Top 5 Most Expensive Napa Valley Wine
Napa Valley wine now ranks among the priciest in the world, rivaling even the finest Old World vintages. For decades, famous French châteaux dominated record wine prices. However, in recent years California wine has produced its own record-breaking premium wine icons, thanks to limited production and sky-high demand.
A couple enjoying a Napa Valley wines at the beach, reflecting California's premium wine lifestyle.
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 famous Napa vineyards. Below we explore the top five most expensive Napa Valley wines ever sold – and what makes each of these prized bottles so valuable.
1. The Setting Wines Glass Slipper Cabernet Sauvignon 2019 – Napa Valley wine $1 Million Auction Record
One-of-a-Kind Napa Cabernet Hits $1 Million
A six-liter bottle of The Setting Wines “Glass Slipper Vineyard” Cabernet Sauvignon 2019 fetched a staggering $1 million. It sold during the 2021 Carnivale du Vin charity auction. It was the only six-liter bottle produced of that vintage. The fruit came from a boutique vineyard in Napa Valley's Coombsville AVA. The record-breaking sale benefited the Emeril Lagasse Foundation. It remains the highest price ever paid for a single wine at auction.
The Setting Wines was founded in 2014 by winemaker Jesse Katz. Despite its youth, the label 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. It sets a new benchmark for Napa Valley wines prestige.
2. Harlan Estate Vertical (10 Magnums) – Napa Valley's Cult Cabernet Collection
Legendary Napa Cabernet Collection Sells for $700,000
Harlan Estate is a legendary Napa Valley winery often dubbed a “First Growth of California.” Founded in the 1980s by H. William Harlan, this winery produces tiny quantities of premium Cabernet Sauvignon. Only around 1,800 bottles are made per year. They routinely fetch four-figure prices on release.
Its reputation for excellence and scarcity has made Harlan a holy grail for collectors of premium wine. In 2000, a vertical collection of ten Harlan Estate magnums spanning ten vintages sold for an astonishing $700,000. The sale took place 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 batch remains one of the most expensive California wine offerings ever. It underlines the cult status of Harlan Estate. It shows the lengths collectors will go to acquire a piece of Napa Valley 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 winery founded in 1986, is perhaps the most famous cult wine producer in California. Production is under 500 cases per year. 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. This success fueled the winery's mystique and established it as a premium wine icon. In 2000, an imperial (6 L) bottle of the 1992 Screaming Eagle sold for a stunning $500,000. The sale took place at a Napa Valley charity wine auction. At the time, this was reportedly the highest price ever paid for a single bottle of wine.The record put California wine firmly in the global spotlight.
Even decades later, Screaming Eagle remains a symbol of Napa Valley's exceptional quality and exclusivity. It is 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 Glamor Meets Wine Rarity
The Setting Wines appears on this list again, this time with a standard 750 ml bottle from 2015. That one-of-a-kind Cabernet achieved an incredible $350,000 at auction. This unique wine was a collaboration crafted by winemaker Jesse Katz for Hollywood talent manager Shep Gordon.
Rather than being enjoyed at dinner, this bottle was donated to a charity gala. The event was held by the Emeril Lagasse Foundation to raise funds for youth education. In 2017 at the Carnivale du Vin gala, the 750 ml bottle drew a winning bid of $350,000 from a private collector. It set a record at the time for the most expensive California wine ever sold in a standard bottle format.
This result showed that even without a large format or a century-old vintage, a modern California premium wine can command stratospheric prices. When rarity, quality, and a bit of celebrity allure converge, bottle prices can skyrocket.
5. Inglenook Cabernet Sauvignon 1941 – Napa Valley's Historic Treasure
A Legendary Vintage from California's Golden Era
In contrast to the modern cult wines above, the 1941 Inglenook Cabernet Sauvignon represents a piece of Napa Valley wines 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. The 1941 Cabernet is often cited as one of the greatest California wines ever made. (Wine Spectator eventually awarded it a rare 100-point score decades after 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 California wine from that era. It proved 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, highlight the foundation that historic Napa vineyards laid for the region's reputation. Napa Valley was building its prestige long before “cult Cabernets” became a trend.
From a $1 million charity imperial to a legendary pre-war vintage, these five wines showcase the pinnacle of what Napa Valley wine has achieved. Most of us will never taste these legends, but hearing about them adds excitement to any wine tasting. These 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 enjoying an everyday Napa Cabernet, Napa Valley wine continues to captivate. Its enduring excellence and intrigue appeal to wine lovers at every level. Explore our red wine selection to find a bottle to enjoy.
