Shipwrecks even after a couple of century hide some invaluable treasures. They aren’t always gold or jewelry but even some fine wine that has become priceless after being stored under the sea for so many years. Finland’s autonomous province of Aaland will sell the 200-year-old bottles in an exclusive champagne auction taking place in the capital Mariehamn on June 3, 2011. These bottles were amongst the 150 bottles of champagne that were found by some divers in a shipwreck, 50 meters below the surface in the waters south of Aaland in July 2010.
These bottles contain what is believed to be the world’s oldest champagne and will be sold to the highest bidder. While one of the bottles comes from Veuve Clicquot, the other one is from the now extinct house of Juglar. The champagne is supposed to be in perfect condition as the bottles were recovered corked and intact. There is no known record of wine of the same vintage anywhere in the world and that makes the champagne priceless. These bottles come from the 150 bottles recovered from the shipwreck which had 95 bottles from the house of Juglar and 46 from Veuve Clicquot.
Champagne expert Richard Juhlin is of the opinion that this wine is so rare that it is almost impossible to make a pre sale estimate of the price it might fetch in the auction. He describes the Juglar as more intense and powerful, mushroomy and the Veuve-Clicquot as more like Chardonnay, with notes of linden blossoms and lime peels. The planned sale is being organized by the American auction house Acker Merrall & Condit. A conservative estimate puts the expected price of each of the two bottles at €100,000 ($146,300). But when the bidding starts and the passions run high, anything could happen.
Via: yle
