Behold, the “Louvre of Wine” is actually a thing. And we couldn’t have dreamed up a better cellar.
French wine fanatic Michel-Jack Chasseuil has been adding to his wine cellar for the last five decades, currently boasting over 40,000 bottles of wine. According to Business Insider, the underground cellar is located in western France (La Chapelle-Bâton) and has been called one of the seven wonders of the world by the Prince of Monaco. The cellar, built in 1999, remains at a consistent humidity (80%) and hovers between 10 and 15 degrees celsius, which is the ideal conditions for storing wine.
The collection began early in Chasseuil’s life. As Business Insider reports, Chasseuil had over 1,000 bottles of wine to his name by the age of 30. The collection now includes every vintage of Petrus and DRC “since 1904 and 1914, respectively.” The cellar also boasts wines from over 240 producers in nearly 40 countries, which Chasseuil hopes to one day open as a “Louvre of Wine” to the public.
Despite being offered millions of dollars from foreign buyers, Chasseuil insists that his collection will stay in his home country of France. In fact, he has said that he views his precious bottles as works of art, not simply wine.
While we don’t necessarily claim to be avid museum goers, this is a tour we could definitely get on board with.