredible wines with the best prices in Manhattan. The restaurant was empty around 9:30 p.m., and I was about to lock the front door when a group walked up and asked if they could grab a bottle to finish up their evening. A comparison of Meursault Genévrières 2018 from Domaine Roulot and Dominique Lafon to start. They were hungry, but our kitchen team had gone home. I ordered birria tacos and consomé from Birria Landia and served a bottle of Pignan Châteauneuf-du-Pape 2010. On another occasion at Parcelle, I sold a bottle of G. Roumier Les Amoureuses 2009 to a guy walking to a dinner party. That place is special.”— Tyler Potts, wine director for Grand Award winner Press in St. Helena, Calif.
“To be perfectly honest, I’m not sure I remember exactly which bottle was the most expensive—that’s often not what sticks out. Having spent most of my years in New York City selling Italian wine and Champagne rather than Burgundy, things only get so crazy. That said, I do vividly remember the night we set a wine sales record at [now-closed Best of Award of Excellence winner] Maialino. It was 2018 or 2019, right around the time of Festa della Barolo, and the entire dining room seemed to have come with one purpose: to drink great wine, preferably old Nebbiolo. I sold a single table a lineup that included Jerome Prévost 2012, Philipponnat Clos des Goisses 1995, Giacomo Conterno Barolo 1964 alongside Riserva 1964, Giuseppe Rinaldi Riserva 1958 and Brunate 2004, Bartolo Mascarello 1984, Soldera Riserva 1998 and Biondi-Santi 1985. There were a few others in the mix, but I remember each of these wines just singing—each one a legendary bottle, each in perfect shape. Every time I opened another, I braced myself for the possibility that it might be dead, but instead, one after another, they were flawless. By the end of the night, we had beaten a 10-year wine sales record by several thousand. It was a number that most restaurants would feel great about achieving in total sales, and we did it on wine alone.”— Cory Holt, general manager of Zimmi’s, New York City
“The most expensive bottle that I sold at HMF at the Breakers was Domaine de la Romanée-Conti Montrachet for $9,500. I sold it to one guest who has been returning to the Breakers for the last three years. I remember the first time that I met him, he was admiring our wine cellar display. He is always impressed with our wine list—especially the Domaine de la Romanée-Conti selections—and our Grand Award recognition.”—Juan Gomez, head sommelier of Grand Award winner HMF at the Breakers, Palm Beach, Fla.
“We’ve been extremely fortunate to sell many high-end bottles regularly at Cru Uncorked, but the most expensive ever was a Domaine de la Romanée-Conti 2007 for $25,000. Not surprisingly, it was a celebration for a guest, a wine lover who had a movie premiering. It’s always somewhat bittersweet to see a unicorn bottle like that leave the cellar and be enjoyed and appreciated by our guests, knowing it can’t be replaced. Luckily for us, we have nine more vintages of that wine for another special celebration."—Anthony Taylor, wine director for Best of Award of Excellence winner Cru Uncorked, Moreland Hills, Ohio
“The most expensive bottle I've personally ever sold was a Henri Jayer Cros Parantoux 1997 1.5-liter for $117,000. This is a cult-style wine from a magnum which was and still is very sought after for its classy, elegant style. It’s a wine which, for me, reminds me of a gorgeous watercolor painting where the flavors and aromas are soft and delicate but extremely expressive.”—Andrew Hurley, wine director for Grand Award winner Restaurant Guy Savoy, Las Vegas
“I’m really not one to kiss and tell. Let’s just say that the most expensive bottle I’ve ever sold was from Burgundy and it cost more than the car I was driving at the time. And I was driving a pretty nice car. When opening wine of this caliber, it’s important to remember that this is not a life-changing experience. It’s a really rare and special bottle of wine. But it’s wine nonetheless. You’ve got this.”—Dan Davis, wine director of Grand Award winner Commander’s Palace, New Orleans
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