Wine has long been a source of fascination, its allure stemming from factors like vintage, region, and rarity. Some wines have become legendary, fetching staggering prices at auctions and becoming the objects of desire for the world's elite. Here are some of the rarest wines in the world, accompanied by a glimpse into their price points and significance. 

1. 1947 Cheval Blanc: Arguably one of the most famous wines ever made, the 1947 Cheval Blanc is considered by many to be the epitome of Bordeaux wines. A large format bottle of this wine sold for $304,375 at a Christie’s auction in 2010. 

2. Screaming Eagle Cabernet Sauvignon 1992: Considered to be Napa’s first cult wine, this inaugural vintage set the wine world abuzz when a 6-liter bottle fetched $500,000 at auction in 2000. Bottles regularly sell for $25,000. 

3. Château Margaux 1787: Tied to the American founding father Thomas Jefferson, who was an avid wine collector during his time as ambassador to France, this wine is estimated at a value of $500,000. 

4. Shipwrecked 1907 Heidsieck: During World War I, a shipment of Champagne destined for the Russian Imperial family was lost at sea. In 1997, over 2000 bottles were salvaged and are now sold for around $275,000 each. 

5. Penfolds Grange Hermitage 1951: As the first vintage of this iconic Australian wine, only 20 bottles are believed to exist today. One of them was bought for $50,496 in 2004, setting a record for Australian wines. 

6. Romanée-Conti 1945: From the famed Domaine de la Romanée-Conti vineyard in Burgundy, this wine is iconic. Only 600 bottles were produced, and in 2018, one sold for an impressive $558,000. 

7. Château Lafite 1869: Three bottles of this wine, directly from the cellars of Château Lafite Rothschild, were auctioned in Hong Kong in 2010. Each bottle fetched an astonishing $230,000. 

8. Sercial Madeira 1811: Celebrated for its resilience and longevity, Madeira from the year 1811 is considered exceptional due to the comet that was visible for most of that year. A bottle was sold for $43,000 in 2011. 

9. 1945 Mouton Rothschild. Heralded as an immortal beauty, this wine is long lived, and was harvested and produced in Bordeaux at the tail end of the WWII. This wine fetches $18,000 for pristine bottles and is considered to be one of the greatest wines of the 20th century. 

10. 1974 Heitz Martha’s Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon. Another timeless beauty. This wine was produced in 1974, which is widely considered to be one of the greatest vintages in Napa. This wine today still has decades left of age worthiness with bottles achieving $4,000/bottle, if you can find one!

Price isn’t the only measure of a wine’s rarity or importance. The stories, historical context, and the sheer age of some bottles add layers of value beyond their market price. But what is clear is that rare wines capture imaginations,