A lucky diner at an upmarket steakhouse in Manchester was mistakenly given an 18-year-old £4,500 bottle of red wine.
Hawksmoor Manchester revealed the customer was “accidentally” given the expensive Chateau le Pin Pomerol 2001 – instead of the £260 bottle that had been ordered.
“To the member of staff who accidentally gave it away, chin up!”, the restaurant posted on Twitter.
“One-off mistakes happen and we love you anyway.”
A spokeswoman for the restaurant said: “It was a very busy night at the restaurant and a very simple mistake.
“A member of staff picked up the wrong bottle, mistaking it for another Bordeaux of the same vintage.
“The wine went out and was served to the customer. The customer didn’t know and it was only afterwards that one of the managers picked up what had happened.”
The spokeswoman confirmed the customer had actually ordered a bottle of the Chateau Pichon Longueville Comtesse de Lalande 2001, which costs £260.
The revelation drew a frenzy of responses on Twitter, including several amusing ones, with @misterstevehs writing: “I don’t know about 4500 quid, but it was nice when we added the lemonade and ice cubes…”
“Whoever made this mistake, can they look after our table the next time I’m in please? Cheers,” tweeted @DowneyJD.
Some people were also sympathetic to the member of staff involved.
“As someone who works in hospitality, bless you for being understanding and not flying off the handle at the poor lad/lass,” wrote @cakey Laura.
Only 500 cases of Chateau le Pin Pomerol 2001 were made, according to the Cult Wines website, which described the wine as a “tremendous effort” and “even better in 2001 than it was in 2000”.
“Its deep ruby/plum/purple colour is accompanied by an extraordinary perfume of creme de cassis, cherry liqueur, plums, liquorice, caramel, and sweet toast,” it said.
“This flamboyant, opulently textured, rich, concentrated Pomerol is a brilliant success as well as one of the wines of the vintage for 2001.”
The website added: “Its low acidity and extraordinary ripeness suggest early drinkability, but it has proven it can last for 18-20 years.”
Source : Sky News :