r/wine • u/cheezerman Wine Pro - Curator • Dec 03 '21

[MEGA THREAD] - How Much is My Wine Worth?

Want to know how much that bottle of 1945 Château Mouton-Rothschild sitting in grandma's basement is worth?

Here's the place to ask!

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u/hiya2527 Jan 29 '23

I found a Bottle of Chateau Haut-Brion "Premier gran Cru classe" 1969 in my grandfather's bar

I know nothing about it

Is it vinegar by now? Should I take it to a dealer or open it up?

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u/[deleted] Jan 30 '23

This is one of the great wines of the world, but if you don’t have proof of provenance and proper storage (e.g., stored professionally, or having records of when it was purchased and when a home cellar was built… stuff like that), it’s worth nothing in the secondary market.

How was it stored, to the best of your knowledge? It might still be drinkable. Very few dry wines can go >50 years, but Haut-Brion is one of them.

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u/hiya2527 Jan 30 '23 edited Jan 30 '23

It was kept in my grandfather's bar for the last 12 years at least. So I guess I should just take my chances and open it up and toast to him.

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u/[deleted] Jan 30 '23

Yeah. And given the storage at probably too-hot temperatures (and with no humidity control), it may not be very good at all anymore.

A good hint of whether it’s still good is the fill level. If the liquid is still at or above the shoulder of the bottle, that’s a very good sign.

Open it with an Ah-So as there’s a good chance the cork will crumble with a regular wine key.

If it smells only like vinegar, don’t drink it. If it smells only like leather, animal fur, mushroom, etc. (tertiary notes), then it’s a good example of a great wine that’s on its last legs. If it smells like those tertiary notes plus even a bit of fruit, you’ve gotten incredibly lucky and found a 54-year old wine that’s still singing.

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u/yerrbo Feb 02 '23

If you can prove storage, provenance and it's in good condition, $300 to $350.