30,000 Euros... That's what a collector from Singapore paid for a bottle of Champagne whose history remains a mystery, but which has just become the most expensive bottle of Champagne in the world.
In our blog post of 1st September, we dealt with the recent discovery of a shipwreck full of Champagne bottles, off the island of Föglö, in the Baltic Sea.
After their return to shore, they've quickly been identified as being mostly champagnes from Veuve Cliquot and Juglar, a brand that doesn't exist anymore.
Then began a long and meticulous phase of research and analysis, in order to determine both the origin and destination of the schooner, but also to see if the precious liquid is still drinkable!
According to minutes found in the Veuve Cliquot archive, the bottles date back to the late 1830's, but even if some samples are still being tested, it already seems that a precise dating of the bottles would be an exploit. As for the name of the ship, where it came from, and the destination of the cargo, the mystery remains unsolved.
However the content of the bottles is now known. Tasted by several specialists, critics are unanimous: if some of them didn't stay the test of time, others on the contrary have truly enhanced their potential and contain a real treasure for the palate.
So there is no surprise, given the rarity of such a discovery and the mystery that surrounds it, that two of these bottles have been bought for 30,000 Euros (Veuve Cliquot) and 24.000 Euros (Juglar) during an auction last Friday!
