Three Extremely Rare Investment Opportunities: Selosse, Haut-Brion, And d'Auvenay

2002 Selosse: Magnum And In An Extremely Rare Full Case

Selosse: The Icon Challenging Champagne’s Excellence

Champagne Jacques Selosse is a legendary name in Champagne production, and the house’s near-cult following continues to grow, far exceeding the house’s severely limited production. In typical vintages, only around 45,000 bottles of Champagne bearing the Selosse name are produced, of which only about 4,000 standard bottles are of Selosse’s only Vintage Champagne, Millésime.

When Anselme Selosse took over the house in 1980, he was poised to challenge Champagne’s definition of excellence. Selosse pioneered the “grower movement,” where winemakers produce Champagne from their own harvest, while being recognized as trailblazers in cultivating the same principles in Champagne that are so well known today from Burgundy. Terroir is cultivated with near-religious devotion, and the nuances between individual parcels are recognized and explored, resulting in sublime quality. As such, Selosse Champagne is the closest thing in Champagne to the precious and exclusive bottles from Burgundy – and the wine world knows it.

Price, Availability, and Investment

Selosse produces five different champagnes, released individually, and an additional six that are sold only in a sampler pack called Les Lieux-Dits, designed to explore Selosse’s philosophy on terroir.

Among all these, there is only one Vintage Champagne, Millésime, which you now have the opportunity to acquire.

These bottles are a rarity in themselves, but when it comes to magnums, they are even scarcer. It is estimated that only a few hundred magnums are produced per vintage – and a full case of these is extremely rare. Among the magnums currently listed on wine-searcher.com, all are individual bottles. No full cases, regardless of vintage.

According to wine-searcher.com, there are only two other opportunities to acquire the 2002 Selosse magnum in the world – both as individual bottles. The cheapest is only €50 less than what you would pay per bottle here – bottles, that is, in a full case. Typically, the price per bottle in a full case is at least 10% higher than the price for individual bottles.

Additionally, there are no magnums available younger than the 2005 vintage.

2002 was a stellar vintage in Champagne, and the 2002 Selosse has received 96 and 97 points from Richard Juhlin and Vinous, respectively. It has not been reviewed by Wine Advocate.

This is a monumental Champagne from a top vintage, from one of the region’s greatest cult producers (if not the greatest), in magnum format, in an extremely rare full case.

This case is extraordinary. Even for us.

1989 La Mission Haut-Brion: 100 Points With A Favorable Price Tag

La Mission Haut-Brion: Among Bordeaux’s Finest

Château La Mission Haut-Brion has built a reputation over decades as one of the most outstanding producers in Bordeaux.

The story of La Mission Haut-Brion begins in the 16th century when the vineyard was founded by missionaries of the Lazarist Order, who acquired the land in 1540. The estate was later purchased by French aristocrat Arnaud de Lestonnac in the 17th century, and it was under his ownership that the vineyard began producing wine under the name La Mission. The château quickly became recognized as one of the best wine producers in the region.

Throughout the 18th and 19th centuries, La Mission Haut-Brion changed ownership several times and went through periods of both prosperity and crisis (how many wineries can truly claim to have survived the French Revolution, when expropriation, confiscation, and economic instability were rampant?).

In 1919, the estate was purchased by the Woltner family, a prominent family with deep roots in the wine industry. Under their leadership, the quality of the wine production improved even further, and La Mission Haut-Brion began to attract international attention.

In 1983, Château La Mission Haut-Brion was acquired by the Dillon family, who also own Château Haut-Brion, one of the original Premier Cru Classé wines from 1855. Despite the shared ownership, the two estates remain separate, and La Mission Haut-Brion continues to maintain its own unique style and identity – known for its exclusivity and extremely long aging potential.

1989 La Mission Haut-Brion – One of the Best Ever

”It has been a compelling, multidimensional effort from barrel, in its infancy, and as it heads into late adolescence. A remarkable tour de force in winemaking, it is one of the all-time profound La Mission-Haut-Brions. Anticipated maturity: now-2050.”

- Wine Advocate

The 1989 vintage is the subject of Wine Advocate’s enthusiasm above, and the quote is accompanied by a perfect score of 100 points. This score was first awarded in 1998, again in 2003, and most recently in 2012, highlighting that it has retained its perfection over more than three decades.

1989 was also a stellar vintage in Bordeaux, and the 1989 La Mission Haut-Brion is an exceptional representative of the greatness of this vintage.

Since this perfect vintage, perfection has only been achieved in three subsequent vintages^*. So, while La Mission Haut-Brion is known for producing high-quality wines, 100 points is not something that comes to the estate every day. Four perfect vintages in 35 years, with the 1989 vintage proudly standing as the elder.

Despite its advanced age, its lifespan remains very long, with Wine Advocate estimating it will last until 2050 – if any bottles are left by then.

A similar scoring scenario is seen with Vinous, which awards 98 points to the 1989 La Mission Haut-Brion. Since 1989, only the 2016 vintage has been rated higher by Vinous, with 99 points, while five vintages^** have received 98 points.

We are dealing here with one of the finest wines La Mission Haut-Brion has ever released.

And there isn't much of it. Only around 80,000 bottles of La Mission Haut-Brion are produced each year – and after three decades of consumption, we can only guess how little 1989 La Mission Haut-Brion is actually left.

If you check the selection of 1989 La Mission Haut-Brion on wine-searcher.com, the cheapest offer^*** right now is €1,552. If you're looking for a case of 12 bottles like this one, the cheapest offer*** is €1,672. Your price is €1,400^***.

Additionally, according to wine-searcher.com, the price of 1989 La Mission Haut-Brion has increased by an average of 7% per year over the last 10 years.

There will always be demand for 100-point wines. And although this one has been on the market for many years, it still has many more years ahead of it. What it doesn’t have is quantity. And as we know, it’s when the quantity disappears from the market that the biggest price jumps tend to occur.

*Vintages 2000, 2009, and 2020 have all received 100 points from Wine Advocate.
**Vintages 2010, 2015, 2019, 2020, and 2022 have received 98 points from Vinous.
***Price excluding taxes, duties, and fees. In original wooden cases and perfect condition.

2011 d'Auvenay Bonnes-Mares: Extravagant, Exclusive, and Extremely Rare

Domaine d’Auvenay | Madame Leroy’s Priceless Masterpiece

“Most of us have more chance of spotting a yeti dining with a dodo at Ma Cuisine than drinking a wine from Domaine d’Auvenay, since the wines are produced in microscopic quantities and only fools would choose to resell them.” Neal Martin, Vinous

Microscopic supply characterizes Domaine d’Auvenay, along with an air of mystery and legendary status.

And when it comes to legendary wineries, there is one producer in particular who has cast a veil of mystery over her almost lifelong dedication to the Burgundian vines. Her name is Madame Lalou Bize-Leroy and her wines are exclusive, extravagant and extremely rare.

Lalou Bize-Leroy is the force behind the domain that bears her name. But on the hills above Auxey-Duresses lies a hunting lodge named d’Auvenay. It was a retreat Lalou shared with her husband until his passing in 2004. The estate spans four hectares, covering 16 appellations, and includes the Leroy family’s original properties in Meursault and Auxey-Duresses.

Domaine d’Auvenay is a passion project for Lalou. It was the family’s original domain, making it the oldest estate connected to the Leroy family. Lalou took over the domain from her father in 1980 and has since added parcels in Puligny-Montrachet Les Enseignières, Meursault Gouttes d'Or, and Puligny-Montrachet Premier Cru Les Folatières, along with five Grands Crus: Chevalier-Montrachet, Bâtard-Montrachet, Criots-Bâtard-Montrachet, Mazis-Chambertin, and Bonnes-Mares.

With 16 parcels spread across just four hectares, the space to perform winemaking magic of the highest caliber is extremely limited. Naturally, this means the output is minimal. With a reputation as perhaps the world’s greatest and most sought-after winemaker and such vanishingly small production, it’s no wonder there seems to be no price ceiling for the wines crafted by the experienced and magical hands of Madame Lalou Bize-Leroy.

A Collectible. A Must-Try for Wine Lovers

Rarity is a given when it comes to the wines from Domaine d’Auvenay, and Neal Martin’s quote above perfectly confirms this fact. He expressed this in 2013 when he tasted and rated the 2011 Domaine d’Auvenay Bonnes-Mares, awarding it 91 points for Wine Advocate^*. Neither Burghound nor Vinous have tasted and rated this vintage, which only further underscores how rare it is to taste Bonnes-Mares from d’Auvenay.

Only around 1,000-2,000 bottles are produced annually, and ongoing consumption has likely reduced the already minuscule quantities of the 2011 Bonnes-Mares. Currently, there is only one offer for the 2011 Domaine d’Auvenay Bonnes-Mares listed on wine-searcher.com, priced at €7,484^**. Your price is €6,500^**.

It is truly a rare occasion to come across entire cases from d’Auvenay, especially from vintages that have had several years on the market. Add to this the fact that, while Lalou Bize-Leroy remains active in both vineyard and cellar well into her later years, there will come a day when the wines from this estate are no longer crafted by the magician herself. This is your opportunity with the 2011 d’Auvenay Bonnes-Mares.

*In 2013, Neal Martin was working for Wine Advocate, so his 91-point rating is represented by Wine Advocate.
**Price excluding taxes, duties, and fees. In original wooden cases and perfect condition.