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Most expensive single bottle of wine ever sold at auction boasts Maui ties

An image of longtime Maui resident and famed Hollywood manager and movie star Shep Gordon looms above a presenter at Carnivale du Vin in New Orleans, the annual charity wine auction by Emeril Lagasse Foundation. -- Emeril Lagasse Foundation photo

A bottle of The Setting Wines Alexander Valley Cabernet Sauvignon has become the most expensive single bottle of wine ever sold. The standard 750ml bottle of wine in a 2015 vintage was sold at Carnivale du Vin, Emeril Lagasse Foundation’s annual charity wine auction and gala on Nov. 4 for the price of $350,000.

The rare bottle was part of a limited edition of The Setting Wines made especially for Maui resident and famed Hollywood manager Shep Gordon, the subject of the documentary “Supermensch.” Celebrity winemaker Jesse Katz created a blend especially for Gordon who donated one of the bottles to the auction, making it the only bottle available for purchase from the collaboration with Katz.

The wine was purchased by a Mississippi wine collector and a group of friends.

“My wife Alden and I are endlessly grateful for the generosity of our Carnivale du Vin guests and winemakers who made this record-breaking year of giving possible,” says Chef Lagasse. “We’re so overjoyed to have made auction history and can’t thank our friends at The Setting Wines enough for their extraordinary donation.”

“I’m very happy to be a part of this record-breaking sale of a bottle of wine — and I look forward to drinking lots of it!” Gordon followed up by saying.

The exclusive bottle sparked huge interest among wine collectors, pushing the bid to break all previous records for the sale of a single bottle of wine and to benefit the program of the Emeril Lagasse Foundation.

The Setting Wines is based in Healdsburg, Calif., and specializes in the production of high-end Cabernet Sauvignon and Sauvignon Blanc. Though relatively new in the wine world, it has sparked interest by celebrities and wine collectors alike.

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