Rare 1870 Château Lafite Magnums from Glamis Castle Head to Sotheby's Auction

Two bottles of the legendary pre-phylloxera wine, discovered in the Scottish castle's cellar, could fetch up to $50,000 each.

Apr. 15, 2026 at 5:49am

Got story updates? Submit your updates here. ›

An extremely blurred and abstracted scene of warm, glowing light and color, evoking the hidden treasures and rich history of Glamis Castle's wine cellar.The rediscovery of rare, century-old Château Lafite wines in Glamis Castle's storied wine cellar offers a glimpse into a bygone era of winemaking.NYC Today

An upcoming Sotheby's auction will spotlight two 'legendary' 1870 magnums of Château Lafite Rothschild, discovered decades ago in the wine cellar of Scotland's Glamis Castle. The bottles, considered some of the best and most valuable in the world, were hidden in the castle's 'catacombs' for nearly a century and are now expected to sell for up to $50,000 each.

Why it matters

The 1870 Château Lafite magnums from Glamis Castle are exceptionally rare, as they pre-date the phylloxera epidemic that devastated European vineyards in the late 19th century. These wines offer a glimpse into a 'lost' style of winemaking from ungrafted vines, making them highly prized by collectors.

The details

The two magnums were among 42 bottles of 1870 Lafite discovered in Glamis Castle's wine cellar in the 1970s. The castle's log book showed the 13th Earl of Strathmore had purchased 48 bottles and stored them in the cellar in 1878, but the wine was considered undrinkable for decades. When wine expert Michael Broadbent sampled the bottles before a 1971 Christie's auction, he found them to be in 'perfection' condition, with no signs of oxidation or acidity.

  • The bottles were discovered in Glamis Castle's wine cellar in the 1970s.
  • The 13th Earl of Strathmore purchased 48 bottles of 1870 Lafite and stored them in the castle's cellar in 1878.
  • The two magnums will be auctioned at Sotheby's on April 17, 2026.

The players

Glamis Castle

The ancestral home of the Earls of Strathmore and Kinghorne since 1372, known for its rich history and as the most haunted castle in Scotland.

Michael Broadbent

The late founder of Christie's wine department, who discovered the bottles of 1870 Lafite in Glamis Castle's wine cellar and sampled them before a 1971 auction.

Château Lafite Rothschild

A prestigious Bordeaux wine estate in France, whose 1870 vintage is considered legendary and highly prized by collectors.

Richard Young

Sotheby's head of auction sales for the Americas, who explained the 'legendary' status of the 1870 Lafite wines from Glamis Castle.

Jason Tesauro

A sommelier, writer, and photographer who knew Michael Broadbent and sampled an 1870 Lafite at an invite-only event in 2023.

Got photos? Submit your photos here. ›

What they’re saying

“When the cellar was rediscovered and auctioned in 1971, the bottles emerged in remarkably pristine condition – an almost unheard-of survival for wines of this age.”

— Richard Young, Sotheby's head of auction sales, Americas

“He called it Aladdin's cave. This once-in-an-aeon vintage forgotten in a once-in-a-century cellar led to a once-in-a-lifetime find.”

— Jason Tesauro, Sommelier, writer, and photographer

“To pull back the curtain and still see what was there – not echoes, not shadows – but still getting the firsthand inputs from the fruit and the color were extraordinary.”

— Jason Tesauro, Sommelier, writer, and photographer

What’s next

The two 1870 Château Lafite magnums from Glamis Castle will be auctioned at Sotheby's in New York on April 17, 2026, as part of the 'Immortal Vintages' sale featuring over 250 lots of rare Bordeaux wines.

The takeaway

The discovery of these exceptionally well-preserved 1870 Château Lafite magnums from Glamis Castle's wine cellar offers a rare glimpse into pre-phylloxera winemaking, providing collectors with a unique opportunity to own a piece of viticultural history.