Elizabeth Taylor's Favorite Vintage Champagne Label Is Worth A Small Fortune In 2026

"Come quickly, I am tasting the stars!" These are the fanciful, famous words of Dom Pérignon, the Benedictine monk now synonymous with luxury, opulence, and highly sought-after champagne. Pérignon may not have realized in his exclamation, however, that his namesake champagne would eventually be enjoyed by the stars. Long before "Dom P" entered the hip-hop lexicon, Hollywood star Elizabeth Taylor let the world know about her love of the champagne produced by Moët & Chandon, and not just any vintage either.

In 1968, Town and Country Magazine asked celebrities-of-the-day what their holiday drink of choice was, and the answer from Taylor and then husband Richard Burton was a sophisticated one. Taylor champions not just one vintage of Dom Pérignon, but three select years — "Vintages 1961, 1964 — and 1959, if there's any available." Well, nearly 60 years later, there are, in fact, still some '59 bottles knocking around, but they don't come cheap. Taylor's appreciation for champagne was not just guesswork, and the elevated cost of these select vintages reflects the worth of those years. 

Each of Taylor's three favorite vintages shine for different reasons and carry price tags to match. Pérignon's 1959 Brut vintage is now difficult to find on U.S. soil but select retailers in Europe do sell it for between $1,100 to $1,300 (or more) per bottle. This vintage presented a year of extremes, with drastic temperature variations and little rain that resulted in battle-worn-but-excellent champagne.

1961 is perhaps the most prestigious of Taylor's top vintages, so much so that it was the year chosen for the wedding of Princess Diana and Prince Charles in 1981, with a special edition of the brut produced for the event. "Vintage 1961 is considered one of Dom Pérignon's most sought-after vintages," according to Thomas Rosendahl, Head of the Wine Department at Bruun Rasmussen. Bottles of the '61 Dom Pérignon Brut can still be found in the U.S., but the price reflects its prestige, with one online retailer listing the champagne at $3,499 per bottle.

On the other hand, a bottle of the 1964 vintage asks the least. This vintage is typically sold between $599 and $825 from American retailers. "The Dom Perignon 1964 Champagne was born out of one of the most exceptional vintages of the 20th century," explains Anthony Zhang of Vinovest, who described that year's summer as "scorching and dry.

A vintage of Dom Pérignon Brut is only released for worthwhile seasons, and generally, only six new vintages are released per decade as only years with the potential to age well over decades make the grade. This is one of the aspects that contribute to price variance between champagne vintages. It's clear that Elizabeth Taylor loved the finer things in life, but she also famously had eclectic taste in food and beverage, enjoying everything from a glass of Jack Daniels to a spoonful of beluga caviar.