An exquisite bottle of Godet cognac has resurfaced in a charity auction after being forgotten by its makers in 1942.
 Cellarmaster Mr Schonseau hid the bottle a little too well... |
The fine 1920s Cognac Gastronome - named Godet War Treasury - was hidden from the Nazis during the second world war, when the company was seized after Jean Godet's involvement in the French Resistance was revealed.
Godet gave the bottle to his cellarmaster, Mr Schonseau, who subsequently found a place so secret that the bottle was only located when the Godet company moved premises in 2005. Schonseau died during the war, but managed to secure a spot for the bottle that boasted perfect conditions for storage - no light or air, with great temperatures and humidity.
The bottle has been re-corked and filtered this year by Jean-Edouard Godet, the latest heir to the 14 generation family-run business. It will now feature as part of the renowned Part de Anges charity auction on September 20 at €2,700 ($3,350) in France.
The auction is one of the most anticipated dates in the cognac enthusiast's calendar and features some of the finest and most unique bottles, which are traditionally donated by the world's top cognac houses. All proceeds from the sale will go to the Order of Malta, the world's oldest charitable foundation.
The auction's top lot will come from a Prince Hubert de Polignac 888 cognac and poker trunk, which combines a bottle of Grande Champagne cognac from the famed maker's cellar with a superb poker set, all encased in a special trunk created by Paris-based T.T. Trunks. It will sell with a €8,000 ($9,938) estimate.
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