Late 18th Century Champagne - Drinking Very Nicely Thank You

'Tis not April Fools' Day, I promise. See my post at viewtopic.php?f=29&t=33701


Best
Rogov

Thanks for this. Sounds interesting and I guess the local Finnish authorities may end up selling the wine to raise money. So we could have some more international auction intrigue.

To repeat what I have just posted another place: So it's 18th cenury Champagne, with an estimated value of 50,000EUR per bottle, and the divers drank a bottle of it before getting ashore! I am not sure whether to aplaud their panache or condemn them for cultural vanadalism.

I am not sure whether to aplaud their panache or condemn them for cultural vanadalism.

I'll go with the former.

But were they wine lovers?

But were they wine lovers?

Thay may have been, but how many groups of wine-loving divers do we think there are?

Actually, it seems so unlikely that they found an old bottle, decided that the contents were drinkable, and immediately destroyed its value, that a third option (besides panache and cultural vandalism) springs to mind - that they found the empty Champagne bottle somwhere else and made up the story about finding it in the Baltic.

Hey guys.....doubtful that we are talking about a single or even a few bottles. It seems this was a shipment destined for Saint Petersberg and most likely to the cellars of the Tzar. My guess is a minimum of 400-500 bottles.

Best
Rogov

Article needs an editor. I'm sure Juhlin got it right, but something was lost in article. There was no such thing as "Veuve Cliquot" in 18th century. Mme. Ponsardin married M. Cliquot in 1798, was widowed in 1805, and produced first vintage "Veuve" Champagne in 1810.

Article is unclear how much wine there is. There's no special reason to believe it was for the Czar (actually Empress Catherine at that point), even if ship was bound for St Peterburg there were hundreds of wealthy noble houses there during Catherine's time.

Not sure how Finnish finders laws are. But a cynical part of me thinks if a group of divers found an ancient stash, decided to drink a bottle, and it was terrible, they might well say it was very drinkable, increasing their share of potential profits. That said, underwater in a cold sea should give wine the best chance of survival

Another story estimates 30 bottles
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/38289110/ns ... ?GT1=43001

So it is apparently quite drinkable, but it's 19th century and not V-C but Juglar
Another story that needs an editor ("perhaps part of a consignment sent by France's King Louis XVI"). Let's see, Louis had his head chopped off in 1790s, and then a few decades later shipped some wine....

http://www.independent.co.uk/life-style ... 46274.html