What is the oldest vintage ?
The world of old champagnes fascinates, and the discovery of a bottle lost for decades is always a moving moment. We all dream of one day forgetting a few bottles in a corner of the cellar and only rediscovering them several decades later. Not to discover the oldest champagne in the world, but to treat yourself to a little piece of emotion, a story and a memory. It is therefore easy to imagine what the emotion might have been for the divers who discovered in the Baltic, 55 meters deep, 165 bottles of champagne dating from the 1830s.
Debate around the oldest champagne
The wreck, which was located in the south of the Åland archipelago, was a two-masted ship that transported many luxury goods (pepper, spices, exotic products ...) including champagne. At the time of discovery, only one bottle had been put together to identify the contents. The bottle was intact and the cork still securely in place. The cork bore the logo of the Juglar house, a brand that disappeared in 1829, which made this champagne almost the oldest champagne in the world.
A Veuve Clicquot champagne dating from the 1830s
Between August 23 and September 2, 2010, the bottles were lifted from the wreckage and brought to the surface. The majority of the bottles have been recapped in order to preserve the wine. During this operation, the experts were able to observe that the champagne ultimately came from 3 different houses: Juglar therefore, but also Veuve Clicquot and Heidsieck. The Veuve Clicquot house estimated, after expertise, that these bottles probably date from a period between 1831 to 1841. Offered at auction, some bottles of champagne have sold out at a price of 30,000 euros !
Only 2 copies of the 1825 vintage
But this much envied title of oldest champagne in the world is contested by another illustrious house: Perrier-Jouët. The brand based in Epernay has 2 bottles of the 1825 vintage in its cellars. The antepenultimate copy of this precious champagne was tasted in March 2009 by the cream of the world tasting. According to these experts, the tasting of this oldest champagne in the world was a real moment of grace with its round and ample notes.
Tasting old champagne, a puzzling experience
The discovery and tasting of an old champagne is always a moment of balance. An adventure on the wire with the risk that this entails of falling on a bottle that has not supported the weight of years. But what is an old champagne, from when can we consider that a cuvée falls into this world? There is no hard and fast rule, but it is generally considered that beyond 15 years, a cuvée falls into the category of Oenothèques. In any case, this is the choice made by several houses including Dom Pérignon, Krug, Delamotte or Drappier. Bollinger, which does not, strictly speaking, offer a wine store, however, markets its R.D. cuvée (recently disgorged) about 15 years after its development. From now on to say that a champagne comes of age at 15, there is only one step ...