Imagine taking a swig of the world’s oldest champagne, dating back to 1841. This bubbly was not only recovered from a 19th century shipwreck in the Baltic Sea, but also believed to have been en route to the court of the Russian czsar in St. Petersberg as they were adrift. In the hands of Singapore-based restauranteur, Julia Sherstyuk, the bottle of Veuve Cliquot Champagne cost her a whopping €30,000 (US$42,758), which she purchased from auction house Acker Merrall & Condit.

Sherstyuk was willing to fork out the large sum because it adds a novelty feel to her Russian haute-cuisine restaurant, Buyan, located in Singapore’s Duxton Hill district, helping to “convey a sense of Russian history and culture,” according to The Wall Street Journal. Sherstyuk embraced the price of the bottle, as she was staggered that it didn’t go for more.

Tastings of the rarity won’t be allowed just yet, as Sherstyuk plans to showcase the Veuve Cliquot with the rest of her $5 million wine collection, which includes a €24,000 bottle of Jugler that was also purchased at the auction.

For now, her patrons can only imagine how the aged liquid would savor upon the palette. One thing’s for sure. There’s something romantic about cracking open champagne that drifted in the waves of a now lost time.

[Source: WallStreetJournal]

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