A bottle of the oldest Veuve Cliquot dry champagne was recently found at Torosay Castle on the Isle of Mull (Scotland). The unique and priceless drink was discovered by the new owner of the castle, Chris James, in the personal drinks cabinet of Arbuthnot Guthrie, the original owner of the estate. The sideboard wasn’t opened since his death in 1897.
The bottle of the Veuve Cliquot dry champagne, featuring the brand’s trademark yellow label, was in perfect condition and ready to be opened. Still, the new owner decided to keep the bottle from the table and called Veuve Cliquot in Reims, France to tell about his discovery. The bottle was transported to the company’s visitor centre in Reims for the display.
«The bottle is literally priceless. It is a one off and therefore unique. We would never consider selling it as it is far too important to us. It is a unique piece of champagne history. It was amazing to find this bottle and it’s really an extraordinary story all in all,» noted Fabienne Huttaux, head of communications for Veuve Cliquot.