Ultra-High Priced Wines: Are They Worth It?

Would you spend $100 for a bottle of wine? My guess is that most people would consider it pure insanity to pay a triple digit price for any wine, no matter how good. But even if you felt you’d never pay that much yourself, wouldn’t you still be just a little curious to try one?

I took the plunge a few years ago and plunked down a tidy sum for a bottle of Leonetti Cellars 2002 Columbia Valley Merlot. Like many other handcrafted, well-made wines, this one has actually appreciated in value, and it would cost you about $125 today.

I tucked it away in my wine storage unit and planned to save it for a special occasion. That event happened just recently, and the cork was popped with a sense of anticipation as well as a bit of apprehension. I wondered, would the wine be worth it?

Fortunately, the wine delivered, and the first sip was like falling into a cloud, with complex flavors of dark fruit, mocha, and caramel melting into a silky finish. The wine was truly amazing and a genuine, first-class tasting experience. It’s still available in microscopic quantities at Compass Wines in Anacortes, where they also carry several other past releases of Leonetti wines. But be forewarned – the prices of these wines can easily run in the $100 to $200 a bottle price range.

I’ve also seen Leonetti’s more current releases, including the 2005 Merlot, at Bellingham area Haggen stores for around $80 a bottle. Considering the inflationary nature of the winery’s older vintages, some might consider this to be a steal.

So is there an element of risk involved with the purchase of a high priced wine? Certainly. Should your expectations be higher than normal? Absolutely. And is it crazy to be spending that much on a bottle of wine? Most likely, yes, but sometimes going a little bit crazy can be a very rewarding experience.