Yquem Thinks Big!

The Iconic Chateau d'Yquem has announced plans to celebrate its 2005 vintage by producing a limited number of nebuchadnezzars for the first time. Only 100 of the 15-libre bottles will be available, with a further 20 being kept by the chateau. Each bottle retails at £8,625, and yet Bordeaux Wine Investments, the London-based merchant which helped to develop the 15-libre offer, has had no trouble selling its 50 bottle allocation. The fact that bottling will not take place until 2009 has not discouraged buyers either. The remaining 50 bottles have been allocated to US firm Bordeaux Wine Locators. The bottles will be individually numbered and all 100 buyers will go into a draw to determine the owner of bottle number one.