Restoration of Legendary Wine Bottles at Becov Castle

On June 1, 2026, the Becov castle in Czech Republic celebrated the restoration of eight bottles of Chateau d’Yquem, a prestigious French sweet white wine. Hidden under the castle’s floor for decades, the wine is part of a collection including 136 bottles first discovered in the 1980s.

The collection belonged to the Beaufort-Spontin family, who fled Czechoslovakia at World War II’s end due to suspicions of Nazi collaboration. Their wine stayed concealed alongside the Reliquary of St. Maurus, which purportedly contains St. John the Baptist’s bones. Communist secret police uncovered the shrine and wine years later, with the shrine sent to Prague for restoration.

In 1984, Danny Douglas, an American businessman, secretly attempted to retrieve the wine for the family. Police found out during the process, leading to the collection’s discovery. A decade ago, a rescue mission began, led by Chateau d’Yquem, focusing on eight bottles from 1892 and 1896.

Toni El Khawand, Chateau d’Yquem’s cellar master, said a small amount was tasted to confirm the wine maintained its original flavor profile. Laboratory tests proved its authenticity, allowing the winery to replace corks and safeguards. Five bottles were returned fully intact to Becov.

Speaking at the presentation, El Khawand described tasting the wine as “magical.” He noted its acidic freshness, complexity, and aromas of cedar, dried fruit, saffron, cinnamon, nutmeg, chocolate, coffee, mocha, and oud. Chateau d’Yquem vintages are valuable, with newer editions priced in the hundreds of dollars. The Czech National Heritage Institute estimates the entire collection could fetch $5 million at auction, though El Khawand emphasized its historical significance over monetary value.

Becov plans to exhibit the wine and cognac collection, including 1899 Pedro Ximenez sherry and 1892 port. A fundraising campaign has begun for the exhibition. Katerina Nyvltova, collections manager at Becov, expressed hope for further analysis and reconditioning of the remaining bottles.

This restoration follows Georgia’s recent unveiling of a two-century-old wine collection connected to historical figures such as Napoleon Bonaparte and Joseph Stalin.

In: Wine, France, Czech Republic