S5 Ep36: Thomas Jefferson and the $157,000 Bottle

Crimes of the Centuries

Amber Hunt and Audioboom

True Crime, Documentary, Society & Culture, History

4.6 • 3.8K Ratings

🗓️ 1 December 2025

⏱️ 61 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

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.grabbagcollab.com

DON'T FORGET ABOUT THE CRIMES OF THE CENTURIES BOOK! Order today at www.centuriespod.com/book (https://www.centuriespod.com/book)!

Follow us on Instagram and Twitter: @centuriespod

Episode Sponsors:

Miracle Made. Upgrade your sleep with Miracle Made!
Go to https://trymiracle.com/COTC and use the code COTC to claim your FREE 3 PIECE TOWEL SET and SAVE over 40% OFF.

Rula. Rula patients typically pay $15 per session when using insurance. Connect with quality therapists and mental health experts who specialize in you at https://www.rula.com/cotc #rulapod

Quince. Give a gift they’ll actually use and love with Quince. Go to Quince.com/centuries for free shipping on your order and 365-day returns. Now available in Canada, too.

DripDrop. Right now, DripDrop is offering podcast listeners 20% off your first order. Go to dripdrop.com and use promo code COTC.

Transcript

Click on a timestamp to play from that location

0:00.0	One fat white for Bethan?
0:02.0	Here!
0:03.0	And an Oakworthy for David?
0:05.0	Running a business in Cardiff,
0:07.0	you must register for VAT if your taxable turnover reaches £90,000.
0:12.0	To avoid any penalties, check HMRC's guidance today.
0:17.0	Just search register for VAT on Gov.UK.
0:21.7	VAT. It's part of business.
0:27.2	Happenit VAT for Reese.
0:35.8	Some crimes are so heartbreaking or shocking.
0:38.6	They change laws, change society, or even earn the label, Crime of the Century.
0:45.5	But the stories that made headlines and decades past aren't necessarily remembered today.
0:52.6	I'm Amber Hunt, a journalist and author, and in each episode of this show,
0:56.9	I'll examine a case that's maybe lesser known today, but was huge when it happened.
1:03.7	This is Crimes of the Centuries. Thomas Jefferson was worried.
1:21.1	As the ambassador of the country, he had helped found, Jefferson was in France to negotiate trade agreements with all of Europe
1:28.6	and talk up the wonders of the newly freed republic he represented. But there was revolution
1:34.9	afoot in the streets of the French capital, and Jefferson, ensconced in a beautiful
1:40.9	home on the Chances-Lise near the Rue de Béry,
1:47.7	had just received a shipment of the finest Wordeaux from the Margot region of France.
1:50.4	Knowing he would have to temporarily leave as things got worse,
1:54.8	he went into his cellar, marked the bottles in the shipment carefully with his initials,
	...

Transcript will be available on the free plan in 14 days. Upgrade to see the full transcript now.

Previous episode | Next episode

Disclaimer: The podcast and artwork embedded on this page are from Amber Hunt and Audioboom, and are the property of its owner and not affiliated with or endorsed by Tapesearch.

Generated transcripts are the property of Amber Hunt and Audioboom and are distributed freely under the Fair Use doctrine. Transcripts generated by Tapesearch are not guaranteed to be accurate.