Cristal at 20,000 leagues under the sea
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Roederer, the Champagne house that makes the bling Cristal as well as an excellent nonvintage champers, has announced that they will be testing out a new location for bottle aging: under the sea. To the tape:
Roederer said on Monday it had placed several dozen bottles 15 meters (50 feet) underwater in the bay of Mont Saint-Michel, a rocky tidal island off the coast of Normandy, last weekend. A cellarman came up with the idea after realizing that the water temperature in the bay, a constant 10 degrees Celsius (50F), was ideal for aging wine.
But if cork lets in scant amounts of oxygen in a normal cellar, might undersea aging turn the champagne a tad briney? They will stage a tasting in a year to find out how it’s going. Assuming, that is, that lobsters haven’t opened an undersea night club where the cases are stored.
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On June 5th, 2008 at 1:49 pm ,Delondra Williams wrote:
Three thoughts:
First of all, this gives me the shudders. I hate little bottom-dwelling sea creatures, and I’d just as soon have lobsters and such scuttle over my face as my bottles of wine. Blech.
But…at least it’s natural, right? If it works, it might be one more way to bring down the old carbon footprint.
Also, it reminds me of those little Boxcar Children characters, who would use a flowing stream to keep their bottles of milk cold. (They were so damn plucky.)
On June 5th, 2008 at 9:37 pm ,Henri Vasnier wrote:
Guys in scuba gear will steal the wine
On June 6th, 2008 at 6:48 am ,Ryan wrote:
I’ve had an excellent chilean wine that was aged under the sea: http://www.catavino.net/2007/03/15/saturday-night-wine-tasting/
and not a touch of brine at all…!
On June 6th, 2008 at 9:26 am ,bill marsano wrote:
With the Champagne under 6 atmospheres of internal pressure, no oxygen or anything else is goping to get in.
Also–a few years ago many cases of Champagne were raised from a ship sunk during WWI; they were later sold. Anyone know of any bottles have been opened?