Melchizedek (30 L)
Forty-bottle giant Champagne format.
What is Melchizedek (30 L)? Melchizedek (30 L) is the largest commercially produced Champagne bottle format, holding a full 30 litres — the equivalent of 40 standard 750 ml bottles. Also known as Midas, the format sits at the very top of the biblical-named Champagne size hierarchy and is reserved for grand occasions, luxury hospitality, and high-profile celebration. Only a handful of houses ever bottle at this scale, with Armand de Brignac and Champagne Drappier among the best-known producers. For most buyers and venues, the Melchizedek is less a practical serving size and more a spectacle — a centrepiece bottle designed to make an entrance.
Format and Place in the Hierarchy
At 30,000 ml, the Melchizedek tops a lineage of oversized Champagne bottles that runs Jeroboam, Rehoboam, Methuselah, Salmanazar, Balthazar, Nebuchadnezzar, Solomon, Sovereign, Primat, and finally Melchizedek. Each step up the ladder takes its name from a biblical king or patriarch, with Melchizedek referring to the 'King of Salem' from scripture. The alternative name, Midas, comes from the mythical king of Phrygia in Greek mythology and is closely tied to Armand de Brignac's branded release in this size.
The format is used almost exclusively for Champagne and other sparkling wines, with only rare appearances for still wines. Its sheer scale — and the engineering required to produce glass that can safely hold sparkling wine at this volume — explains why it remains so uncommon on the market.
Production and Handling
A Melchizedek cannot realistically undergo secondary fermentation inside the bottle. Most Champagne houses are unable to perform the méthode champenoise above magnum (1.5 L), so the wine is fermented in smaller bottles and then transferred into the Melchizedek for final presentation. This is a key reason so few producers offer the format at all: it demands specialised glass, custom labelling, and a careful transfer process that preserves pressure and quality.
Once filled, the bottle weighs roughly 170 lb (about 77 kg). Pouring it is a coordinated effort, typically requiring several people or a dedicated cradle. In practice, the Melchizedek is opened in venues equipped to handle it — luxury restaurants, nightclubs, and private events — rather than at a typical dinner table.
Cultural Status and Notable Examples
The Melchizedek has become a status symbol in high-end hospitality. The first Armand de Brignac Midas (Brut Gold) reportedly sold for around $100,000 at the XS nightclub inside Las Vegas's Encore casino, cementing the format's association with nightlife spectacle and ultra-premium pricing.
Champagne Drappier, by contrast, represents the more traditionally minded side of the format — a historic grower-producer house that has chosen to bottle at this scale as a statement of craft. Between these two reference points, the Melchizedek occupies a narrow but very visible niche: the bottle you order when the moment itself is the point.
