Raising a glass of Burgundy can set you back $15,000 a bottle

A rare Burgundy has emerged as the world's most expensive wine at more than $15,000- a little over 14,250 euros- a bottle, according to the British website WineSearcher. Burgundies occupy the first three places on the top 50 list, and 40 of the 50.

Burgundy wine takes top three places in world rankings of most expensive wine Getty Images / Owen Franken

It wasn't the Burgundy wine connoisseurs were expecting to win, but in the end the 1985 Richebourg Grand Cru, from the Côtes de Nuit range, clinched this year's top spot.

With a staggering price of $15,195 or €14,254 price, a bottle, according to the UK website Winesearcher, the Richebourg is the most expensive wine in the world, out of 50 wines tallied.

It was created by Henri Jayer, a winemaker widely considered a visionary in the business who died in 2006 at the age of 84. Saturday's distinction is largely seen as a posthumous testimony to his work.

In fact, another Henri Jayer wine, his Cros-Parantoux, Vosne-Romanee Premier Cru, took third place at $8,832 or €8,054 a bottle.

Meanwhile, it was a Burgundy yet again that took second place: the Romanee-Conti, Burgundy's most famous fine wine, at $13,314 (€12,141) and the vineyard has two other bottles on the list.

It means Burgundy wines have dominated all three top spots.

WineSearcher, founded in London in 1999, released its annual list this month of the 50 most expensive wines in the world based on prices collected from nearly 55,000 wine merchants.

Bordeaux, for all its prestige, has only two items on the list, both Pomerols: the Petrus and a Le Pin, but only got a look in at 18th position.

Two German winemakers also made the list, while the only other non-French wine is Californian vintner Stanley Kroenke's Screaming Eagle Cabernet Sauvignon, coming in at 14th place.