Popping the Cork On The World's Oldest Champagne
By 2009-3-12 11:45:30
Last weekend some lucky wine and champagne experts got to taste the world's oldest champagne, Perrier-Jouet Vintage 1825, at Champagne House Perrier-Jouet. According to the Head of the International Wine Department at Sotheby's, Serena Sutcliffe MW each sip could have been worth thousands of dollars depending on what the wine would have yielded at auction. The private event celebrated the release of the House's inaugural vintage of the 21st Century, Perrier-Jouet Millesime 2002. Guests included champagne expert: Richard Juhlin from Sweden; France's most famous wine critic: Michel Bettane; Roger Voss from the The Wine Enthusiast; together with wine experts from the UK, China, Japan, Italy and Finland. The event included a total of 20 historic vintages including 1846, 1858, 1911, 1964 and 1995.Decanter reports that there are now just two bottles left of Perrier Jouët's Sillery 1825. The tasters applauded when the cork was pulled and found that the wine was oxidized and had lots its sparkle. With just the lonely pair of bottles remaining to hold on to the Guinness Book of Records certification as the oldest champagne it seems highly unlikely that either one will be opened anytime soon.
From Deidre Woollard