If you’re one for the finer things in life, and have hundreds of thousands lying around, then you’ll be interested to know that a 200-year-old bottle of wine that was intended for Emperor Napoleon Bonaparte, will be on the market in South Africa later this month.
This unopened bottle of Grand Constance 1821 is celebrated for its rarity, age, and deep history. According to Business Insider, only a dozen bottles of this incredibly rare wine are thought to still exist.
The September auction will be the second time that a vintage once destined to be enjoyed by the Emperor Napoleon Bonaparte on St Helena before his death, will land up in the hands of someone else.
News24 reports that in May, the Cape Fine & Rare Wine Auction saw a Grand Constance 1821 sold for a record-breaking R420 000, nearly a fifth the value of the entire auction on a bid from a UK-based client.
Strauss & Co has placed a hefty estimate of R300 000 to R500 000 on the bottle, but that’s the price to pay for a slice of history (and some cool bragging rights).
The auction house adds that the hand-blown glass bottle is in “incredible condition” for its age and was purchased on auction in London in 1983 by the Malan family of Simonsig Estate, where it was carefully preserved ever since.
Is it ludicrous to pay this amount for a vintage or would you also like your slice of the bygone era pie?
Also read:
329-year-old historic Morgenhof Wine Estate sold for R52.25m
Picture: Unsplash