Champagne is based on tradition, but Champagne Paul Launois is going its own way. And those with some spare change can wind up with 216 bottles labeled with their names and made according to their tastes. Julien and Sarah Launois, who started the small estate in Le Mesnil-sur-Oger in 2015, produce 20 barrels of softly elegant and innovative single-barrel grand cru blanc de blancs Champagne each year, some of which are sold to a closed group of collectors. This year, they’re also offering 10 of them to the public at an auction on June 14. Details like the finish for the oak, the amount of aging on the lees and the addition of the final dosage, or sweetness added while bottling, can vary from barrel to barrel. During the aging process, from three to 10 years, the buyers can visit their barrels, pet them, whisper encouragement and sample the wine. At the live and phone auction, the minimum price per barrel will be 23,400 euros, or about $26,000, which works out to about $120 a bottle.
Personalized Single Barrel Champagne, champagne-paul-launois.fr/singlebarrel; auction registration at interencheres-live.com.
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