Eight bottles of legendary Chateau d’Yquem survived World War II and communist rule hidden under a Czech castle floor. The collection was discovered in the 1980s at Becov nad Teplou, part of a larger set of 136 bottles once owned by the Beaufort-Spontin family.
The noble family fled old Czechoslovakia after suspected Nazi collaboration. The wine remained undisturbed under chapel floorboards until communist secret police found it decades later.
In 1984, an American businessman named Danny Douglas was tasked with retrieving the hidden wine. During permits, police discovered the collection’s existence.
A decade ago, the wine was uncovered and a meticulous restoration began. Chateau d’Yquem from Sauternes, Bordeaux, preserved eight wines from 1892 and 1896.
Tasting showed the wine matched Chateau d’Yquem standards. Laboratory tests confirmed it was authentic, allowing the winery to replace corks and caps.
The wine gradually oxidized, requiring re-bottling. Only five full original bottles were returned to Becov as a result.
At a presentation of the restored bottles, cellar master Toni El Khawand described tasting the wine as “a magical experience,” noting its freshness and complexity with aromas like cedar, dried fruit, saffron, cinnamon, nutmeg, chocolate, coffee, and oud.
More recent Yquem vintages sell for hundreds of dollars per bottle. The Czech National Heritage Institute values the entire collection at around $5 million if sold at auction, though El Khawand emphasized its moral and historical value.
Becov is planning to exhibit all bottles from the collection, including an 1899 Pedro Ximenez sherry and a 1892 port. The castle has launched a fundraising campaign for the new exhibition.
This unveiling comes shortly after the Georgian government revealed a two-century-old treasure of 20,000 rare wines, some associated with Napoleon Bonaparte and Joseph Stalin.