Man Discovers Rare Bottle of Wine He Kept in His Basement Since the ’70s May Now be Worth $80,000

Mark Paulson is seen holding his exceptionally rare bottle of wine — and his nephew — in the late 1970s. (Photo: Bonhams Skinner)

A man in California has recently discovered that a large bottle of wine he bought for $250 in 1971 may now be worth upwards of $80,000.

After purchasing a bottle of Domaine de la Romanée-Conti La Tâche in the 1970s, Mark Paulson kept it in his basement, unopened and sealed in a cardboard box, as reported by The Washington Post.

“It’s just been sitting downstairs in my basement for all these years,” Paulson informed the Washington Post. “Never really thought that much about it.”

According to the report, Paulson purchased the Domaine de la Romanée-Conti La Tâche when was working as a commercial painter with a niche interest in rare wines. Then, Roger Brandt, a wine proprietor friend who Paulson met through a wine-tasting group, persuaded him to buy the bottle, deeming it a “once-in-a-lifetime thing,” The Washington Post reported.

Domaine de la Romanee Conti La Tache 1971, 1 Jeroboam. (Photo: Bonhams Skinner)

It wasn’t until recently that Paulson discovered the true value of the wine he stored away. Conducting some internet research, Paulson’s son came upon a story about Bonhams Skinner selling a comparable bottle of 1971 La Tâche for $81,250 in October 2022.

Read more: This Incredibly Rare Bottle of Wine Just Sold for $81,250

“We were shocked,” Paulson shared with The Washington Post. “We were just, you know, flabbergasted, couldn’t say anything. We just kind of hugged each other and smiled a lot.”

Now preparing to be auctioned off between April 16 and April 26 through Bonhams Skinner, the big bottle of wine is estimated to be valued between $50,000 and $80,000, per the auction house. Other vintage bottles from Paulson’s collection with dates ranging from 1795 to 1870 will be joining the sale.

Paulson’s bottle of Domaine de la Romanée-Conti La Tâche was identified as a Jeroboam, commonly referred to as a double magnum, and holds the same amount of booze as four regular wine bottles.

According to Bonhams Skinner, over 1,300 cases of La Tâche are made each year, with the majority being regular 750 ml bottles. Only a small number of 3-liter bottles were ever produced, Insider reported.

Describing the condition of the Jeroboam bottle, the auction house wrote, “cracked wax capsule with loss, small bit of packing material adhered to cork by broken capsule, light bin soil to label, light scuffing to bottle.” According to Insider, the quality of the wine inside is considered “exceptional.”

“We see amazing bottles every day but this one, combined with the story of how Mark got it, and how important it’s been to his life, was one that I’ll never forget,” said the deputy director of fine wines at Bonhams Skinner, Louis Krieger, per Insider.

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