LIMITED RELEASE

LV OCEAN AGED

LV by Louis Vavasour Ocean-Aged Méthode Traditionnelle

Innovation meets tradition in the groundbreaking LV Ocean-Aged project, where winemaker Louis Vavasour has taken the art of Méthode Traditionnelle sparkling wine to uncharted depths. Inspired by the discovery of 230-year-old Champagne preserved in a shipwreck, Louis submerged his sparkling wine 25 meters below the Marlborough Sounds for 18 months, creating a unique experiment captivating wine enthusiasts and experts alike.

Inspiration from the Depths

The story begins in 2017, when Louis's friend & gardener Shalom Rofe shared news of a shipwreck discovered off the coast of Croatia. Among the treasures discovered was 230-year-old Champagne, still drinking beautifully. This sparked Louis's curiosity: could the ocean's unique conditions—consistent pressure, cool temperatures, and gentle motion—enhance the ageing process of Méthode Traditionnelle sparkling wine?

Crafting the Experiment

The foundation of the LV Ocean-Aged wine project is Méthode Traditionnelle, a sparkling wine crafted with the same precision as the finest Champagnes. Sourced from vineyards in the Awatere Valley, the wine is aged 36 months on lees, developing the autolytic complexity of brioche and toasty notes that characterise world-class sparkling wines.

Once disgorged and dosed, a portion of the finished wine was divided into two groups. Half would undergo traditional cellar ageing, resting in the cool, subterranean cellars of the Gravity Winery. The other half would be submerged beneath the Marlborough Sounds, encased in custom-designed steel crates.

Preparing for the ocean-aging process was no small feat. Bottles were triple-waxed to ensure they remained watertight, and the crates were engineered to hold the wine on the ocean floor securely. With the help of friends, Louis transported the crates to the Marlborough Sounds, where they were carefully submerged.

A Journey of Discovery

Eighteen months later, the team returned with dive gear to retrieve the crates. Locating the submerged wine was a challenge, but with persistence and a touch of Kiwi ingenuity, the crates were raised to the surface. The bottles, now naturally adorned with ocean markings, told a visual story of their time beneath the waves. The ocean-aged bottles were brought to Gravity Cellars for a blind comparative tasting alongside their cellar-aged counterparts. Louis was joined by Master Sommelier Cameron Douglas and Master of Wine Simon Nash to uncover the differences between the two wines—and the results did not disappoint.

The Limited-Edition Two-Pack

To celebrate the results of this extraordinary experiment, LV Wines has released an exclusive - Ocean Aged Méthode Traditionnelle 2 Pack. This unique offering includes:

Cellar-Aged Bottle: Aged for 36 months on lees to develop rich autolytic notes of brioche and toast, this wine was disgorged, dosed, and then rested in cool, subterranean cellars before release. 

Ocean-Aged Bottle: After spending 36 months on lees and disgorged, this wine spent 18 months submerged 25 meters beneath the Marlborough Sounds. 

With only 50 two-packs available, this release offers a rare opportunity to experience the transformative power of the ocean environment on wine ageing.

What's Next?

The journey doesn't end here. LV Wines has launched the second phase of the Ocean-Aged Wine Project, submerging bottles aged on lees during the tirage stage to delve deeper into the ocean's effects on autolysis while also ageing more finished wines to examine the influence of ocean cellaring further. This next cellared batch will resurface in September 2026, and wine lovers can secure their place in history through the LV Ocean-Aged Wine En Primeur Campaign with a $85 (10%) deposit.

Secure your place in this extraordinary story at www.gravitycellars.co.nz