Sought-after bottles, their history and what they fetch at auction
Some champagnes reach the market in only a few thousand bottles, from a single walled vineyard or only in great years. Others were found on the seabed after a hundred years. Here we introduce the most sought-after: where they come from, why they are rare, when to drink them and what they have fetched at auction.
Krug Clos d'Ambonnay
Krug Clos d'Ambonnay is a pure blanc de noirs from a tiny walled Pinot Noir plot in Ambonnay, which the house itself calls its rarest champagne.
1995, 1996, 1998, 2000, 2002, 2006, 2008 (2008 ist laut Krug der siebte Jahrgang)
Krug searched for seven years for a second single vineyard and found the Clos d'Ambonnay in 1991. The walled plot has been enclosed since 1766 and measures only 0.68 hectares. The family bought it in 1994 and made the first vintage from the 1995 harvest. It was kept secret until 2007, and the official US release followed in spring 2008. According to Olivier Krug, the idea arose a few years after Clos du Mesnil, when Henri and Rémi Krug wanted a second jewel vineyard.
Why so rare
The plot is only about one third the size of Clos du Mesnil, so each vintage yields just a few thousand bottles. The first vintage appeared in roughly 3,000 bottles, and Wine Spectator put its launch price at 3,000 to 3,300 dollars a bottle, one of the highest ever for a new release. The wine is not made every year, which adds to its scarcity and demand.
Drinking window
Critics described the early vintages as very young and austere at release, and they are regarded as long lived. Store the bottles lying down in a cool, dark place at a steady temperature, and serve with some air and not too cold.
At auction
je Los 22.000 US-Dollar Jahrgang 1995, 0,75 l, zwei Lose zu je sechs Flaschen · Hart Davis Hart, Chicago, 2008 · Source: World of Fine Wine (Bericht von Neil Beckett)
Krug Clos du Mesnil
Krug Clos du Mesnil is a Blanc de Blancs from a single walled Chardonnay plot in Le Mesnil-sur-Oger, made only in outstanding years.
1979, 1980, 1981, 1982, 1983, 1985, 1986, 1988, 1989, 1990, 1992, 1995, 1996, 1998, 2000, 2002, 2003, 2006, 2008, 2009 und weitere, insgesamt 21 Jahrgänge. Der 1999er wurde nicht freigegeben. Aktuelle Freigabe ist 2009.
In the early 1970s the brothers Rémi and Henri Krug acquired a walled vineyard in Le Mesnil-sur-Oger. The vines were in poor condition, so the site was replanted with Chardonnay. Early wines from the Clos went into Grande Cuvée, and in 1979 Krug bottled a trial version on its own. The first Clos du Mesnil was made in 1979 and released in 1986. It was the first single-vineyard wine the house had ever produced.
Why so rare
Since 1979 Krug has bottled only 21 vintages, reserving the wine for the best harvest years. Output is below 14,000 bottles per vintage. Krug even decided not to release the 1999 despite bottles already being labelled, which shows how strict the selection is. The Drinks Business called the wine extremely rare in both quantity and origin.
Drinking window
An auction catalogue note on the 1996 describes a deep colour in 2020, with lemon brioche and toasted notes. Older vintages should be stored lying down in a cool, dark place without vibration, ideally in the original case, and opened with care.
At auction
HK$195.200 Jahrgang 1985, Magnum, 6 Flaschen · Zachys Hongkong, 2012 · Source: The Drinks Business
Krug Collection (spät freigegebene Jahrgänge)
Krug Collection is vintage Krug that the house releases much later than usual, after many extra years of ageing in its cellars in Reims.
Bei Auktionen und in der Fachpresse belegte Collection Jahrgänge: 1928, 1959, 1961, 1979, 1981, 1982, 1985, 1988, 1989, 1990, 1995
In the early 1980s Krug introduced the Collection as an extension of Krug Vintage, using bottles kept in its Reims cellars for at least ten additional years. A very small number of bottles of each vintage stay in ideal conditions in the cellar, and the cellar master and tasting committee decide when they are ready to be presented as Collection. After about 20 years they receive their cork as part of Krug Collection. Of the trilogy of 1988, 1989 and 1990, the 1989 was the first to be released as Collection, ahead of the 1988. Collection 1990 blends 40 percent Pinot Noir, 37 percent Chardonnay and 23 percent Meunier.
Why so rare
Krug keeps only a very limited number of bottles of each vintage for late release. Collection bottles are numbered in descending order and come with a certificate of authenticity from Olivier Krug. Older vintages such as 1928 now rarely appear on the market. In 2009 a 1928 Krug set the world record for the most expensive bottle of Champagne sold at auction.
Drinking window
Krug describes Collection 1990, more than 30 years after the harvest, as astonishingly youthful and exuberant. Store bottles lying down in a cool, dark place at a steady temperature, and open older vintages soon after purchase and with care.
At auction
164.560 HKD (laut Decanter etwa 14.800 GBP bzw. 21.200 USD) Krug Collection 1928, 75 cl, 1 Flasche · Acker Merrall & Condit (Hongkong), 2009 · Source: Decanter
4.000 EUR Krug Collection 1959, 1 Los · Sotheby's, 2024 · Source: Sotheby's
11.250 EUR Auswahl Krug 1990, darunter 5 Magnums, 1 Los · Sotheby's, 2024 · Source: Sotheby's
Salon Cuvée S Le Mesnil Blanc de Blancs
Salon Le Mesnil is a pure Chardonnay from a single site and a single vintage, made only in exceptional years.
House
Salon
First vintage
1905
Quantity
Im Durchschnitt 40.000 bis 60.000 Flaschen je Jahrgang. Der Jahrgang 2008 erschien ausschließlich in rund 8.000 Magnums.
Eugène-Aimé Salon, a Champenois who worked in the Paris fur trade, wanted to make a Champagne for his own enjoyment. With help from his relative Marcel Guillaume, the first bottles were made in 1905 and were not sold at first. According to the house, 1905 is the first vintage, and in 1911 Salon bought a one hectare vineyard in Le Mesnil-sur-Oger, the Jardin de Salon. The first vintage offered for sale was 1921. Today the grapes come from 20 plots in Le Mesnil-sur-Oger, including the house's own vineyard.
Why so rare
Salon makes just one wine and declares a vintage only in the best years, on average about three times per decade. Only 45 vintages have been released since 1905. President Didier Depond skipped 2000 and 2009 to 2011, among others, and the 2008 was released only in magnums. Add roughly ten years of cellar ageing before release, and supply stays tightly limited.
Drinking window
The house ages its wines for around ten years on average before release. Critics see great vintages such as 1996 as far from finished, and Jancis Robinson gives the 1996 a drinking window up to 2035. Store the bottles lying down in a cool, dark cellar at a steady temperature.
At auction
25.000 EUR Jahrgang 1990, 3 Magnums · Sotheby's (Paris), 2024 · Source: Sotheby's, berichtet von The Drinks Business
22.500 EUR Jahrgang 1988, 3 Magnums · Sotheby's (Paris), 2024 · Source: Sotheby's, berichtet von The Drinks Business
21.250 EUR Jahrgang 1983, 3 Magnums · Sotheby's (Paris), 2024 · Source: Sotheby's, berichtet von The Drinks Business
17.500 EUR Jahrgang 1996, 12 Flaschen (0,75 l) · Sotheby's (Paris), 2024 · Source: Sotheby's, berichtet von The Drinks Business
Dom Pérignon P2 and P3 are the late releases of a single vintage, offered only after much longer ageing on the lees and in small quantities.
House
Dom Pérignon
First vintage
1998
Vintages
P2 (zuvor Œnothèque): 1998, 2000, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2006, 2008, davor Œnothèque von 1959 bis 1996. P3: unter anderem 1971, 1975, 1985, 1990, 1992.
<cite index="31-3">The Plénitude concept goes back to Richard Geoffroy, the house's long serving cellar master.</cite> <cite index="1-6">By his account, Dom Pérignon shows its first plénitude after seven years in the cellar, the second 12 to 15 years after the harvest and the third after 30 to 40 years.</cite> <cite index="1-6">The former first Œnothèque release is now called P2, and the second Œnothèque release is now called P3.</cite> <cite index="10-2">Geoffroy presented Dom Pérignon P2 1998 in Toronto in November 2014.</cite> <cite index="8-3">For the 2000 vintage, not all of the wine was bottled, and part of it aged another ten years.</cite>
Why so rare
<cite index="30-6">P3 is released after considerably more lees ageing and in very small quantities.</cite> <cite index="33-3">The number of bottles of Dom Pérignon produced is a closely guarded secret of the LVMH group.</cite> <cite index="36-9">The rosé matures more slowly, and at a major tasting its P3 was still some way from release.</cite> The demand for the Œnothèque predecessors is shown by the auction results in Hong Kong.
Drinking window
<cite index="27-1">In 2021, Serena Sutcliffe described the P2 2000 as classic, winey and full of volume, a great food Champagne.</cite> <cite index="34-2">In the P3 1990, tertiary notes are held in check according to Geoffroy, and the wine still has time ahead.</cite> Bottles should be stored lying down, cool, dark and free of vibration.
At auction
93.260 USD Drei Magnums Dom Pérignon Œnothèque, Jahrgänge 1966, 1973 und 1976 (Vorläufer der Plénitude Reihe) · Acker Merrall & Condit (Hongkong), 2008 · Source: Acker Merrall & Condit
1.331.000 HKD (rund 170.641 USD) 30 Flaschen und Magnums Dom Pérignon Rosé Œnothèque, Jahrgänge 1966, 1978, 1982, 1985, 1988 und 1990 (Vorläufer der Plénitude Reihe) · Sotheby's (Hongkong), 2010 · Source: Sotheby's
Dom Pérignon Rosé
Dom Pérignon Rosé is the pink sibling of the Moët & Chandon prestige cuvée, and its first vintage, 1959, is one of the great legends of Champagne.
House
Dom Pérignon Rosé
First vintage
1959
Quantity
1959: 306 Flaschen laut mehreren Quellen (Vinous nennt dagegen 250 Magnums), nie regulär verkauft
Dom Pérignon made its first Rosé with the 1959 vintage, which never went on regular sale. The Shah of Iran ordered it for the 2,500th anniversary celebrations of the Persian Empire at Persepolis in 1971. The first commercial release was the 1962 vintage, initially in standard 75 cl bottles, with magnums and other large formats following a few years later. The 1986 Rosé is the only one for which no white Dom Pérignon was made. According to Wikipedia, the 2009 vintage is the current release.
Why so rare
Most sources say only 306 bottles of the 1959 were produced, and almost all of them went to the Iranian court. The first public auction took place only in 2008, and the hammer price far exceeded the estimate. The Rosé as a whole is much smaller in volume than the white Dom Pérignon and was made only in selected years. Vinous counts 29 bottlings to date, and Rosé Oenothèque made its world premiere in Hong Kong only in 2010.
Drinking window
Dom Pérignon describes the first Plénitude as arriving after about eight years on the lees. At a 2015 Vinous tasting, the 1962 and the 1971 from magnum were still remarkably alive after decades. Old bottles should be kept cool, dark, on their side and undisturbed at a steady temperature (general storage advice).
At auction
84.700 US-Dollar Jahrgang 1959, 0,75 l, 2 Flaschen in einem Los, New York, erste öffentliche Versteigerung dieses Jahrgangs · Acker Merrall & Condit, 2008 · Source: Acker Merrall & Condit, berichtet von Harper's Wine & Spirit Trade News und AFP
1.331.000 Hongkong-Dollar (rund 170.641 US-Dollar) Rosé Oenothèque, Jahrgänge 1966, 1978, 1982, 1985, 1988 und 1990, 30 Flaschen und Magnums in einem Los · Sotheby's Hong Kong, 2010 · Source: Sotheby's, berichtet von The Drinks Business
Louis Roederer Cristal und Cristal Rosé
Cristal was created in 1876 for Tsar Alexander II and is regarded as Champagne's first prestige cuvée, joined in 1974 by the rare Cristal Rosé.
Cristal 1876 (für Zar Alexander II., im Handel ab 1945); Cristal Rosé 1974
Quantity
Cristal laut James Suckling etwa 300.000 bis 500.000 Flaschen je Jahrgang; Cristal Rosé laut Quill & Pad nur etwa 10 Prozent der Menge des weißen Cristal
Louis Roederer II created Cristal in 1876 at the request of Tsar Alexander II, who wanted a clear bottle with a flat bottom. Protection against assassination attempts is the usual explanation, though it is not documented. After the Russian Revolution of 1917 the wine stayed in the range and was first sold commercially in 1945. Cristal Rosé was first made with the 1974 harvest by Jean-Claude Rouzaud, using Pinot Noir from Aÿ and Chardonnay from Avize and Le Mesnil-sur-Oger, even though 1974 was not a celebrated year. According to Decanter, the hot 1976 vintage delivered the first lasting success for the rosé.
Why so rare
Cristal is made only in years of perfect ripeness and is skipped when quality falls short, most recently in 2011. The rosé comes from just a handful of parcels and amounts to only about a tenth of the volume of the white Cristal. The early rosé vintages from 1974 onward and special formats such as the Millennium Methuselah are especially sought after.
Drinking window
Cristal spends at least six years on the lees and rests a further eight months after disgorgement, and the house speaks of almost eternal ageing potential. Older vintages going back to the 1970s still showed life in recent tastings. Store bottles lying down, in a cool, dark place at a steady temperature.
Je nach Jahrgang etwa 1.400 bis 3.200 nummerierte Flaschen, laut Bollinger zum Beispiel 3.180 (2008), 2.477 (2013), 2.193 (2012) und 1.736 (2016). Für 2010 nennt ein Auktionskatalog 1.416 Flaschen.
Lily Bollinger first had the wine made in 1969, at the suggestion of the British writer Cyril Ray, who thought a Champagne made only from vines on their own roots would be interesting. Decanter links the first vintage to her 70th birthday. The grapes come from the walled plots Chaudes Terres and Clos Saint-Jacques close to the house in Aÿ, together only 31 ares in size. The vines are grown as they were before phylloxera and propagated by layering in the old way, sometimes with the help of a draught horse. The wine is pure Grand Cru Pinot Noir, fermented in oak barrels and aged in the cellar for at least five years.
Why so rare
Two very small plots give a tiny crop, and Bollinger bottles only a few thousand numbered bottles per vintage, 1,736 in 2016. The vines are ungrafted and are a living link to Champagne before the phylloxera plague, which gives the wine special standing. Decanter calls it one of the original cult Champagnes, and collectors look above all for the older vintages.
Drinking window
The cuvée is made for long ageing, and Decanter has still tasted older vintages from 1995 to 2008. Store bottles lying down in a cool, dark, vibration free place, ideally in the original case.
Je nach Jahr zwischen rund 3.000 und 25.000 bis 30.000 Flaschen. Der Jahrgang 2014 umfasst laut Erzeuger 19.984 Flaschen, 2.433 Magnums und 200 Jeroboams.
Vintages
Seit 1935 mit wenigen Lücken (u. a. 1944, 1954, 1984), seit 1988 jedes Jahr. Gesuchte ältere Jahrgänge: 1951, 1952, 1964, 1970, 1975, 1976, 1982, 1985, 1988. Jüngere Referenzen: 1995, 1998, 2002, 2004, 2008, 2012, 2013, 2014. Dazu die Spätabfüllung L.V. (zum Beispiel 1982, 1995, 1997, 1998).
Pierre Philipponnat acquired the site in 1935 from his cousins, the Bouché family, who had gone bankrupt. He bottled a wine from it that same year under the name Les Goisses, also called Vin des Goisses at first. From the mid-1950s its reputation took off and the name changed to Clos des Goisses. The vineyard covers about 5.5 to 5.8 hectares and drops towards the Marne at up to 45 degrees, facing south. Since 1988 the house has made a vintage every year, without malolactic fermentation and partly fermented in oak.
Why so rare
The steep, hand-worked site gives small yields, and in some years only around 3,000 bottles were made. Older vintages have become scarce, as several vintages between 1935 and today were never produced. Old large formats such as the 1951 magnums sold at Christie's are especially sought after, as is the very limited L.V. bottling, aged 25 years undisturbed on its lees.
Drinking window
Young vintages such as 2013 and 2014 spend nine years on the lees at the house and still have decades ahead, with critics giving drinking windows of over twenty years. Classic vintages such as 1964 and 1952 have shown remarkable vitality in tastings. Store bottles cool, dark and at a constant temperature.
At auction
36.750 GBP Clos des Goisses 1951, 6 Magnums, Auktion in London im Juni · Christie's, 2019 · Source: Decanter (Bericht über die Halbjahresbilanz der Auktionshäuser)
Jacques Selosse Substance
Substance is a blanc de blancs from Avize, made from a solera containing wines from every vintage since 1986.
House
Jacques Selosse
First vintage
1986
Quantity
ca. 3000 Flaschen pro Jahr
Vintages
Kein Jahrgangswein. Solera seit 1986, Dégorgements u. a. 2006, 2008, 2012, 2013 und 2019 belegt
Jacques Selosse settled in Avize in 1947 and acquired a few vineyard plots. His son Anselme took over the estate in 1980. Substance is a multi-vintage blend in the solera style that goes back to 1986. It uses two levels of reserve wine, one aged in cask and the other in tank. Today the domaine is run by Guillaume Selosse, with Anselme never far away.
Why so rare
World of Fine Wine puts output at about 3,000 bottles a year, while the whole house makes around 55,000 bottles. Sotheby's states that Selosse was a top 5 producer in its 2023 champagne auction sales, at roughly 4% of the total. A bottle from the July 2019 disgorgement was offered at Sotheby's with a Wine Advocate 100/100 note.
Drinking window
Substance spends about six years in bottle before disgorgement and is finished with very low dosage. Vinous describes a wild, exotic Champagne with orange peel, hazelnut and honeyed, oxidative notes. Store bottles lying down in a cool, dark place without vibration.
At auction
4.980 USD NV Substance, 6 Flaschen in Originalkarton, Eclipse Collection Teil I · Acker, 2022 · Source: Acker, Pressemitteilung vom 28. Oktober 2022
Jacques Selosse Lieux-dits
Anselme Selosse's Lieux-dits are six single-parcel Champagnes from Avize, Cramant, Le Mesnil-sur-Oger, Aÿ, Mareuil-sur-Aÿ and Ambonnay, offered since 2010.
House
Jacques Selosse
First vintage
2010
Quantity
Je Lieu-dit unterschiedlich: rund 600 Flaschen für Les Chantereines und Chemin de Châlons, rund 2800 für die übrigen vier Cuvées
Vintages
Ohne Jahrgangsangabe (NV), jeweils aus einer Mini-Solera. Solera-Beginn laut Fachbericht: La Côte Faron 1994, Les Carelles 2003, Sous le Mont 2005, die übrigen drei 2002. Zusätzlich ca. 60 Prozent Wein des Basisjahrgangs.
Jacques Selosse founded the estate in Avize, and according to several sources the first bottling under the family name followed in 1964. His son Anselme took over in 1974 and brought Burgundian methods and sherry-inspired oxidative ageing to Champagne. The Lieux-dits collection has been part of the range since 2010, six cuvées from six parcels in six villages. Three are pure Chardonnay (Chemin de Châlons in Cramant, Les Carelles in Le Mesnil-sur-Oger, Les Chantereines in Avize) and three are Pinot Noir based (Sous le Mont in Mareuil-sur-Aÿ, La Côte Faron in Aÿ, Le Bout du Clos in Ambonnay with 20 percent Chardonnay). Guillaume Selosse now runs the estate, and La Côte Faron was formerly bottled as Contraste.
Why so rare
Only about 600 bottles a year are made of Les Chantereines and Chemin de Châlons, against roughly 2,800 of each of the other four. The two smallest cuvées are described as almost only obtainable in the six-bottle case of all Lieux-dits. Sotheby's notes that Selosse rarely appears at auction, especially in larger quantities, and ranked the house among the top five Champagne producers in its 2023 auction sales.
Drinking window
Selosse advises leaving bottles to rest for at least six months after disgorgement so the wine can rebalance. Afterwards store them cool, dark and lying down.
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Louis Roederer Cristal und Cristal Rosé