Expert: Paul Wagner - 12/19/2008

Question
My mother had an old bottle of Cognac Napoleon - Grande fine champagne. The label is very aged and discoloured, the only other words on the bottle read "E.Piergel de saint-jacques". The label has a boarder that looks like pillars and there is a military looking badge in the top middle of the boarder. The bottle is capped with a hard wax that has wire in it. Anything you can tell me about this would be very appreciated.

Answer
HI Lee

I would guess from the style of this packaging that it comes from the 1960's or so.  But because some companies continually revised their look between modern and traditional, it could come from a couple of different time periods.

Because this stuff is so high in alcohol, it doesn't really change once they take it out of the barrel and put it in the bottle.  The good news is that it should still be in perfect condition.  The bad news is that it hasn't change, either in character or value, since it was bottled.

Value?  I'd guess something like $50--which is what it might cost if you tried to buy a similar bottle today at full retail.

Sorry I can't give you more exciting news.

Paul Wagner