World's oldest Champagne from shipwreck tastes a treat
The world’s oldest Champagne has been at the bottom of the sea for almost 200 years but according to experts it still taste might fine. The bottles of bubbly were discovered in July in a shipwreck 50 metres below the surface near the small island of Aaland, a Finnish-controlled island in the Baltic sea.
The vintage treasure included bottles of both Veuve Clicquot and the now defunct Juglar brands of champagne.
The deep-sea discovery was made by divers who salvaged a total of 168 bottles of champagne as well as crates of vintage beer, although some the bottles were damaged or had been contaminated.
Five bottles have been kept by the Aaland government as archaeological artefacts and those remaining will be sold at an auction.
They are expected to fetch £44,000 ($77,000) each.
According to the wine experts the Champagne still had a little bit of fizz and both types tasted sweet, as was the custom of the time.
Connoisseurs haven't been able to date the champagne precisely but it is believed to be from the early 19th century and is extremely well preserved.
Veuve Clicquot's Gerschel said: "The reason is the Baltic Sea offers perfect storage conditions. There is total darkness, and the water pressure is similar to what's inside the bottle."
He believes the taste is very close to what it was when the champagne was first bottled.
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