Thomas Jefferson and the $157,000 Bottle

S5E36 - Thomas Jefferson and the $157,000 Bottle

Published: December 1, 2025

Duration: 52:46

In 1985, Christie’s auctioned off a dusty Bordeaux engraved with the initials “Th.J.” The seller claimed it had once belonged to Thomas Jefferson, and the bottle fetched an astonishing $157,000. It was a record-setting sale that turned the wine world upside down — and raised a bigger question: had history truly been uncorked, or had wealthy collectors just bought into a very expensive story?

"Crimes of the Centuries" is a podcast from Grab Bag Collab exploring forgotten crimes from times past that made a mark and helped change history. You can get early and ad-free episodes and more over at www.g...