Top 10 Most Expensive Wines in the World

Punt: The indentation found at the base of the wine bottle
Vintner: A seller or manufacturer of wine
Oenophile: A person who has learned to appreciate wine and is fond of it

Yup, she has her own dictionary, she’s known as poetry in a bottle, she gets classier with age and with this list of the crazy amount of money people are willing to spend on her, wine just got snobbier!

Here’s a list of some of the whopping prices that people have paid for 750 milliliters of bottled ecstasy.

10. CHATEAU MARGAUX 2009

PRICE: $12,300
STRIKING FEATURE: First bottled Bordeaux wine in a 12-liter bottle

Next time you happen to be at the Dubai International Airport, do remember to stop by at the Le Clos wine shop in Terminal 3, where you will see three limited edition Balthazars (12-liter bottles) of this exquisite red wine from the Midoc region of France, just north of Bordeaux.
Only three out of the six bottles ever made are available on sale, at approximately $195,000 each. Each Balthazar is housed in an intricate oak case and engraved with master craftsmanship. Along with the vintage Balthazar, the 3 buyers will be flown first class to France to visit the Chateau Margaux estate, where they will enjoy a private tour of its cellars and vineyard and be treated to a lavish dinner with the chief winemaker and managing director, Paul Pontallier. This 2009 vintage can be aged for over a century and is proposed to be a fresh, balanced and long lasting experience for the palate.

9. 2010 WILLIAMS SELYEM PINOT NOIR

PRICE: $17,000
STRIKING FEATURE: 9 liter bottle auctioned for $205,000

The 2010 Williams Selyem Westside Road Neighbors Pinot Noir won the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo Reserve Grand Champion and Best of Show award. Having achieved the prize, the 9 liter bottle known as a Salmanazar was promptly auctioned off at a wine dinner in Houston, where it fetched $205,000. The bottle holds an equivalent of 12 bottles of wine.

8. CHATEAU CHEVAL BLANC 1947

PRICE: $38,000
STRIKING FEATURE: Still drinkable today and for the next 50 years

The Chateau Cheval Blanc 1947 will cost you a whopping $304,375 for a 6 liter bottle. This wine from France is known to be one of the greatest Bordeaux of all time. It was previously owned by a Swiss collector, who requested anonymity, and was sold at an auction at Christie’s in Geneva on November 16, 2010 to a private collector. The wine expert at Christie’s, Michael Ganne, has vouched for the 1947 Cheval-Blanc to be “without a doubt one of the greatest Bordeaux of all time, not only for its rare quality but its longevity, in that it can still be kept for another 50 years without any problem.”

7. CHATEAU D’YQUEM 1811

PRICE: $117,000
STRIKING FEATURE: Holds a Guinness World Record for the most expensive bottle of white wine

The Antique Wine Company sold a bottle of this rare vintage for $117,000. It is claimed to be one of the greatest wines in the history of Bordeaux and one of the most supreme vintages ever produced. Christian Vanneque, a wine connoisseur and private collector, is the rich guy who purchased this rare bottle to keep on display at his new establishment, SIP Sunset Grill in Bali, Indonesia.

6. ROMANEE CONTI 1945

PRICE: $123,900
STRIKING FEATURE: Produced during WWII

Phylloxera, a pest of commercial grapevines, is capable of destroying an entire vineyard. During WWII, and just before the outbreak of phylloxera, 600 bottles of this end-of-war Romanée-Conti were created. The entire Romanée-Conti vineyard was uprooted in 1946 and did not produce wine again until the 1952 vintage. The Romanee Conti 1945, which represents the final harvest from the pre-phylloxera vines, bottles a taste of history. It was bought by a U.S. collector at Christie’s fine-wine auction.

5. CHATEAU LAFITTE 1787

PRICE: $156,450
STRIKING FEATURE: Believed to have originated from the late President Thomas Jefferson’s cellar

“I wish Jefferson had bloody drunk the thing.”
This is what Malcolm Forbes (Publisher: Forbes Magazine) said after his $156,450 turned to $0!

This was one of the bottles discovered after two centuries in a Parisian cellar where Thomas Jefferson (known to be the first wine connoisseur of America) had himself stored it. It had “Th. J.” etched on it and its’ authenticity was vouched for by great wine connoisseurs.
In 1985, the publishing magnate Malcolm Forbes put his prized new possession on a pedestal in a glass case under halogen spotlights so it could bask in all its glory. As a result of being under these strong lights and at a wrong angle, the cork eventually dried out and dropped into the bottle, rendering it valueless.

4. PENFOLDS 2004 KALIMNA CABERNET SAUVIGNON AMPOULE

PRICE: $168,000
STRIKING FEATURE: Not the normal European wine; produced at the Australian Penfolds Winery

This wine was made in an ampoule created from blown glass and housed in a cabinet made of Jarrah, a eucalyptus tree native to Western Australia. There have only been 12 such ampoules of this 750 ml red wine ever made. The ‘exquisite quality’ Penfolds Limited Edition 2004 Block 42 Kalimna Cabernet Sauvignon Ampoulhfe was made from hand-picked grapes from one of the oldest Cabernet Sauvignon vineyards in the world, and fermented in oak hogshead barrels since 2004.
The first of this ‘beyond premium’ ampoule was purchased by a restaurateur from Hong Kong-Mr. Wong Wing Chee of Dragon Seal Restaurant. He encased it in a bullet-proof glass in his Cantonese restaurant on the 101st floor of the International Commerce Centre.

3. CHATEAU MARGAUX 1787

PRICE: $225,000
STRIKING FEATURE: It was the most expensive bottle of wine ever broken

The Chateau Margaux 1787 was another vintage from Thomas Jefferson’s collection to be discovered from behind the Parisian cellar wall in 1985 with his initials. It was valued at $500,000 by its owner, a New York wine merchant called William Sokolin.
In 1989, after Sokolin sat down to dinner at the Four Seasons restaurant, he realized that the guests of honor were the owners of the wine that he was trying to sell on their behalf. He wondered to himself why the wine should be in a dark cellar when it could be at the party. He took a taxi back to his apartment, retrieved the wine, and rushed back to the restaurant where he began to show it around.
At the end of the evening, a waiter bumped into the table, causing the bottle to fall to the ground and smash. Fortunately, it was insured for $225,000 and sum was paid out by the insurance company. This is equivalent to about $390,000 today.

2. CHATEAU LAFITTE 1869

PRICE: $233,972
STRIKING FEATURE: Estimated to auction for a mere $8,000; sold for $233,972

The Lafitte is considered to be a luxury purchase and coveted gift item in Asia. In 2012, an auction house was stunned when this bottle, estimated to reach $8,000 in value, ended up selling for $233,972 to an anonymous Asian bidder.

1. HEIDSIECK 1907

PRICE: $275,000
STRIKING FEATURE: Discovered after 80 years of being under the sea, off the Finland coast

In 1916, 200 bottles of this champagne were a part of a shipment to the Russian Imperial family, when they got lost in a shipwreck. 80 years later, they were discovered by a ship driver and each bottle sold $275,000. For 80 years, the ship lay at the bottom of the sea, 63 meters deep—a depth that happens to be the perfect resting place for a bottle of Champagne, with six atmospheres of pressure (the same as inside the bottle) at constant near-freezing temperatures, undisturbed and shielded from any source of light. These reasons led to the fame and perfection of the 1907 Heidsieck & Co. Monopole Diamant Bleu “Shipwrecked” Champagne.

A gentleman named Chris Hoel, who happened to be attending a private wine-tasting event has described the wine to have intense aromas of gunflint and black rifle powder mixed with a briny note like roasted oysters. He has accounted for notes of graham cracker, burnt lemon oil, and flamed oranges along with massive flavors of caramelized bananas, burnt citrus, and kerosene with a touch of bubbles remaining Top 10 Colours and their Meaning
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Top 10 Most Expensive Houses in the World 

Home is where the heart this, they say and if you have homes as big as entire cities, it’s more than one person’s heart we are talking about. Most people’s idea of a home is fairly big, decently sized, cozy and a warm house that they make into a ‘home’ with adding memories and attachment to it. But then again, not everyone is ‘most people’. Some people like to go all out and put all the efforts and money into building a giant house. Now the house in question need not always be beautiful or breathtaking but it always stands out. These houses are built with meticulous planning and design details. The owners of these houses almost always want to build something like nothing else. These are the most expensive houses in the world. The most basic characteristics of these expensive homes are – large and spacious, huge gardens, intricate decors etc. The most appalling part of such houses is that even though the houses are humungous, the number of people living in them is very small like 5. Here is a list of the top 10 most expensive houses in the world-

10. BRAN CASTLE ($135 MILLION)

Eastern Europe and always gotten an air of mystery with its gothic past. Romania is not different. Bran Castle is located in Transylvania in Romania. Today, this fortress is a national monument in Romania because it is said to be the house of Dracula, the Romanian legend. It was once home to many Romanian royal families, the most popular being Vlad, ‘The Impaler’, who is more popularly known as the Dracula. This whooping $135 million dollar estate has 57 rooms, 17 bedrooms, some very beautiful interiors with Gothic architecture and a remarkable décor. The owner of this house, Archduke Dominic put this house up for sale in 2007 but the government decided to make money off this masterpiece and made this into a museum.

9. UPDOWN COURT ($139 MILLION)

England is home to many royal families so one can expect some really breathtaking houses in this country. Updown Court is a private property located in Windlesham, Surrey, England. This house is a Californian style mansion with 103 rooms, private cinema halls, bowling alleys, 58 acres of landscaped garden, a woodland, tennis and squash courts and what not. This is one house that no person can ever get bored in. The entire property is valued to be around $139 million and in 2005, it was the most expensive house in the world. The house looks like a movie-set and one must really see it to believe the extravaganza of this house.

8. THE MANOR ($150 MILLION)

Los Angeles is not new to big and lavish homes and The Manor is just one of it’s many huge and expensive houses. Built in a chateauesque style, The Manor is a 123 bedroom home which was originally built for television producer Aaron Spelling. The current owner of the house is Petra Ecclestone, the daughter of Formula 1 giant Bernie Ecclestone. This house has been used in many movies as a set and it the most expensive house in the LA County. The house is valued at $150 million and has swimming pools, cinema halls, tennis courts and a beauty salon! We wouldn’t even bother getting out of the house if we lived in it.

7. THE PINNACLE ($155 MILLION)

A house in a residential area in which only billionaires can buy homes. Who needs any further explanation to that? The Pinnacle is a house in Montana, USA which is owned by Tim and Edra Blixseth, the owners of the Yellowstone Club. This house is the ultimate dream of every ski-lover with heated floors, fireplaces in all rooms including bathrooms, a huge wine-cellar, an indoor and an outdoor pool and the list just goes on and on. With only 10 bedrooms, the house is spacious and very well designed. This house is worth $155 million and we’d spend every single cent we have to buy this dream place.

6. FRANCHUK VILLA ($161 MILLION)

Everyone knows that London is a very expensive city. And yet, this expensive city is home to one of the most expensive houses in the world. The Franchuk Villa is located on Kensington Street, London. This Victorian style mansion used to be a girl’s school but it is now a private home that is up for sale. It has 6 floors with 20 feet ceilings, a cinema hall, gym, a panic room, an indoor swimming pool, sauna etc. It is currently valued at $161 million. It is the most expensive house sold in London.

5. HEARST MANSION ($165 MILLION)

The set of the movie Godfather, the honeymoon house of J F Kennedy and now a national monument, the Hearst Mansion has many such attributes to its name. Located in Beverly Hills, LA is this castle-like house which has 6 separate residences, 3 swimming pools, tennis courts and the other usual things that one finds in expensive homes. But what makes this one different is that the Hearst Mansion also has a disco in it! Truly one of a kind castle. This house is estimated to be around $165 million and is owned by the government and is open to public.

4. FAIRFIELD POND ($198 MILLION)

Anyone who watches American TV shows based in New York know what Hamptons mean- glamour, money and a vacation on the beach. Fairfield Pond is located in the Hamptons and is the most expensive residence in the US. Owned by the investor Ira Rennert, it is valued to be $198 million. Located on the beach-front, this house has bowling alleys, tennis courts, a basketball court. It has 29 bedrooms and 39 bathrooms. The place is spread over63 acres and is the largest residential compound in the US.

3. THE PENTHOUSE ($200 MILLION)

Mansions that cost millions and millions are quite understandable given that they are spread over a huge amount of property. But one of the top 3 most expensive houses in the world is a penthouse flat! Hard to believe, but The Penthouse is a whopping $200 million flat in central London that overlooks Hyde Park. The fancy house has a wine tasting room, bullet-proof windows, and a panic room, access to spa and squash rooms, a 24/7 help on hand and view of London like no other. It is the most expensive flat or apartment in the world.

2. VILLA LEOPOLDA ($506 MILLION)

Cote d’Azur is every person’s French dream and someone out there is truly living it. A 27 storey high mansion on the French Riviera, Villa Leopolda was built for King Leopold but was later bought by Edmund Safra. The best feature of this mansion has got to be its private beach front, which on the French Riviera, is nothing short of paradise. Apart from that, it has 11 bedrooms and 14 bathrooms, gardens, swimming pools etc. One can only imagine what it must be like to sit in this house with a book and a cup of coffee and watch the beautiful sea. The most expensive house in Europe, Villa Leopolda is worth $506 million, a price, we think, that is totally worthy of this beauty.

1. ANTILIA ( $1 BILLION)

And now, time for the most expensive house in the world – Antilia. The most expensive house in the world comes from a rather shocking country – India. Antilia is 27 storey high building on Peddar Road, Mumbai. It is the house of business tycoon Mukesh Ambani, who is the fifth richest man in the world. This building probably has anything and everything that you can think of – 5 personal restaurants, cinema halls, a ball rooms, a garden, 4 floors of parking space, a yoga studio, a bar, library, a helipad and the list just goes on and on. It is the first and the only billion dollar home in the world being worth $1billion. With a maintenance staff of 600, the total number of people living in the house is 605 as the Ambani family only consists of 5 members. Boy, do these people know how to splurge! So just in case you were looking for homes and thought that the real estate prices were high, always bear in mind these homes!

Top 10 costliest diamond in the world

Top 10 Costliest Diamonds in the World

“I never worry about diets. The only carrots that interest me are the number of carats in a diamond!”

A famous quote by Mae West, famous American actress.

Buying a diamond is one of the most important purchases you’ll ever make. Women have always been lunatic for this dear stone. Diamonds have been a source of fascination for centuries. The diamond is more than just aesthetically beautiful; it’s an enduring symbol of love, romance and commitment. The imperishable stone’s name has been procured from the Greek word adamas, meaning “unconquerable”. Diamonds have always been an interesting area to explore and delve into. No words can describe the gorgeous beauty and scintillating charm of this most enticing stone, but attempts have been noble, if not entirely lucrative.

Windsor’s most famous Hope diamond has an interesting story with it. It was stolen; it lived nine days in a thief’s intestine who was taking laxatives and this 1.7-carat gemstone gathered interest from across the country and beyond.

Diamonds have been a prominent area for robbery because of their exorbitant price. Well you just can’t help but wonder how much these things really cost. Let us have a glance through the top 10 costliest diamonds in the world. These are the most expensive diamonds you can find on planet Earth. All colors of diamonds are rated by Gemological Institute of America (GIA).

10. THE ALLNATT DIAMOND

 $3 MILLION

The stone is named after one of its owners who were a soldier, art patron, benefactor and a sportsman, Major Alfred Ernest Allnatt.  Although the origin of this diamond is not explicit, but it is believed that it was found in the De Beers Premium Diamond Mine. The Allnatt’s origin continues to be mystery. Major Allnatt purchased this diamond in the early 1950s. It measures 101.29 carats (20.258g). The color of this stone is Fancy Vivid Yellow with a cushion cut. The current owner of this diamond is SIBA Corporation. The stone underwent many intensity modifications and cuttings but after being sold to its current owner it was re-cut to its current weight and the intensity was upgraded from Fancy Intense Yellow.  The estimated value of this diamond is at least is USD 3 million.

9. HEART OF ETERNITY DIAMOND 

$16 MILLION

This diamond is a member of extremely rare class of colored stones. It was found in the Premier Diamond Mine of South Africa. This mine is the only mine in the world with an appreciable production of the blue diamonds. It was cut by the Steinmetz Group, the owners of the diamond before they sold it to De Beers. The Heart of Eternity weighs 27.64 carats (5.528g), rated in color as Fancy Vivid Blue. The Heart of Eternity was disclosed in January 2000. It was included as De Beers Millenium Jewels Collection. The current owner of this diamond is Sayyid Qadri and its estimated value being at least USD 16 million.

8. MOUSSAIEFF RED DIAMOND

$20 MILLION

This is the world’s largest known red diamond. The diamond was discovered by a Brazilian farmer in the 1990s, in a region known as Alto Paranaiba. Moussaieff Red Diamond also known as Red Shield Diamond is a stone measuring 5.11 carats (1.022g). It has a brilliant triangular cut, also known as trilliant cut rated in color as Fancy Red. The diamond was purchased and cut by William Goldberg Diamond Corp, and soon it became distinguished as the Red Shield. It is currently owned by Moussaieff Jewelers Ltd. and its estimated value is $20 million.

7. THE WITTELSBACH-GRAFF DIAMOND

$80 MILLION

The diamond originates from the Kollur mines of Guntur District in Andhra Pradesh. The original owner of this diamond was Philip IV of Spain and it was discovered in the mid-1960s. The original Wittelsbach Diamond, also known as Der Blaue Wittelsbacher, was a 35.56 carat (7.112g) Fancy Deep Grayish Blue diamond that had been part of both the Austrian and the Bavarian Crown jewels. Its color and clarity are comparable to the Hope Diamond. It has Antique Oval Stellar Brilliant Cut. Its final weight is 4 carats lighter because Laurence Graff, the then owner of this diamond had the diamond cut by three diamond cutters to remove the flaws. Thus, the final weight of this stone is 31.06 carats (6.212g) and its estimated value is US $80 million. The current owner of this diamond is Hamad bin Chalifa Al Thani.

6. THE PINK STAR DIAMOND

 $83.2 MILLION

It is the only known and largest diamond rated as Vivid-Pink. The Pink Star was mined by De Beers in 1999 in South Africa, and weighed 132.5 carats in rough. The Pink Star was displayed as part of the Smithsonian’s “The Splendor of Diamonds” exhibit alongside the world’s most fabulous diamonds. The current weight of this diamond is 59.60 carats (11.920g) with Mixed Oval Brilliant Cut. The estimated value is US$83.2 million. In 2013, the Pink Star was auctioned by Sotheby’s in Geneva and the sale price was a world record for any gemstone. It was bought by Isaac Wolf, a New York diamond cutter who renamed it as Pink Dream. This stone was bestowed with many names depending on its owner. The names have gradually changed from The Steinmetz Pink (1999-2007) to The Pink Star (2007-2013) to The Pink Dream (2013 onwards).

5. THE DE BEERS CENTENARY DIAMOND

$90 MILLION

The De Beers Centenary Diamond is the third largest diamond to have been produced in the Premier Mine. It is the highest grade of colorless diamond and it is internally and externally flawless. The diamond was discovered in South Africa on 17 July 1986 using X-ray imaging system. The original weight of the rough was 599 carats which is finally reduced to 273.85 carats (54.770g). Diamond is rated in color as grade D color by the GIA, America. The cut is modified heart shaped brilliant. The name of this diamond brings an interesting story along with it. It was presented in its raw form for the Centennial Celebration of De Beers Consolidated Mines. The current owner of this diamond is unknown and its estimated value is at least USD 90 million.

4. THE HOPE DIAMOND

 $200 MILLION

The Hope Diamond known popularly as “The Blue of France”, “The King’s Jewel” and the “Tavernier Blue” is the most famous diamond in the world. The color of this diamond is Fancy Dark Grayish Blue due to the number of traces of Boron in the crystal structure. The clarity is determined to be VS1, with whitish graining present .It was discovered in the great Kollur mines of India. The date of discovery is still a mystery. The stone is given an antique cushion cut. The first cut is still in the dark, but it was recut from the French Blue diamond after 1791 and the final finishing was given by Harry Winston between 1949 to 1958.The Hope Diamond has unique physical properties that need to be focused. The weight of this diamond is 45.52 carats (9.104g) and its size has been compared to a walnut and pigeon egg. The stone exhibits an unusually intense and strongly colored type of luminescence after exposure to short-waved ultraviolet light, a brilliant red-phosphorescence that persists for some time after the light-source is switched off. Because of this strange quality, people assume it to be cursed. The current owner of this diamond is Smithsonian Natural History Museum. The estimated value of this diamond is $200- $250 million USD.

3. THE CULLINAN DIAMOND  

$2 BILLION

                                            

This is the largest gem-quality diamond ever found. The largest polished gem from the stone is named as Cullinan 1 or “The Star of Africa”. The Cullinan Diamond was discovered in the Premium Mines of South Africa. Nine such diamonds have been carved out from Cullinan having names as Cullinan I , Cullinan II, Cullinan III, Cullinan IV, Cullinan V, Cullinan VI, Cullinan VII, Cullinan VIII, Cullinan IX.  Cullinan I is mounted in the head of Sceptre with Cross .Both Cullinan I and II are in the Crown Jewels of the United Kingdom. Cullinan IX is set in a platinum ring, known as Cullinan IX Ring.  The weight of Cullinan Diamond is 3,106.75 carats (621.350g) with Assorted (cushions, pears, marquises) cut. It was cut by Asscher Brothers. The original owner was Premier Diamond Mining Corporation while currently it is owned by British Crown. The color of this stone is white with grade D or E.  The estimated value is over US$2 billion.

2. THE SANCY DIAMOND

PRICELESS

This diamond was originated in India and was reputed to have belonged to the Mughals of antiquity. This stone was discovered before 1570. It is the first large diamond to be cut with symmetrical facets. The shield shaped stone comprises two back to back crowns but lacks any semblance to a pavilion. The weight of this stone is 55.23 carats (11.046g) and a pale yellowish color with exact color grade not recorded. The cut is shielded shaped modified brilliant cut. The Sancy Diamond has interesting history with many owners.  It had experienced many hands and many countries. Finally the sparkling stone now rests in the Apollo Gallery, it is owned by French Crown Jewel Collection housed at Louvre. The stone is priceless and its value cannot be predicted.

1. THE KOH -I-NOOR DIAMOND   

PRICELESS

   

It was originated from Vinukonda, Guntur, near a temple in Andhra Pradesh, India. This diamond was the wealth of many dynasties including Mughals, Sikh, British and Persian rulers. The first mention of Koh-I-Noor was in 1526. The diamond had travelled from India to England during the British rule in India. The original weight of Koh-I-Noor was 793 carats when uncut, which is now 105.6 metric carats (21.6g) diamond. This is the largest known diamond in the world. It was cut by Hortenso Borgia. This diamond has many stories related with it. It was a treasure for many dynasties and is the most precious gem in the world. The stone was found to measure 36.00 x 3.90x 13.04mm. . It is currently set into the Crown of Queen Elizabeth and is on the display at the Tower of London. Tourists from all over the world are attracted to just have a glimpse of this stone

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