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| Château Pétrus Photo: Garrulus, Flickr.com |
Château Pétrus, a red Bordeaux wine made almost entirely from Merlot grapes in the Pomerol appellation of France, is one of the world's priciest collectible wines.
In early October, assorted vintages of Château Pétrus went up for auction in Hong Kong through Sotheby's. To give you a sense of how coveted this wine is, the final bid came in at $93,077 USD for one six-liter bottle of the 1982 vintage. Another batch of Château Pétrus will be auctioned off this Wednesday in London. The earliest vintage is 1970 and the latest 2004.
But don't despair. Not all Château Pétrus will cost you $94,000. The 2008 vintage at some retailers is as low as $68. (Hint: this might be a good wine to cellar for more than you normally might, and perhaps pay for your kid's college tuition?)
What makes this wine so expensive? For one, its yield is among the lowest in Bordeaux and a limited-release wine in such a prime grape-growing area – wine from neighboring châteaux, like Chateau Cheval Blanc, starts in the $300 USD range – will cost you. Secondly, the terroir is extremely unique: limestone that's embedded with the remains of fossilized starfish. Yet the soil at Château Pétrus' is estimated to be more than a hundred million years older than that of its neighbors, containing a little bit of Pétrus Boutonnière (soil rich in calcareous clay).
There's also a bit of pop culture in this fine wine that you should know about. During the season seven finale of Frasier, Martin Crane's doorman gifts him with a 1945 Château Pétrus.
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