What is Champagne without a bit of drama and glamour? Add mystery and adventure to it and you have a sparkling brew. Shipwrecks have thrown up gold and myriad treasure but who knew that 47 bottles of Veuve Clicquot dating from 1840s would be discovered in 2010 in the Äland archipelago in one of those vessels of yore when oceans were highways full of plying ships and were the busiest trade routes known to man. Of course, this find was worth its weight in gold for any connoisseur of fine wine. For a lucky few there has been a one-of-its-kind rare tasting of a bottle from the famed 1840's Baltic shipwreck. What would a 170 year old champagne taste like? Influenced by this discovery and to better understand the aging process of champagne, the Dominique Demarville of the House of Veuve Clicquot launched a study of their own. Evocative of azure waters and aquamarine beaches, it was aptly called the ‘Veuve Clicquot Cellar in the Sea experiment’ - a 40 year venture to further enhance the House’s understanding of the aging process.

Veuve Clicquot and Magnus Ek ;   Veuve Clicquot Baltic Bottles

Veuve Clicquot Cellar in the Sea

This experiment involved the submersion of a selection of Veuve Clicquot wines in the Baltic Sea, within a specifically designed underwater cellar. The bottles chosen included Veuve Clicquot Yellow Label in 75mL and magnums, Veuve Clicquot Vintage Rosé 2004 and Veuve Clicquot Demi-Sec. Throughout the years, the wines will be compared to a similar selection of bottles kept in the Houses’s cellars in Reims.

The Veuve Clicquot Cave Privée is a selection of premium wines that, due to their renowned quality and remarkable aging potential, have been carefully guarded over decades, in the heart of Veuve Clicquot’s chalk cellars in Reims. On this occasion, an event was organized around the launch of The Cave Privée 1990 Rosé, Cave Privée 1989 Blanc, Cave Privée 1982 Blanc, Cave Privée 1979 Rose in addition to a wine pairing dinner in collaboration with Michelin star Swedish Chef Magnus Ek.

And it was touchingly appropriate that that Dominique Demarville chose to reveal the Veuve Clicquot Cellar in the Sea experiment at the very site of the shipwreck itself.