The near-ancient bubbly, that head diver Christian Ekstrom called “sweet” with hints of “oak and tobacco,” is believed to be from the 1780s and was likely part of a cargo ship bound for Russia.
“We brought up the bottle to be able to establish how old the wreck was,” Ekstrom told AP. “We didn’st know it would be champagne. We thought it was wine or something.”
The bottles were discovered last week in the Aland Islands, between Sweden and Finland. The delighted divers are sending their catch — about 30 bottles worth — to France to be tested for authenticity.
According to Swedish wine expert Carl-Jan Granqvist, each bottle could cost up to €50,000 ($67,863) if the corks are intact and the champagne is genuine and drinkable.
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