Bolgheri's Tenuta dell'Ornellaia sold a bottle of Salmanazar for $33,600 (400 times its market value) at a Christie's auction in October.
The one-of-a-kind nine-litre bottle features a pure gold silkscreen in place of a label.
The winners were a Seattle couple that had gone to the auction with the intention of bidding on Lot Number 86 - the only bottle of Italian wine on the docket.
The 2005 Ornellaia won't hit shelves until May 2008, thereby giving the buyers a unique preview of this prestigious wine.
The winning bidders, the Corliss family, also won a three-day stay at the exclusive Bolgheri estate.
Proceeds from the sale were donated to American non-profit association, 'Friends of Florence', and will be used to restore Giovanni Francesco Rustici's statues on the doors of the Baptistery of Florence.
It is the first time in its 20 years of existence that the Ornellaia estate has presented a preview of its wine - and the first time such a price was paid for a wine that will hit the markets in a few weeks.
Michael Corliss and Lauri Darneille visited the Uffizi and Accademia museums in Florence, where they admired the Project Baptistry' works.
Their Tuscan stay continued with a visit to the Tenuta dell'Ornellaia and the historic avenue of cypresses' celebrated by the great Italian poet, Carducci.
''We are very happy that the money went to the restoration of the Rustici statues, which are absolutely enchanting. We're proud to be able to contribute to the protection of such an important work of art''.
The couple, impressed by the beauty and elegance of Ornellaia, affirmed that, ''the Ornellaia Salmanazar will become part of our personal collection. It is an exceptional and refined wine that marries perfectly with one of the most beautiful places we have ever seen. When we decide to open it we will remember our time here in Bolgheri''. During their Tuscan visit, the couple received the Major Donor award. Their names will be put on a permanent plaque in the Museo dell'Opera del Duomo in Florence along with others who contributed to the restoration.
