Coveted drop fetches a mere $10,850

In these tough economic times, it's nice to see it's not only the discounted supermarket drops that are being snatched up.

A bottle of 1990 Romanee-Conti pinot noir sold at auction for $10,850 - believed to be a New Zealand record for a 750ml bottle of wine.

The buyer is a Wellington collector, part of a wine-buying syndicate.

The syndicate members were "significant" wine aficionados who liked to get together once in a while to drink some expensive plonk, said Neil Campbell of Webb's auction house.

"[The buyer] gave me the impression that he and his mates could turn up on a night, and put down $20,000 or $30,000 across a couple of bottles."

Not that the mystery buyer is likely to be uncorking his latest purchase any time soon.

Mr Campbell said the 1990 Romanee-Conti was considered a "baby", and likely to need at least a further 10 years' cellaring.

While New Zealand is capable of knocking out some excellent pinot noirs, Webb's head of wines, Simon Ward, says the Romanee-Conti is a cut above, thanks to the "almost perfect" soil and climate at its vineyard in Burgundy, France.

Award-winning wine critic Clive Coates described it as "the scarcest, most expensive - and frequently the best - wine in the world". David Eames