Part of the Elysee Palace's wine cellar will be sold off through Paris auction house Drouot on May 30-31.
 Chateau Petrus will make an appearance, but that doesn't exclude budget buyers from the sale |
The auction features 1,200 bottles, which equates to 10% of the all-French wine cellar of the official presidential palace. They are expected to raise $327,738, with some of the profits benefitting state funds while most will be used to buy younger bottles worthy of President Francois Hollande's palette.
As with any fine wine auction, the sale will be dominated by bottles from Burgundy and Bordeaux, with a bottle of Chateau Petrus from 1990 - a renowned vintage - holding the highest estimate at $2,884.
However, this is no elitist sale, with collectors able to buy a lesser bottle for as little as $19.
"All these wines were served at the table of the President of the Republic and, for some, with great moments in the history of the Fifth Republic," commented a Drouot spokesperson.
The selection was prepared for auction by head sommelier of the palace, Virginia Routis. According to the auction house, the bottles reflect the great diversity of French soils and are divided between exceptional vintages and smaller appellations.
This isn't the first state auction of fine wines. On March 21, the UK's Government Hospitality Cellar sold through Christie's in a similar effort to replenish its stocks.
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