Centuries-Old Wine from Glamis Castle Cellar Emerges as World-Class Treasure Two magnums of 1870 Château Lafite Rothschild, discovered in the wine cellar of Scotland's historic Glamis Castle, are now considered among the best wines globally. Their rarity, pre-phylloxera origin, and remarkable preservation make them a highlight of an upcoming Sotheby's auction, expected to fetch significant sums. A remarkable discovery has been made within the historic wine cellar of Glamis Castle, Scotland. Two magnums of 1870 Château Lafite Rothschild wine, unearthed decades ago and recently brought to auction, are now being hailed by experts as among the finest wines in the world. The legendary status of this vintage, particularly from the pre-phylloxera era, makes these bottles exceptionally rare and highly sought after by collectors and connoisseurs. Glamis Castle itself boasts a rich and storied past. Renowned as potentially Scotland's most haunted castle, it has welcomed royalty, including Mary, Queen of Scots, and holds significant ties to the British royal family. The castle is even rumored to have inspired William Shakespeare's dramatic tragedy, Macbeth. However, its subterranean wine cellar, now referred to as the catacombs and fitted out in 1765, has yielded a treasure that rivals its historical and literary significance. The cellar, which once held over 48 bottles of the 1870 Lafite, purchased by the 13th Earl of Strathmore in 1878, lay largely forgotten for decades. The Earl, finding the wine too astringent at the time, left it virtually untouched, and it was subsequently overlooked by his successors. The cellar, currently used for general storage, has been described by one expert as an Aladdin's cave. The rediscovery of these wines in the 1970s, shortly before a Christie's auction focused on rare wines, marked the beginning of their ascent to legendary status. A wine expert who sampled the 1870 Lafite before a sale in 1971 described its condition as perfect, with a sound cork, impressively deep color, and a flawless nose, entirely free of oxidation or acidity. Its balance and flavor were deemed perfection. This pristine survival for a wine of such age is considered almost unheard of. Sotheby's has categorized the upcoming auction of these two magnums as a landmark single-owner sale, featuring over 250 lots of Bordeaux wines spanning two centuries with an estimated fetch of over US$1 million. Each of the 1.5-liter magnum bottles is expected to command up to $50,000 at auction. The exceptional quality of this 1870 Lafite is attributed in part to its origin before the devastating phylloxera epidemic of the late 19th century. This epidemic, caused by tiny insects that attacked vine roots, ravaged European vineyards, including Bordeaux. The solution, grafting European vines onto resistant American rootstocks, fundamentally altered vine biology and, for many, the character of the wines produced. Pre-phylloxera wines like the 1870 Lafite are thus highly prized, offering a rare taste of an original, ungrafted winemaking style. These vintages are exceedingly rare, appearing at auction only a few times a decade, with magnum formats being even scarcer. The wine has been described as having a profound sensory impact, even upstaging other exceptional wines at tastings. The find has been likened to a once-in-a-lifetime discovery born from a forgotten vintage in a cellar that itself has witnessed centuries of history