Following the success, and notoriety, of the “Abyss” edition of Leclerc Briant Champagne, where bottles were submerged off the coast of France for ten months; LV by Louis Vavasour, from Marlborough’s Awatere Valley, has debuted the first New Zealand sparkling wine to be bottle-aged in the ocean in a similar fashion – LV Ocean-Aged Marlborough Méthode Traditionnelle.
These projects, inspired by legendary tales of unearthed champagne bottles from a shipwreck still drinking beautifully, led Louis Vavasour to embark on a controlled experiment to explore the potential effects of the underwater environment on sparkling wine maturation. Specially designed cages containing bottles of the wine were submerged 25 meters deep in the waters of the Marlborough Sounds for 18 months.
Once retrieved, Simon Nash MW and Cameron Douglas MS conducted a blind comparative tasting. Compared to the cellar-aged LV Méthode Traditionnelle, which maintained its classic elegance, the ocean-aged expression displayed remarkable freshness and drive. This suggests a definitive variation in the wine’s profile, influenced by the unique environment of ocean ageing on the sparkling wine’s characteristics.
Now available to purchase solely through the Gravity Cellars Cellar Door or the LV website in limited-edition two-pack cases. Each case offers a unique opportunity for wine enthusiasts to experience a side-by-side comparison – the traditional cellar-aged and the ocean-aged Méthode Traditionnelle, both from the same bottling.
“We are excited to unveil this limited release and share the results of our exploration,” says Louis Vavasour. “The LV Méthode Traditionnelle, both cellar-aged and ocean-aged, represents our ongoing commitment to quality and exploring new possibilities within the world of sparkling wine. This project underscores our dedication to continuous improvement and pushing the boundaries of what is possible.”
