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In 2010, a group of divers discovered a shipwreck that sank almost 200 years ago and since then had been lying on the bottom of the sea.
The divers were pleasantly surprised to see that near the shipwreck were 168 bottles of champagne that were in a perfect state of preservation.
Now, a team of researchers in collaboration with expert wine tasters are analyzing samples of the champagne to see how if the chemical composition and the taste is similar to the modern champagnes.
The scientists detailed the findings of their analysis in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.
Before the wine experts got a chance to taste the 170 year old champagne, the scientists broke down the drink’s chemical composition.
According to their findings, the champagne was produced by Veuve Cliquot, based on the engravings of the corks. Also, the researchers say that the wine had a higher sugar content and was less alcoholic than some of the champagnes we have today.
The scientists say that the champagnes were sweeter and contained less alcohol back then, mostly because the overall climate was cooler than today’s.
Because of this, grapes could not mature very much and the distillers could not draw too much alcohol from the fruits.
The experts believe that almost 200 years ago, the wine makers may have used yeast in the process which would not have been as efficient at fermenting the sugar and transform it into alcohol.
But the most impressive detail about the 170 year old champagne is its sweetness. The analysis showed that one bottle of beverage contained approximately 140 grams of sugar, which means that the champagne was actually 14% made of sugar.
No one really knows where the ship was heading to before sinking, but researchers presume that it was heading to Germany, based on the sweetness of the champagne.
The German market preferred sweeter alcoholic drinks in those times, experts explain.
After the researchers were done with analyzing the champagne, they let the wine experts try it. According to them, the first sip tasted like wet hair and had a cheesy, animal flavor.
But after the champagne got some oxygen its taste changed dramatically. Wine experts said it had different notes, like spicy, smokey, leathery and grilled.
Philippe Jeandet, researcher at the University of Reims, France, said the champagne aged in a perfect condition because it stayed in a cold and dark environment.
Image Source: nature
