Chapel Down launches the most expensive bottle of English wine

The £5,000 Nebuchadnezzar bottle – which holds the equivalent of 20 bottles, or 120 glasses, of wine – has been released by the Kent-based Chapel Down winery.

The sparkling wine is Blanc-de-Blanc (made from 100% Chardonnay grapes) in style and is aged for four and a half years on lees, a process common in Champagne production in which the wine is not filtered so the yeast remains in the bottle or barrel.

The sparkling wine is currently only available at the St Pancras Renaissance Hotel, in London’s Kings Cross.

“The release of England’s most expensive bottle demonstrates the growing success and appreciation of English wine and we look forward to making occasions even more special for visitors to St Pancras Renaissance Hotel,” said Chapel Down CEO, Frazer Thompson.

“We are thrilled to be celebrating our collaboration with St Pancras Renaissance Hotel. This prestigious hotel is an icon and a model of hospitality that shares our mission to surprise and delight, making this a natural partnership for us.”

In April the winemaker reported an 83% fall in profits, which it said was inevitable following two poor harvests.