Follow the Story:  The ?Champagne Schooner?

On an entirely too short visit to the Smithsonian American History Museum in Washington D.C.  a decade ago, you could have knocked me over with a feather when I saw a set of George Washington’s wooden teeth.  Ditto when I saw the pocket pistol that General Robert E. Lee carried in the Civil War and a corkscrew from Thomas Jefferson.  What enchanted me is precisely what enchants millions of school kids—history leaping off the pages of the textbook suddenly made relevant. 

I’ve pursued the triptych of history, wine and relevance since then.

Nearly equidistance between Finland and Sweden, an autonomous Swedish-speaking, Finnish country called Aland exists as a cluster of islands in the Baltic Sea.  There, the story of the so-called “Champagne Schooner” begins.

In the 1840s, a two-masted 70-foot long cargo ship set sail from an unknown port to an unknown destination.  Perhaps, the ship was sailing, as it has been alleged, to a Russian Emperor in St. Petersburg who never received his provisions from a ship that found a watery grave in the Baltic Sea. 

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In July of last year, divers discovered the ship wreck standing nearly upright in 160 feet of water in those same chilly, forbidding waters.  Preserved in a pristine 40 degree sea bath, in total darkness, 170 bottles of French Champagne were reclaimed to much international fanfare.

Under the supervision of the Aland government, divers took great care to extract the bottles from the wreckage, ensuring integrity in temperature and pressure fluctuation on their short journey to the surface and land.  All told, 172 hand-blown bottles finished with cork were found and 168 of the bottles were very nearly perfectly preserved.

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Representing the legacy Champagne house of Juglar (now Jacquesson) Veuve Clicquot and Heidsieck, the discovery is notable not just for the age of the Champagne, but also its quality.

Sampled in November of last year, Essi Avellan, MW said, “Sweet in style, bright golden in colour and honeyed and toasty in aromatics, both the wines were very much alive and remarkably fresh.  The Juglar was more harmonious and complete with Veuve Clicquot’s aroma being overwhelmingly pungent and smoky but the palate retain(ed) a freshness and an immense concentration.”

The end of this story will ultimately be written over a period of years as the wine is owned by the Aland government who are rightfully taking a judicious approach to the bounty.  To begin, auction house Acker Merrall & Condit will auction two bottles, one each from Juglar and Veuve Clicquot on June 3rd in Aland.

To follow this fascinating story from the beginning till now, below are a number of links to various resources and news articles on the wine from the “Champagne Schooner.”

Official Aland Champagne site

Official Aland Facebook page

PDF One-page download from Scandinavian Islands web site

Backstory from Alands museum site

Images from Alands museum exhibit

December 14, 2010 New York Times article

Reuters article on the pending auction

Source: http://goodgrape.com/index.php/site/follow_the_story_the_champagne_schooner/

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Four Luscious Red Wines to Buy Now at Trader Joe's

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It's happened to me twice in the past couple months. I open a $20-$30 bottle of wine and it's either flawed -or- just not to my liking for one reason or another. After the first glass I set the bottle aside and crack open a $5-$10 bottle of wine from Trader Joe's and I enjoy it so much more than the original bottle. Good, clean and delicious. Luscious. Affordable. Sometimes they absolutely hit the spot and I wonder why I waste energy tracking down highly rated and almost always more expensive wines.

Don't get me wrong -  I do find wines worth the effort. The 2008 Paul Hobbs Russian River Valley Pinot Noir, the 2008 Rhys Alesia Pinot Noir, and the 2007 Felsina Fontalloro are a few recent examples.

But we all need affordable daily drinkers in the rotation, right? And Trader Joe's can step in brilliantly in this department - especially at the ultra-challenging sub-$10 price point.

Still, you have to be careful at Trader Joe's. Sure, the bad wines won't cost you much - but who wants to buy really bad wine and toss it out? Even if it's only $3.99? Recent dumper-outers include the L'Authentique (l'awful!) and Blue Fin Petite Sirah (a sobering offering).

There are indeed gems to be found, but it always helps to have a sherpa guiding the way. I enjoy comparing notes with Jason over at Jason's Wine Blog and tracking down buzzworthy wines he's discovered. Many of these were tips I received from his blog.

All of these were purchased at the Trader Joe's in Framingham, MA in the last few months.

2009 Sebastopol Hills Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir
$9.99

My bottle lists the ABV at 13.8%.

It's only 20-30% opaque which bodes well for it behaving like a Pinot Noir. On the nose I get ample fruit, herbal tea, and a tangy (signature?) California Pinot Noir note.

On the palate it's classic domestic Pinot Noir with strawberry flavors, silky smooth texture, and hardly any tannic bite. Doesn't get overly fruity but it's satisfyingly flavorful.

Bottom line: This is legit Pinot Noir for $9.99. The only thing lacking is acidity and perhaps some minerality. But it scores points for what it *doesn't* have: I didn't detect any off-putting aromas or flavors.

Well done and a value at $9.99.  

87/100 WWP: Very Good


2009 Chariot Gypsy
$4.99

First Bottle:
My first taste of the Gypsy and I can see what the buzz is about.

Light-medium bodied with a fruity nose immediately upon opening. Fresh and lively. While it's certainly slighty sweet on the palate I think the baked cranberry notes reign it in nicely. A little spice. No finish really but as a $5 party wine I think it plays well.

Pretty darn good wine for $4.99.

Second Bottle:
Satisfying once again. Notes consistent with prior bottle.

Especially after opening a corked bottle and seeking a clean, tasty bottle of wine - this one hit the spot. 

85-86/100 WWP: Very Good


2009 Cocobon
$6.99

Light and juicy, with slightly sweet streaks of mocha. Very approachable and friendly. Probably works better as a cocktail or right after dinner than paired with food. Nice value.  

85/100 WWP: Very Good




2007 Lost Sonnet Meritage
$9.99

This one caught me a little off guard because it's unlike the Chariot Gypsy and unlike the Cocobon. It's a far more serious wine and needs time to open up. I don't think I've ever seen a Vinturi make such a noticeable difference in a wine and it's better the second day than the first.

That said, I can't enthusiastically get behind it 100% due to some quirky off aromas that were present both upon opening and after some time. Give it a try but don't back up the truck. 

85/100 WWP: Very Good

Further Reading:

Question of the Day: What bargains have you found at your local Trader Joe's lately?


Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/WellesleyWinePress/~3/KlYeWGcRCP4/four-luscious-red-wines-to-buy-at.html

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What The Google Algorithm Change Means To Wine Bloggers originally appeared on Winecast. Licensed under Creative Commons.

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