Divers have found 30 bottles of champagne thought to pre-date
the French Revolution on the Baltic seabed. When they opened
one, they found the wine - believed to have been made by
Clicquot (now Veuve Clicquot) between 1782 and 1788 - was still
in good condition. The bottle - whose shape indicates it was
produced in the 18th Century - has now been sent to France for
analysis. If confirmed, it would be the oldest drinkable
champagne in the world. Diver Christian Ekstrom was exploring a
shipwreck on the Baltic seabed when he found the bottles. He
took one to the surface, where he opened it and tasted it with
his colleagues. "It was fantastic," he told the Reuters news
agency. "It had a very sweet taste, you could taste oak and it
had a very strong tobacco smell. And there were very small
bubbles." According to records, Clicquot champagne was first
produced in 1772 but was laid down for 10 years. Production was
disrupted after the French Revolution in 1789. The wine found on
the seabed was perfectly preserved bec