Heidsieck & Co. Monopoly Champagne
Heidsieck & Co. Monopole Champagne
THE CHAMPAGNE MANUFACTURER HEIDSIECK & CO. MONOPOLE WAS FOUNDED IN 1785 IN ÉPERNAY. HIS CUVÉE IS DIAMOND BLUE.
HEIDSIECK & CO. MONOPOLE BELONGS TO FAMILY GROUP VRANKEN-POMMERY MONOPOLE.
In the year 1998 the Heidsieck Monopole, Goût Américain, vintage 1907 made headlines in the wine world. From the wreck of the Swedish schooner Jönköping, about 3,000 bottles of this champagne were recovered in 1998.
The schooner set sail from France for Rauma, Finland in October 1916. The destination was apparently St. Petersburg, Russia. The ship's hold contained cargo for Tsar Nicholas II, consisting of steel for repairs to Russian railway tracks, several barrels of wine and cognac, and 50 crates of Champagne from the house of Heidsieck-Monopole.
Early in the morning of 3 November 1916, the captain of the Jönköping, E B Eriksson, tried to bypass the German blockade in the Baltic Sea. However, the German submarine U22 intercepted the Jönköping. This was already the tenth time that the Jönköping was caught with contraband. The captain of the submarine, Bruno Hoppe, had no choice: he allowed the safe evacuation of the crew. He then had explosives installed on the Jönköping and sent the schooner with its cargo 62 metres down to the sea floor.
The precious champagnes were stored there for 82 years at four degrees Celsius and (due to the enormous depth) high external pressure. These unusual storage conditions now proved to be optimal later during the tasting by several renowned wine connoisseurs, as the champagne surprisingly presented itself as outstanding in every respect.
Address:
Heidsieck & Co. Monopole Champagne
42, Avenue de Champagne
F-51200 Epernay