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Champagne is a fickle spirit, and to produce a perfect champagne the optimal aging conditions include a complete lack of light and a steady temperature. Oddly enough, one of the easiest ways to achieve this lack of light and a steady temperature is to age bottles under the sea so deep that the sun won’t reach them.
There are only a handful of champagne producers in France which age their bottles this way but one of those outfits, Abysse, is about to release a limited number of bottles to the United States. The bottles are aged off a remote French island in the Celtic Sea where the cool temperatures remain a steady 55°F year round. The M.Hostomme Abysse Grand Cru Brut bottles are first aged for 48 months in Burgundy French oak barrels are then finished with a 12-month aging process 200-feet below the Celtic Sea’s surface in stainless steel cages which house the bottles.
There are only seven champagnes in circulation that are aged underneath the sea. Here’s what the steel cages look like which house the aging champagne:
For the first time, 60 of the M.Hostomme Abysse Grand Cru Brut bottles will be released to the United States (at $1,900/bottle) according to Uncrate and the Brower Family Wines’ website.
The champagne is said to carrying tasting notes of ‘Carmelized peach, Toasted almonds, Refreshing minerality’ and a bouquet of ‘Mandarin oranges, Star anise, Chocolate.’ The grape blend is 100% Chardonnay (Blanc de Blancs) and it’s said to pair best with oysters, foie gras, and is only to be opened for special occasions.
For more information on how to purchase one of these 60 bottles at $1,900/Grand Cru bottle, you can click here to visit the Brower Family Wines website.