Private dinner in Four Seasons wine cellar with $233K bottle reveal

How to Complete

4 steps to experience this fully

1. 🍷 1

   Book the Essence of Wine tasting or private cellar dinner

   wine $$$$

   Contact Four Seasons concierge at +33 4 50 21 54 54 or email 2-4 weeks ahead for winter season. The 'Essence of Wine tasting' ($150-300pp, 24-48hr advance booking) includes 4-5 Edmond de Rothschild Heritage wines paired with Savoie cheeses in the climate-controlled cellar surrounded by 15,000 bottles. The 'private cellar dinner for 8 people' ($500-1000pp + wine, 1-2 week advance booking) seats you at a table among the collection with multi-course meal and vertical wine tasting. Both experiences include sommelier-guided tour through the same cellar that houses the world's most expensive bottle.

   🔄 BACKUP: Can't book the cellar? Visit Le 1920 restaurant/bar with the same 3,000+ bottle wine list. Sit at the bar, order a glass of Edmond de Rothschild Haut-Médoc (~€35), and ask bartender to show you the Rothschild section.

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2. 📜 2

   Stand before the $233,973 bottle and hear its story

   history Free

   Walk through Four Seasons lobby to the lower level and look for a discreet door marked with a brass wine bottle handle—sommelier meets you at entrance. The cellar holds 15,000+ bottles in climate-controlled sections. Your moment: standing before the glass case containing the 1869 Château Lafite Rothschild—the same vintage that sold for $233,973 at Sotheby's Hong Kong in 2010, the world record for a standard 750ml bottle. The sommelier explains: pre-phylloxera vintage (grapes grown before the aphid plague destroyed European vineyards), exceptional provenance (direct from Château Lafite cellars), and family ownership (the Rothschilds who own this wine also own this hotel and this mountain).

   🔄 BACKUP: If the cellar tour doesn't include the 1869 bottle viewing, politely ask: 'I read about the 1869 Lafite in your collection—is it possible to see it?' They're proud of this bottle and rarely refuse enthusiastic wine lovers.

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3. 🍷 3

   Taste a Rothschild wine while learning the family's dual legacy

   wine $$$$

   During your cellar experience, the sommelier will pour Edmond de Rothschild Heritage wines at a private tasting table while explaining the family's dual identity: wine dynasty (owned Château Lafite since 1868) and ski resort developers (Baroness Noémie founded Megève 1916-1921). Ask about the 'Rothschild wall'—a section dedicated to family estates spanning Bordeaux, Spain, Argentina, and New Zealand. If you want to taste Château Lafite (not the 1869, but a more recent vintage), ask about availability of 1990s-2000s vintages (~€150-300/glass at restaurant). Show genuine curiosity—ask questions like 'What makes these wines represent the Rothschild approach to terroir?'

   🔄 BACKUP: If budget limits tasting expensive Lafite, focus on the Edmond de Rothschild Heritage label wines (more accessible pricing, ~€35-80/glass). These showcase the same family's winemaking philosophy across different terroirs.

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4. 🍷 4

   Get sommelier to sign your tasting notes as a souvenir

   Optional

   wine Free

   At the end of your cellar experience, ask the sommelier: 'Would you mind signing my tasting notes? This has been a once-in-a-lifetime experience.' They're always happy to do this—it's a proud moment for them too. Four Seasons provides tasting notes cards for cellar experiences. Take a photo of yourself standing before the 1869 Lafite glass case (with sommelier's permission). Be gracious and express genuine appreciation. If you learned something specific, mention it: 'I had no idea the Rothschilds owned Lafite 50 years before founding this resort—that context makes this experience even more special.'

   🔄 BACKUP: If you forget to ask for a signature during the experience, stop by the concierge desk afterward and request the sommelier's contact. Send a thank-you email mentioning specific wines you loved—they may respond with additional recommendations.

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