The “Vin Jaune” (yellow wine) hails from Arbois in the eastern Jura region where it has been kept for generations in a vaulted underground cellar by the Vercel family, said Christie’s spokesperson.

A bottle from the same batch was tasted by wine experts back in 1994 who deemed the vintage, with notes of cinnamon, curry and vanilla, as “excellent.”

“This extraordinary bottle is probably the oldest unfortified example of what is to be still an astonishing wine and another true rarity for wine lovers and connoisseurs,” said the auction house.