If you’re a fan of vintages from the prestigious Australian winery Penfolds, and have money burning a hole in your pocket, you have a couple of options. You could buy more than 8,000 bottles of its $20 Shiraz, OR you could purchase one ampoule of the world’s most expensive Cabernet Sauvignon.
How much does this one 750ml bottle cost? Answer: $182,000 USD. And no, that’s not a typo. This rare single-vineyard wine is called the 2004 Block 42’ Cabernet Sauvignon. Of the 12 Ampoules ever made, 10 are already sold, so if you’re serious you’ll need to act fast.
Read on to find out exactly what goes into a wine that’s worth more than some homes.
➥ The wine’s full name is the Penfolds Limited Edition 2004 Block 42 Kalimna Cabernet Sauvignon Ampoule (an ‘Ampoule’ is a fancy word for a sealed glass capsule containing liquid). 
➥ A closer look at the Penfolds wine, encased in its specially-designed hand-blown glass ‘ampoule’. It has no cork screw or screw cap, and is suspended inside a custom-made glass container which sits inside a hand-crafted wooden cabinet. Each bottle was handmade by 4 master craftsman. 
➥ The wine’s grapes are all hand-picked from the Kalimna vineyard – one of the oldest plantings of Cabernet Sauvignon grapes in the world. The grapes were fermented in oak hogshead barrels since 2004, and is partly why this wine is so expensive. 
➥ The glass was designed by Nick Mount, an internationally recognized pioneer of glass art. The ampoule itself, which contains 750 ml of red wine, was created by glassblower Ray Leake and has been designed to store wine in an ideal environment. 
➥ Opening and decanting the ampoule requires a specially-trained wine expert, and specialized equipment. 
➥ A cutter has been created just to open the Penfolds ampoule. After all, having to strain a wine this expensive because of a glass chip would be just a bit embarrassing. Don’t fear though! A Penfolds wine expert will personally travel anywhere in the world for a special opening ceremony… if the buyer ever wants to taste the rare product. 
➥ Once open, the ‘top’ cannot be replaced – so any potential buyers will want to finish off the 750ml in one sitting, or invite a few friends over. 
➥ Don’t spill! Every drop is worth a few hundred dollars, so a steady hand is a must! If you haven’t had your daily dose of excessive wealth yet, here’s a video showing the making of this wine:
Sources: www.dailymail.co.uk & news.nationalpost.com