"Qu’importe le flacon…" (The bottle doesn't matter)" said the poet Alfred de Musset. The great champagne houses do not see as such. They compete with creativity and originality with bottles as desirable as their precious contents. Beautiful objects to collect without moderation!
Lenny Kravitz at the helm at Dom Pérignon
The versatile artist has signed a collection of three limited editions for Dom Pérignon. Lenny Kravitz has reworked the label of the 2008 Vintage and 2006 Rosé vintages by appropriating the emblematic coat of arms of the house, which he revisits by drawing inspiration from the codes of goldsmithing with an escutcheon whose texture recalls that of hammered metal. The artist has also created a python skin-inspired candelabra case to house the Vintage 2008 vintage, as well as a bar-table adapted to the tasting ritual of the precious beverage.
Champagne gets the boot at Ruinart
Wood and pewter, a pure line... At Ruinart, the magnums of the three Dom Ruinart vintages are given a case of character with the trunk designed by the designer Ron Arad. The trunk, made of oak wood from eco-managed forests by Maison Marotte, reveals "Trio", a work composed of three pewter champagne buckets linked together by a leather strap. Between folds, curves and hollows, they form a large bowl whose realization was entrusted to the Goldsmiths of Anjou. An exceptional object produced in only 50 numbered copies and signed by the designer.
Floral Elixir by Perrier-Jouët
Recognizable among a thousand with its elegantly intertwined white or pink anemones, the bottle of Perrier-Jouët's Belle Époque vintage cuvée dates back to a collaboration between the house and the pioneer of the Art Nouveau movement Émile Gallé... in 1902! Since then, the iconic bottle has been offered several limited editions, such as in 2015 under the Mischer'Traxler studio's guidance accompanying the famous butterfly anemones. The following year, it is the Japanese glass artist Ritsue Mishima who dresses the bottle with a transparent glass swirl.
In the skin of a secret agent at Bollinger
Did you know that Bollinger champagne was the favorite of the most famous secret agent, James Bond? As a tribute to the 40-year link between the champagne house and 007, designer Éric Berthès has revisited the space shuttle from the film Moonraker. Made of pewter and veneered with noble wood, it reveals a crystal bucket bearing the Saint-Louis label. Inside, a magnum of Bollinger 2007 vintage James Bond, of course!
A touch of red at Piper-Heidsieck
At Piper-Heidsieck, champagne becomes a beauty accessory with this red and gold case - the symbolic colors of the house - in the shape of a lipstick. Inside this soberly named "Le Rouge" box, the bottle of the house's signature brut cuvée is kept at the ideal temperature for tasting.
Crystal and vintages at Veuve Clicquot
Sitting behind her desk with a pen and inkwell, Madame Clicquot ruled her empire with a masterful hand. The champagne house is inspired by this epistolary tradition with La Grande Dame by Baccarat, a creation made in collaboration with the famous house specialized in crystal work. Sculpted from 90 kilos of crystal, this trompe l'oeil inkwell actually hides a champagne bucket. This rare piece, produced in only 15 copies, comes with an oak case containing six bottles of the best Veuve Clicquot vintages, namely 1989, 2004 and 2008, available in brut and rosé versions.
Solid wood at Billecart-Salmon
What could be better than a solid wood case to sublimate the Brut sous Bois cuvée from the Billecart-Salmon champagne house? The magnum format of this cuvée, vinified in barrels of 15 years of average age, is thus dressed in a box produced in a limited edition of 500 copies. Inside, there is a gourmet surprise: a booklet of two recipes by chefs Jean-Georges Vongerichten and Pierre Hermé designed to enhance the precious beverage. Shall we go into the kitchen?
By Constance Dive
Head of section for France.fr
