Domaine Leroy Musigny Grand Cru becomes first wine to average over $50,000 per bottle across all vintages

The price of fine wine has reached a new milestone, with Domaine Leroy Musigny Grand Cru from Burgundy now averaging more than $50,000 per bottle across all vintages, according to data tracked by Wine-Searcher. This marks the first time a wine has crossed this threshold for its global average price, not just for select rare vintages but across the board.

Six years ago, in 2019, the same wine made headlines when it surpassed $20,000 per bottle. Since then, the world has experienced significant upheaval: the COVID-19 pandemic, economic shocks, inflation, and geopolitical tensions. Despite these changes, the value of top Burgundy wines has continued to climb steadily.

Domaine Leroy’s Musigny Grand Cru is not alone in reaching astronomical prices for individual vintages. The 1985 Henri Jayer Richebourg Grand Cru, for example, soared from about $35,000 to over $65,000 between late 2021 and early 2022 before settling at just above $52,000. However, what sets Domaine Leroy Musigny apart is that its average price across all available vintages now exceeds $50,000—a feat that reflects both demand and rarity.

Not every vintage commands such high prices. Bottles from the 1959 vintage are listed at around $28,600. The 1961 can be found for as little as $9,000, and the highly regarded 1978 vintage is available for about $12,700. Even the legendary 1985 vintage is listed at an average of just over $7,100. The dramatic rise in value began after Lalou Bize-Leroy took full control of Domaine Leroy in 1991 following her departure from Domaine de la Romanée-Conti (DRC). Since then, both critical scores and prices have risen sharply.

Since 1994, no vintage of Leroy Musigny has scored below 90 on aggregated critic ratings. Of the 19 vintages available since then, 12 have an average retail price above $50,000 and seven exceed $60,000. The rarest recent offering is the 2015 vintage—currently listed at an eye-watering $238,259.

Burgundy’s reputation for producing some of the world’s finest Pinot Noir and Chardonnay wines is a key factor behind these prices. The region’s limited production adds to its allure among collectors and investors. Scarcity combined with high critical acclaim has driven prices up rapidly on the secondary market.

Interestingly, not all top Burgundy producers have seen such dramatic increases. Domaine de la Romanée-Conti’s flagship Romanée-Conti Grand Cru was long considered Burgundy’s most expensive wine. Ten years ago its global average retail price was $13,280; it peaked at nearly $28,000 in July 2023 and now sits at about $24,200. In contrast, Leroy Musigny’s average price was just $4,664 a decade ago but peaked at nearly $54,000 in April 2024 and remains close to that level today.

Leroy Musigny overtook DRC’s Romanée-Conti in price in April 2019 and has maintained its lead ever since.

The soaring prices raise questions about the meaning of value in the world of fine wine. As bottles become more expensive and sought after by collectors rather than drinkers, they risk becoming mere investment tokens—rarely opened or enjoyed as originally intended.

For most wine lovers and even many collectors, these bottles are now out of reach. The age of the $50K wine has arrived—and it shows no sign of slowing down.