La Chablisienne and the magnums returned from the polar regions
La Chablisienne: 120 magnums returned from the polar regions to be auctioned for research
After nine months sailing between the Arctic and Antarctica, 120 magnums of Chablis “Les Vénérables” 2017 will be offered at auction on 8 October 2026 in Neuilly-sur-Seine. Proceeds will support explorer Jean-Louis Etienne’s scientific missions in the Southern Ocean.
Some wines tell the story of their terroir. These magnums from La Chablisienne also carry the memory of a sea voyage. Loaded into the hold of Persévérance, Jean-Louis Etienne’s scientific schooner, on 21 June 2023, they accompanied an Arctic mission before heading towards Antarctica. Their return to Concarneau on 14 March 2024 marked the end of a journey covering 30,200 nautical miles, or almost 56,000 kilometres.
The initiative took shape during La Chablisienne’s centenary celebrations in 2023, when the explorer was the guest of honour. It builds on a friendship that began in Camaret in the 1990s between Jean-Louis Etienne and Damien Leclerc, now the cooperative’s managing director. At the time, Etienne was sailing aboard Antarctica, while Leclerc was undertaking a placement at the IFREMER research station. Their reunion several decades later led to this project combining wine, sailing and support for research.
Maturation shaped by the swell
According to Damien Leclerc, conditions at sea influenced the development of this cuvée. He describes the effect of the boat’s constant movement on the wine’s roundness, richness and unctuosity, alongside greater aromatic complexity. He also points to the role of moderate fluctuations in temperature and atmospheric pressure. These observations add a distinctive dimension to the tasting, without anticipating what each bottle will reveal in the glass.
A naval reserve officer, Damien Leclerc joined Persévérance in 2024 for part of the journey towards Cape Horn and the Antarctic Peninsula. In 2026, he returned aboard for 55 days at sea during a scientific mission in the Ross Sea.
An auction supporting exploration
Now bearing numbered labels depicting the schooner, the 120 magnums will be sold in aid of Jean-Louis Etienne’s association. The funds will contribute to scientific missions in the Southern Ocean, a region central to research into climate and carbon exchange.
From 6 to 8 October, an exhibition will bring together historical scientific equipment, a model of Persévérance and Elsa Peny Etienne’s travel journals. On 8 October, a tasting at 7pm will precede the auction at 8pm. Each lot will include six magnums, accompanied by items or experiences such as signed books, visits and tastings in Chablis, or expedition equipment.
📍The event will take place at 164 bis, avenue Charles-de-Gaulle, Neuilly-sur-Seine.