A rare Bordeaux has smashed the world record for the highest price paid for a single bottle of wine at auction.

The six-litre bottle of 1947 Cheval Blanc was found hidden in the cellar of a great wine collector and put up for sale at Christie's in New York. An unnamed investor paid $304,000 (£191,000) for the rare wine.

However, Christie's wine specialist Michael Ganne was left in no doubt that the mystery buyer had made a sound investment, despite the hefty price tag.

"This wine is undoubtedly one of the greatest Bordeaux of all times, not only because of its rare quality but also due to its extensive life span, as it could still be kept and enjoyed 50 years from now with no problem at all," he said.

Also featuring Burgundy from Domaine de la Romanee Conti, the whole sale took around $3.5 million (£2.2 million).

The highest price ever paid for a standard-size bottle is the $232,000 (£146,000) paid for an 1869 Chateau Lafite Rothschild in Hong Kong last month.

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