"chateau petrus" news and stories

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?)

If you've got $7,000 stashed away somewhere and are totally bored on your vacation at the Royal Hideaway Playacar, an all-inclusive resort on Mexico's Yucatan Peninsula, you can take a private wine class with the resort's wine expert that includes a bottle of 1986 Chateau Petrus.

For those not in the know, Petrus is the most expensive and famed Chateau in Bordeaux, which makes the wine possibly the most expensive and famed in the world (though Domaine de la Romanee-Conti in Burgundy just might have topped it in recent vintages). Regardless, Petrus is the ultimate wine porn, made mostly of Merlot in the grape's most exquisite expression.

The Petrus is at the center of the $7,000 experience, served with a three-course dinner on the beach that's perfectly paired to the wine.

Or, you could just spend $1,200 to $2,000 on a bottle of the Petrus and drink it at home, sans the beach experience.