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October Fine and Rare wines(#45) 06/10/2020 6:00 PM NZDT CLOSED

Lot 117 of 289: (1) 1907 Heidsieck & Co Monopole Gout Americain Certificate # 1392

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Lot closed - Winning bid:$1

Estimate: $7,500 - $8,500

October Fine and Rare wines(#45) 06/10/2020 6:00 PM NZDT CLOSED

Description

Description:

(1) 1907 Heidsieck & Co Monopole Gout Americain

Retrieved in 1998 from the wreck of the Swedish schooner "The Jönköping" sunk in the Gulf of Bothnia in 1916 this bottle ( #1392 ) was originally purchased at Christie's auction October 22nd 1998 - part of the original twenty-four bottles auctioned.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dzMC7sjEz0g

The night I drank century-old champagne from a shipwreck

Bruce Palling 21 February 2018

...The two bottles we drank at the Metropol were brought along by Fredrik Åström, a charmingly eccentric Swedish hotelier who has more than 100 of them, although his real passion is corkscrews, of which he possesses several thousand. The bottles themselves had alarmingly low levels, with almost a quarter of the contents missing, though the corks and capsules were completely intact. There was also quite a bit of dirt and residue surrounding the lip of the bottle, but once the cork was gently extracted and poured, the champagne appeared to be in near-perfect condition.

There were no bubbles remaining in the first bottle and there was something distinctively sweet about the nose. This was to be expected, as champagne from a century ago was made with far more sugar and ‘Goût Américain’ was sweeter still. The taste, though, was intriguing: more like fruitcake or marmalade than champagne. As for the second bottle, it actually managed to exude a few bubbles, though nowhere near the typical 20 million that a good bottle of champagne should have. Despite this sign of life, it had a far more citric taste and lacked the depth of the first. My neighbour, an importer of natural wines, was unimpressed by either bottle: ‘They were different with interesting aromas in the nose… but just too sweet.’

The Heidsieck was up against impressive opposition as Roederer had supplied a range of bottles, including Cristal ’09, which was certainly at the other end of the sweetness spectrum. However, a number of other guests must have agreed with my neighbour, as some glasses from the first bottle remained unfinished.

It would be expecting quite a lot for century-old champagne to be still drinkable after being exposed to the air for more than an hour: typically, it would lose depth and finish with a watery end. In this case, it was the opposite.

There was even more depth of flavour and a clean aftertaste of apples. There was so much life in it I could imagine this still being drunk more than a decade from now. To think that champagne destined for Tsarist Russia is still capable of improvement made the experience even sweeter.

https://life.spectator.co.uk/articles/the-night-i-drank-century-old-champagne-from-a-shipwreck/

Swiss Company Sells Costly Sunken Champagne to Public

"In October 1998 , Christie's auctioned 24 of the bottles in London. The average price was USD2,488 a bottle, but one bottle sold for USD4,068, a world record for a bottle of Champagne.

While a few dozen bottles have sold to private collectors around the world, Caviar House has spent a large sum to acquire the remaining cache of historic artifacts. Caviar House executive Jean-Pierre Esmilaire declined to give details, but said that the Scandinavian sellers used a price slightly below the average Christie's auction price for Caviar House; that would mean the chain paid somewhere around USD3 million for the stock.

Caviar House is banking that the publicity about the Champagne will raise its international profile. The chain is acting on a hunch that some millennium revelers won't be able to pass up the thrill of opening a 92-year-old Champagne that has lain for 83 years at 212 feet below the surface of the sea in 39-degree water. ... "

https://www.winespectator.com/articles/swiss-company-sells-costly-sunken-champagne-to-public-20283

Categories: France – Champagne
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CONDITION OF WINE

Goods are described as accurately as can be ascertained by The Wine Auction Room at the time, however Buyers of older wine must make appropriate allowances for natural variations of ullage and the condition of corks and labels. The Wine Auction Room has made every effort to describe any bottle that is not in excellent condition. Each Lot is sold by the Vendor with all faults and defects (if any) and with all errors of description and shall be at the Buyer’s risk on the fall of the hammer and neither The Wine Auction Room nor the Vendor shall be accountable for any deficiency, damage or loss which may arise thereafter.

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COLLECTION

To collect your purchases from The Wine Auction Room, please contact the team at least 24 hours prior to your preferred collection time. Collection is from 16-22 Virginia Avenue East, Eden Terrace. If you have supplied us with an out of Auckland address we will automatically assume you will want your wine couried to you. The cost of the courier is passed on at our cost and will automatically be added to your invoice. All wine must be collected within 10 days of invoice.

Ratings

We have used ratings from a number of well-known wine writers. RP (RobertParker.com), WS (Wine Spectator), AG (Vinous), JO (Jeremy Oliver), JCL (Jeannie Cho Lee MW), BC (Bob Campbell MW) D (Decanter) and BH (Burghound) scores are out of 100. JR (Jancis Robinson MW) and (RC) Raymond Chan are scores out of 20.

Descriptions

Ullage is the term that refers to the gap between the bottom of the cork and the fill level of the wine. All wines are listed in the catalogue have Ullage level “IN into neck” or higher. If the level is lower, it is stated in the catalogue.

TS (Top Shoulder)          A good level in any wine 20 years or older.

US (Upper Shoulder)       Indicates slight natural reduction through easing of the cork and evaporation through the capsule

MS (Mid Shoulder)        Indicates some weakening of the cork and therefore some risk. This is not unusual in wines over 50 years old and estimates will take this into account.

LMS (Low Mid Shoulder)           indicates high risk and will attract low estimates.

OC                               Original Carton

OPB                             Original Presentation Box

OWC                            Original Wooden Case

IN                                Into Neck

TS                                 Top Shoulder Fill

US                                Upper Shoulder Fill

MS                               Mid Shoulder Fill

LS                                 Low Shoulder Fill

TC                                Torn Capsule

OX                               Oxidised Capsule

NC                               No Capsule

CC                                Corroded Capsule

RL                                Replacement Label

FL                                 Faded Label

TL                                 Tattered Label

TOL                              Torn Label

STOL                             Slightly Torn Label

HSL                               Heavily Stained Label

BSL                               Bin Stained Label

TSL                               Tissue Stained Label

SOL                              Soiled Label

*                                  indicates a representative of The Wine Auction Room or a Trade vendor.