A collection of cuvées have been produced to date by the Grande Charte house. These champagnes have been received with admiration by wine lovers and professionals from all over the world, as attested by the exceptional notes that you can discover in their descriptions if you scroll down.
Among the bottles of these vintages, a small quantity has been placed under water for 24 months in 60 meters of water. The result of this unusual aging process is beyond our expectations, and you can read the commentary left by Anne Machale MW following their discovery. The description of these champagnes, offered in comparison boxes with their twin non-immersed cuvee, is available on the Organic and More page.
Access our offers with the code: DISCOVERGC
Organic and More: a rare tasting experience made available
"This was fascinating!"
"It was immediately apparent in the glass that the wine was a shade paler than its cellar-aged counterpart. On the nose, a much less marked leesy quality, with more brightness of citrus and red fruits and more minerality. Overall a cleaner, fresher nose leading me to conclude that evolution had been notably slowed down under the sea. This was confirmed on the palate, which whilst it showed some earthy and savoury development, overall to me seemed purer, less sapid, less umami-focused, fruitier, and dare I say it – a little less complex and slightly more austere due to the ‘closed’ nature of the layers of flavour. However the wine has clear (and perhaps longer) potential ahead of it."
Anne McHale, MW, London, Oct 2021
The offers comes in a box of two bottles:
One bottle of Grande Charte Champagne aged normally
and another bottle of Grande Charte Champagne of the same cuvées for which the 8 years ageing includes 24 months of immersion in the Atlantic Ocean, 60 meters bellow the surface.
Only 90 cases in total were produced for each of the four cuvées: Quatre Cépages, Trois Cépages and Vintages 2007 and 2004.
To give Organic and More an additional personal touch, every wooden case is engraved after Grande Charte client's name.
Why age wines under the sea?
All comparative tastings carried out in the presence of renowned oenologists lead to the same set of observations:
What are the factors that influence underwater ageing?
Rosé
440 x 0.75L bottles
56% Pinot Noir, 33% Meunier, 11% Chardonnay
Grape harvest 2012 (single harvest)
Bottled Sept 2013
Disgorgement Spring 2019
Dosage 8 g/l
Anne Mc Hale MW England
Five and a half years of ageing on the lees have imbued this classy Pinot Noir and Meunier-dominant rosé with a rich salmon pink hue. The long ageing is reflected on the palate with classic sourdough and biscuit notes, all intermingling with fresh peaches and cream, red berries and an almost Armagnac-like note of prunes and earth. All this is supported by the signature Grande Charte delicate yet persistent fine mousse which caresses the palate. A very gentle grip of tannins adds structure and underlines this wine's gastronomic potential, although the softer dosage of 8g/l also allows this wine to be enjoyed as a delicious apéritif.
2004 Vintage
3.000 x 0.75L bottles
80 % Pinot Noir, 20% Chardonnay
Grape harvest 2004
Bottled July 2005
Dosage 3,6 g/l
Kenny Ohashi MW Japan Score: 96/100
The restrained aroma has a generous mineral component, not unlike wet stone, and shows its development through notes of dried honey apple skin and earthiness. It proclaims its youthfulness with aromas of fresh lemon and green grass, with a touch of vanilla and woody notes that build into a splendid complexity. Mousse is extremely fine and light. Fabulous breadth in the mid-palate from long lees contact time, integrated high acidity and a balance that brings softness to the overall flavour. Lingering mocha-like notes, bone-dry style.
Andrea Pritzker MW Australia Score: 96/100
Intriguing bouquet of truffle, mushroom, earth and baked strawberries unfolds to reveal a powerful palate with great intensity, richness, depth and drive. The creamy mousse is mouth-filling yet delicate. With time in the glass, savoury layers of truffle emerge. Shows excellent length and persistence, finishing with layers of savoury truffle and green apple. A highly complex Champagne offering depth and richness.
2007 vintage
3.000 x 0.75L bottles
80 % Pinot Noir, 20% Chardonnay
Grape harvest 2007
Bottled July 2008
Dosage 3,6 g/l
Kenny Ohashi MW Japan Score: 97/100
On the one hand, the wine shows a developed spectrum of grated and dried honey apple, alongside dried lemon peel and a touch of cocoa. Extended lees contact provides a hint of sulphide, plus a grassy freshness that lends a rare plurality to the aroma as a whole. Mousse is understated, fine and soft. The matured flavour contains lingering high acidity carrying a touch of umami, tightening to a mineral, chalky and pristine finish. A truly bone dry style with sublime balance.
Andrea Pritzker MW Australia Score: 97/100
Gorgeous bouquet of grilled toast, freshly baked brioche and warm strawberries. Powerful and intense with great drive and vivacity balanced by the creamy yet delicate mousse. The palate is beautifully elongated and precise underpinned by green apple chalky acidity, leading to a long persistent finish. A complex Champagne offering an appealing juxtaposition of richness and power with delicacy and finesse.
Quatre Cépages / 4 Grapes
5.137 x 0.75L bottles
70 % Pinot Noir, 12 % Pinot Blanc, 9% Chardonnay, 9% Pinot Meunier
2% oak barrels
37 % Grape harvest 2011, 63% Grape harvest 2012
Bottled July 2013
Dosage 2,93 g/l
JancisRobinson.com . Score: 18.5/20
Sweeter, ripe apple fruit than their Trois Cépages. Less salinity, perhaps, but still plenty of complexity, with a more autolytic character giving brioche and toast to finish. Marmite and yeast to finish.
Andrea Pritzker MW Australia. Score: 96/100
Beautiful bouquet of freshly picked red forest berries, buttered toast, green apple and a hint of white flowers. Very fine and delicate at first with greater richness and supple texture emerging with time in the glass. The vibrant chalky acidity provides excellent precision and drive, allowing layers of flavour to unfold with the creamy, delicate mousse. Finishes long and persistent with notes of green apple and lemon citrus. A finely-honed Champagne offering impeccable balance and poise.
Trois Cépages / Three Grapes
4.493 x 0.75L bottles
80 % Meunier, 15% Pinot Noir et 5% Chardonnay
Grape harvest 2011 (single harvest)
Bottled July 2012
Dosage 1,71 g/l
JancisRobinson.com Score: 18/20
'Lots of salinity, hard cheese and slate aromas – very much a gastronomic, mineral style. Excellent balance and fruit concentration, very lengthy and precise, with a lingering barley and yeast character. Bone dry and serious, with ample complexity and persistence.’
Andrea Pritzker MW Australia Score: 95/100
'Opens with a highly expressive bouquet of just-grilled brioche, freshly baked pastry, hazelnut and delicate notes of strawberry with a distinctive smoky mineral edge. Very fine and pure on the palate with a lovely integrated mousse and chalky mineral acidity providing backbone, line and length. Finishes long, carried by notes of toasted brioche and summer berries. A Champagne of great precision, intensity, freshness and delicacy.'