Top 5 Most Expensive Californian Wine
Californian wine now ranks among the priciest on the planet, rivaling even the top French bottles. As noted in our overview of France’s most expensive wines, Old World labels often dominate record auction prices. However, in recent years California has produced its own record-breaking premium wine icons, thanks to limited production and sky-high demand.
Napa Valley wine auctions have seen cult California cabernets reach astonishing sums. Wealthy collectors are willing to pay six or even seven figures for rare bottles from famed California vineyards. Below we explore the top five most expensive Californian wines ever sold – and what makes each of these premium wines so valuable
1. The Setting Wines Glass Slipper Cabernet Sauvignon 2019 – Californian Wine Auction Record
A One-of-a-Kind Napa Cabernet Hits $1 Million
A six-liter bottle of The Setting Wines’ “Glass Slipper Vineyard” Cabernet Sauvignon 2019 fetched $1 million at the 2021 Carnivale du Vin charity auction . It was the only six-liter bottle produced of that vintage, sourced from a boutique vineyard in Napa Valley’s Coombsville AVA . This record-breaking sale – benefiting the Emeril Lagasse Foundation – marks the highest price ever paid for a wine at auction.
Despite being a young label (founded in 2014 by winemaker Jesse Katz), The Setting Wines has quickly achieved cult status among collectors. The combination of exceptional quality, extreme rarity, and a charitable cause propelled this Napa Cabernet into the million-dollar club, setting a new benchmark for Californian wine prestige.
2. Harlan Estate Vertical (10 Magnums) – Napa Valley’s Cult Cabernet Collection
Californian Wine Collection Achieves $700,000 Sale
Harlan Estate is a legendary Napa Valley wine estate often dubbed a “California First Growth.” Founded in the 1980s by H. William Harlan, this winery produces tiny quantities (around 1,800 bottles per year) of premium Cabernet Sauvignon that routinely fetch four-figure prices on release . Its reputation for excellence and rarity has made it a holy grail for collectors of premium wine.
In 2000, a vertical collection of ten Harlan Estate magnums (1.5 L bottles from ten different vintages) sold for an astonishing $700,000 at a Napa Valley wine auction . That price equals about $70,000 per magnum – a testament to the intense demand for Napa’s top wines. This multi-bottle lot remains one of the most expensive Californian wine offerings ever. It underlines the cult status of Harlan Estate and the lengths to which collectors will go to acquire a piece of Napa Valley’s wine history.
3. Screaming Eagle Cabernet Sauvignon 1992 – Napa’s Original Cult Cabernet
The $500,000 Bottle That Put Napa on the Map
Screaming Eagle, a small Napa Valley wine estate founded in 1986, is perhaps the most famous cult winery in California. With an annual production under 500 cases, Screaming Eagle’s wines are released in tiny allocations and often resell for thousands of dollars per bottle . The inaugural 1992 Cabernet Sauvignon earned a near-perfect 99-point score , fueling the winery’s mystique and establishing it as a premium wine icon.
In 2000, an imperial (6 L) bottle of Screaming Eagle 1992 sold for a stunning $500,000 at a Napa Valley charity wine auction . At the time, this was reportedly the highest price ever paid for a single bottle of wine, putting Californian wine firmly in the global spotlight. Decades later, Screaming Eagle remains a symbol of Napa Valley’s exceptional quality and exclusivity – a wine that continues to define the heights of California’s cult wine culture.
4. The Setting Wines Alexander Valley Cabernet Sauvignon 2015 – The $350k Charity Cabernet
Hollywood Glamour Meets Wine Rarity
The Setting Wines appears on this list again with a standard-size 2015 Cabernet Sauvignon that achieved an incredible $350,000 at auction. This one-of-a-kind wine was a collaboration crafted by winemaker Jesse Katz for Hollywood talent manager Shep Gordon. Rather than being enjoyed at dinner, the unique bottle was donated to the Emeril Lagasse Foundation’s charity event to raise funds for youth education.
At the Carnivale du Vin gala in 2017, this 750 ml bottle drew a winning bid of $350k from a private collector – setting a record at the time for the most expensive Californian wine ever sold in standard bottle format. The astonishing result showed that even without a large format or century-old vintage, a modern California premium wine can command stratospheric prices when rarity, quality, and a bit of celebrity allure converge.
5. Inglenook Cabernet Sauvignon 1941 – Napa Valley’s Historic Treasure
A Legendary Vintage from California’s Golden Era
In contrast to the recent cult labels above, the 1941 Inglenook Cabernet Sauvignon represents a piece of Californian wine history. Inglenook was one of Napa Valley’s original great estates, established in the late 19th century by Gustav Niebaum. The winery gained worldwide renown for its pre-WWII vintages, and the 1941 Cabernet is often cited as one of the greatest California wines ever made . (Wine Spectator even awarded it a rare 100-point score decades after its release, attesting to its extraordinary quality .)
In 2004, a single bottle of this storied 1941 Inglenook Cabernet sold for $24,675 at auction . It was an astonishing sum for a Californian wine from that era, proving that Napa’s mid-century classics can rival modern cult wines in value. Today, bottles like the 1941 Inglenook are cherished time capsules of Napa Valley’s heritage. The enduring legacy of this wine – and the price it commanded – highlights the foundation that historic California vineyards laid for the region’s reputation long before “cult cabernets” were a trend.
From $1 million charity imperials to legendary bottles rescued from cellar archives, these five wines showcase the pinnacle of what Napa Valley wine and California’s winemakers have achieved. Such record-smashing prices reinforce that California can stand toe-to-toe with the Old World at the highest end of the market. Whether you’re a collector chasing auction records or an enthusiast savoring an everyday Napa Cabernet, Californian wine continues to captivate the world with its excellence and intrigue.
