The US publisher Malcolm Forbes (1919-1990) was a collector of curiosities, including old wines. He paid an incredible 105,000 pounds (160,000 dollars) for a bottle of Château Lafite-Rothschild vintage 1787 at an auction organised by Christie's on 5 December 1985. This makes it one of the absolutely most expensive wines in the world. Seller was the German Hardy Rodenstock (1941-2018). According to his story, this bottle was discovered together with eleven other bottles from the same winery and vintage, as well as other very old wines from Château Margaux, Château Mouton-Rothschild and Château d'Yquem walled into the wall of a cellar in Paris. However, he never gave the name of the finder or the address of the place where they were found. Experts of the auction house had previously confirmed after expertises that glass and engraving actually date from the 18th century. Rodenstock later always referred to this fact (although these facts are no clear proof of the authenticity of the wine in it).
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