Shipwreck Discovery
Late October 1916, Jönköping, a small Swedish schooner, left Sweden bound for the coast of Finland. Besides her cargo of steel, she was also carrying 60 tons of Champagne, Cognac and wine in her hold destined for Tsar Nicolas II, who was stationed in Finland with his Russian Imperial Army.

Early in the morning of November 3rd, 1916, Jönköping was stopped by the German submarine U-22 about 20 nautical miles from her destination. Because of her steel products, the commander of the U-22 decided to sink her. The Jönköping went down in less than an hour, sunk by two explosive charges. The ship remained untouched with her valuable cargo at the bottom of the Baltic for more than 80 years.

In May 1997 the search for Jönköping started, and on the 29th of May a wreck was found at a depth of 64 meters. Its identity was not confirmed until nearly 2 weeks later, when a diver returned from the wreck with a bottle of Champagne in his hand.

When the Jönköping was sunk, there were about 2,500 bottles of Champagne in her cargo and of these, about 2,000 were recovered. The Champagne ? Heidsieck & Co Monopole 1907 Gôut Americain ? had been stored for 82 years at a constant temperature of 4°C in total darkness, surrounded by fresh water and secured by the pressure that you will find at a depth of 64 meters in the Baltic Sea.

Gôut Americain means "American Taste." This Champagne is sweeter than the Champagne of today. The bottles that have been opened have retained their sparkle, their pale color with just a hint of green and most importantly their fabulous taste. A bottle was presented to Laurent Davaine, Directeur Général Adjoint of Heidsieck and Co.

Here's what he had to say:

"After more than 80 years spent in the wreck of Jön, this wine still shows an amazing balance. It has not been denatured and has kept a beautiful structure. This goût American style had a relatively high sugar dosage.
"Along the same line, other criteria in the analysis do not reveal any problems with this wine. The fact that this cuvee did not go through malolactic fermentation explains its freshness when tasting. The latter constitutes a true discovery and an excellent surprise: a beautiful golden hue with the effervescence still present. One should note the good state of the cork that has obviously protected the wine from external forces.

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