Bubbly recovered from Baltic Sea wreck could belong to Louis XVI
By ANISunday, July 18, 2010
NEW YORK - Thirty bottles of centuries-old champagne discovered in a shipwreck in the Baltic Sea could belong to French monarch Louis XVI, it has emerged.
The bubbly possibly dates back to the late 18th century, making it the world’s oldest drinkable champagne.
Believed to be the top brand Veuve Clicquot, it has remained perfectly preserved 180 feet deep on the seabed and “tasted fantastic,” said one wine expert.
Each bottle could be worth up to 65,000dollars or more if its authenticity is verified. Samples have been sent to French laboratories for testing.
A group of Swedish divers made the discovery on July 6 off Aaland Island, midway between Sweden and Finland.
“I still have a glass in my fridge and keep going back every five minutes to take a breath of it. I have to pinch myself to believe it’s real,” The New York Daily News quoted Aaland wine expert Ella Cromwell-Morgan, who tasted the find, as saying.
According to one theory, the champagne was part of consignment sent by King Louis XVI to Peter the Great that never reached its destination.
Cromwell-Morgan said: “If it’s really Louis XVI’s wine it could fetch several million.” (ANI)
