Planet V&S 62 - Magazine EN

THE FINEST OF WINES AND LUXURY

LIFESTYLE DESIGN TIME TASTING

Alcohol is dangerous to your health. Consume in moderation.

WWW.PLANET-VS.COM

[ An aficionado painter ]

AUCTIONS THE MOST BEAUTIFUL SALES STYLE BOMBAY SAPPHIRE UNVEILED LUXURY 10 TRENDY COCKTAILS

BILL KOCH A CELLAR WORTH $21 MILLION

M 05523 - 60 9,50 E € - AL 62 - F: 6,50 001

www.samsung.com/fr/galaxys7 DAS tête Galaxy S7 edge : 0,264 W/Kg, DAS tête Galaxy S7 : 0,406 W/Kg. DAS membre Gear Fit2 : 0.100 W/kg, DAS Gear 360 : 0,057 W/Kg. Le DAS (débit

d’absorption spécifique) des téléphones mobiles quantifie le niveau d’exposition maximal de l’utilisateur aux ondes électromagnétiques, pour une utilisation à l’oreille. La réglementation française impose que le DAS ne dépasse pas 2 W/kg.

Né de l’alliance du verre et du métal et sublimé par son écran aux bords incurvés, le Galaxy S7 edge se distingue par sa ligne unique.

Au cœur d’un écosystème complet, le Galaxy S7 vous offre toujours plus de possibilités. Capturez à 360° les plus beaux moments de votre vie grâce à la caméra Gear 360 et revivez-les comme si vous y étiez avec votre casque de réalité virtuelle Gear VR. Gardez la forme avec le bracelet connecté Gear Fit2 et les écouteurs sans fil Gear IconX. Leur cardiofréquencemètre et leur coach intégrés vous guideront pour un entrainement plus efficace.

#S7LifeChanger

Compatible avec une liste de produits Galaxy. Produits vendus séparément. Images d’écran simulées. Visuels non contractuels. L’utilisation d’un kit mains libres est recommandée.

Le Samsung Gear VR ne convient pas aux enfants de moins de 13 ans. Samsung Electronics France - CS 2003 - 1 rue Fructidor - 93484 Saint-Ouen Cedex. RCS Bobigny 334 367 497.

SAS au capital de 27 000 000 €.

Porsche a choisi

et

Une bonne idée ne suffit pas.

Il faut l’audace de la concrétiser.

Nouvelle Panamera.

Pour réaliser ses rêves, il faut savoir se battre et être audacieux. Être en quête constante de nouvelles idées et de nouveaux challenges, tout en restant fidèle à ses racines.

C’est de ce principe qu’est née la nouvelle Porsche Panamera.

Rendez-vous sur porsche.fr et sur nos réseaux sociaux.

@Porsche_France Porsche Porsche France SA.

Gamme Porsche - Conso. mixte : de 3,1 à 13,3 l/100 km - Émissions de CO2 : de 71 à 308 g/km. Selon le NCCE (Nouveau Cycle de Conduite Européen).

AGENCE QUAI DES ORFÈVRES

www.porsche.fr ou Porsche Contact 0 800 400 911

CONTENTS

Contents 62 LIFESTYLE MAGAZINE

#

T H E

F I N E S T

O F

W I N E S

A N D

L U X U R Y

INTERVIEW

EXPERIENCE

COCKTAILS

TIME

Yan Pei-Ming

Escapade to Laverstoke

Fashionable Cocktails

On-board Watches

[ An aficionado painter ]

[ Bombay Sapphire ]

[ at Bristol ]

[ Navigate through time ]

The popularity of Yan Pei-Ming, who is considered to be one of the greatest contemporary artists in the world, is proportional to the size of his canvases: exponential. Having said that, the man knows how to take time to enjoy a fine wine or a good cigar...

The secrets of a recipe combined with design genius have propelled Bombay Sapphire gin to all the world’s greatest bars. The distillery at Laverstoke Mill near London has opened its doors to treat its fans to a totally immersive experience. Discover....

Bristol doesn’t just enjoy an exceptional location. It has also become the place to be among Parisian luxury hotels, as well as among Parisians themselves... It is the result of a bold vision for luxury hotels, with a “speakeasy” type bar.

Whether racing, diving, or simply enjoying the ocean, marine watches know how to pander to yachts. They can adapt their functions, their sealing and their style to the widely diverse maritime world. So give in to your desires and let’s go…

048

058

090

106

PLANET-VS.COM

7 city breaks around the world Just in New York Just in Paris Just in Los Angeles Just in Genève Just in London Just in Hong Kong Just in Singapour

RECORDS 013 014 016 018 020 022 024 026

COLUMN

E nrico Bernardo 028 A Riesling… So why not Germany?

Nelson Chow 031 And the winner is... Jon Arvid Rosengren Adam Bilbey 030 2015 Bordeaux Futures Easter Promise?

008

CONCIERGE

Whisky The Most Expensive

034

In the service of luxury

TASTING

034

CIGAR

Enrico Bernardo Christophe Orlarei Jérome Faure Fabrice Sommier Paz Levinson Patrice Frank Manuel Peyrondet Christophe Tassan Eric Zwiebel Julia Scavo Vincent Tan

Portrait Didier Lazare Benitah Tasting 5 alliances Churchill Would Be Proud Of

042 044

Humidor The must-have masterpiece... 046

MUST HAVE 036

AUCTIONS The Hong Kong and New York auctions 038

For him and for her It’s time for luxury 072

COLLECTOR

Bill Koch A collector of fine wines in Palm Beach

082

Philippe Faure-Brac The world’s best sommelier 1992 An expert’s logbook

THE GALLERY 088 20 headlines on the front page

DESIGN

EXPERT

Cognac Mr President

TASTING 040

COCKTAILS

Bartender’s secrets Maxime Hoerth

095

LIFESTYLE

Wine Break Stopover at the Mandarin Oriental

096

ARTY 076

Behind the scenes Arts assembly

118

Alcohol is dangerous to your health. Consume in moderation.

GOOD LIFE

ALFA ROMEO 4C LIMITED EDITION

SÉRIE LIMITÉE. ÉMOTIONS ILLIMITÉES.

ALFA ROMEO 4C LIMITED EDITION 499 €/MOIS Avec apport - Location longue durée sur 36 mois et 30 000 km maximum*

Phares Bi-Xénon - Pack Racing et Jantes en alliage 18”-19” - Rétroviseurs extérieurs et inserts intérieurs en carbone - Tableau de bord en cuir Monocoque en carbone • Rapport poids/puissance < 4kg/ch • Vitesse maximum > 250 km/h • Accélération de 0 à 100 km/h en 4,5” *Exemple pour une Alfa Romeo 4C COUPÉ Limited Edition au tarif constructeur recommandé du 01/04/2016, en location longue durée sur 36 mois et 30 000 km maximum, soit 36 loyers mensuels de 499 € TTC après un apport de 19 400 € TTC. Offre non cumulable valable jusqu’au 30/06/2016 et réservée aux particuliers dans le réseau Alfa Romeo participant. Sous réserve d’acceptation de votre dossier par FCA Fleet Services France, SAS au capital de 3 000 000 € - 6 rue Nicolas Copernic ZA Trappes-Elancourt 78190 Trappes – 413 360 181 RCS Versailles.

Consommation en cycle mixte (l/100 km) : 6,8 et émissions de CO2 (g/km) : 157.

EDITORIAL

Time...

[ Is it universal? ] We could say that time is part of those basic truths such as life, conscience or freedom, which everyone is talking about, and what everyone thinks they know. Yet we are incapable of giving a precise, universal meaning to it...

I

n fact, universal time does not exist in the biosphere. Each species seems to possess its very own time. Time for the sequoias in King’s Canyon, California - which live for millennia - is not the same as that of mayflies, which live for just a few hours, or that of the lemurs of the Indian Ocean: they all have their own inherent duration. With the exception perhaps of our human species, which does not have a specific temporality: so many cultures, so many religions, so many thoughts about time...

And to that, to complexify the concept of time for our human species, a second difficulty is added: that of speaking of time uniformly. In fact, we have all observed that time seems to pass more quickly as we age.

Is this an illusion or rather a biological reality?

Following a long series of research and experiments, mathematician and French philosopher Pierre Lecomte du Noüy showed that it was indeed a biological reality...

An hour in the life of a ten-year-old child is worth five hours in the life of a sixty-year-old man. In other words, during sixty minutes of our clocks, a child has lived, physiologically and psychologically, just as much as a man of sixty in five hours.

Olivia & Thibault* REICHELL *Founder, editor & director of the publication

NUMÉRO 62

FOUNDER, EDITOR & DIRECTOR OF THE PUBLICATION: Thibault REICHELL PRESS AGENT: Olivia GONTHIER-REICHELL COMMUNICATIONS CONSULTANT: Jean-Michel DELAVAUD CORRESPONDENTS & COLUMNISTS: Enrico BERNARDO, Nelson CHOW, Adam BILBEY, Philippe FAURE-BRAC, Serena SUTCLIFFE, David CHOKRON, Jean-Charles CHAPUZET, Jean-François SCHERPEREEL, Alain AVIOTTE, Jean-Pascal GROSSO, Patricia REY, Laurence GOUNEL, Rodolphe GOMIS, Audrey GROSCLAUDE, Chloé SOFI, Jack CARTER, Jean-Pascal GROSSO, Pierre BLAST, Roger CURTIS, Edward LI , Karl RUHE, Steve WOODWIN, Adrian PAUL PHOTOGRAPHS: Leif CARLSSON, Gilles DE BEAUCHÊNE, Andrejs PIDJASS, Andrey KISELEV ILLUSTRATORS: Jade, Ange, Hugo, Tom & Théo, Rose ADVERTISING DEPARTMENT: PLANET V&S, Tél. : +33 (0)5 45 36 82 00 Legal registration on publication Copyright Planete Prod ISSN 1955-1770 PLANET V&S is a publication issued by Planete Prod - Tel.: +33 (0)5 45 36 82 00 - Fax: +33 (0)5 45 36 10 64 - www.planet-vs.com - Headquarters: Rue Robert Caumont - Immeuble P - Les Bureaux du Lac II - 33049 Bordeaux Cedex Printed in France Planete Prod is not liable for the texts, illustrations, and photographs published in Planet V&S. The texts, illustrations, and photographs only bind their authors, who have assured us of their authenticity and their freedom of rights. Under no circumstances can Planet Prod be held liable for the content or types of services provided by its authors. Any reproduction, either in part or in whole, of articles published in this issue without the agreement of the publishing firm is prohibited, in compliance with the law of 11 March 1957 on literary and artistic copyright.

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Alcohol is dangerous to your health. Consume in moderation.

So, whatever our religion, culture or beliefs, let’s make the most of the passing time...

NEW VINTAGE AÉRONAVALE COLLECTION The VINTAGE AÉRONAVALE chronograph is a time measuring instrument that marries functionality and elegance. The blue and gold colours, evoking the uniform worn by naval officers, make the VINTAGE AÉRONAVALE an exceptional timepiece.

Bell & Ross International: +33 (0)1 73 73 93 00 · Boutique Paris: Le Village Royal 25 rue Royale · e-boutique: www.bellross.com

Bill Koch

CLUBPRESTIGEPARTNERS 076 [ A collector of fine wines in Palm Beach ]

Lifestyle magazine GASTRONOMY STYLE TRAVEL WINE TIMEPIECES www.planet-vs.com

CLUBPRESTIGEPARTNERS

DETACHABLE BOOKLET

oppée par Porsche

bsolue des GT.

E (Nouveau Cycle de Conduite Européen).

Where can you find our magazine?

Here are some of our addresses

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Alcohol is dangerous to your health. Consume in moderation.

e, pour vous offrir

GOOD LIFE

Alcohol is dangerous to your health.

AlcoholConsume is dangerous in moderation. to your health. Consume in moderation.

NEW YORK

PARIS

GENEVA

SINGAPORE

LOS ANGELES

LONDON

HONG KONG

WHERE ARE THE BEST CAVIAR BARS IN NEW YORK? Those little black grains that are worth as much as gold – Russian and Iranian but also Italian and even French – have hit the streets of the Big Apple’s uptown neighborhoods. Explore our best neighborhoods… p 014

7 CITY BREAKS AROUND THE WORLD EXPLORE OUR MOST DECADENT SPOTS! 013

GOOD LIFE NEW-YORK

MAPPED OUT

WHERE ARE THE BEST CAVIAR BARS IN NEW YORK? Those little black grains that are worth as much as gold – Russian and Iranian but also Italian and even French – have hit the streets of the Big Apple’s uptown neighborhoods. Caviar Russe (538 Madison Avenue) is an institution: a chic cocoon for foodies.

Over on Long Island, Paramount Caviar (3815 24th Street) offers both an international and American caviar menu. Petrossian (182 W 58th St) has landed with style close to 8th Avenue. Both a cocktail and caviar bar, Pravda (281 Lafayette Street) attracts a young, stylish, foodie clientele.

WHAT’S IT COST?

US$

This site, which lists all of the wine-centric events in New York and the surrounding area, published its Top 5 places to take part in tastings. The best way to share your passion with American enthusiasts. www.newyorkwineevents.com

MEETING FOR A DRINK

RON PERLMAN Discovered by Jean-Jacques Annaud, who cast him in Quest for Fire, Ron Perlman, 66, has since forged a solid career: Stalingrad, Hellboy and Sons of Anarchy to name but a few. Dividing his time between New York and Los Angeles, he talks to us about life’s pleasures.

Why did you only write your memoirs a little over a year ago?

I’m now at an age where I’m on the other side of the hill, and this journey is faster than I could have imagined. So it was time… I also made this decision for my children; using my outlook on life to help them find their own path and to make that journey a little easier for them. And above all, to deal with any lingering questions.

You are an experienced cigar enthusiast.

Where does this attraction to puros come from?

Well, it was when I was in college, with a friend who’s not in my life anymore... The two of us, we would smoke a cigar while appreciating a good scotch, minimum twelve years. That’s how I took up cigars.

What do you like?

I would say Epicure no. 2 by Hoyo de Monterrey. I like the strength of this habano. Outside Cuba, it’s Joya De Nicaragua Gran Consul. I find that it’s well made and infallible.

014

You are an aficionado…

I have this saying I’d like to share: “Some people meditate, I smoke cigars.” Smoking helps me to think, to find myself. And it’s still the best companion to a good cocktail, a glass of brandy or even a Sapporo beer, which is my favorite.

Any favorite destinations?

I recently went to Cuba for the first time in my life.

Cuba embodies three of the great passions in my existence: cigars, music and food. A real winner.

Can you recommend a smoking salon in New York?

You will never see me in one of the smoking clubs where you find the celebrities. For me, smoking is a very personal, solitary act. I don’t need someone with me for it to make sense.

What about restaurants?

I have traveled all over the world, and I’ve been able to discover lots of places: Madeo restaurant in Los Angeles, Garde Manger in Montreal, even good New York pizzerias.

Alcohol is dangerous to your health. Consume in moderation.

LOOK ONLINE

NEW-YORK

That’s the price of a 64-year old Macallan, presented in a Lalique decanter, during an auction at Sotheby’s New York.

By Jack Carter

460 000

Collection Ma PrĂŠfĂŠrence

Les bagues aux pierres interchangeables

www.poiray.com

GOOD LIFE PARIS

MAPPED OUT

WHICH OF THE PARISIAN LUXURY HOTELS MAKES THE BEST BRUNCH? Vraymonde, the restaurant at the Buddha Bar Hôtel (4, rue d’Anjou, 8th). Sweet and salty, its Asian-inspired dishes set it apart. $40. Porte Maillot: The Hyatt Regency Paris Étoile (3, place du Général Koenig, 17th) changes its brunch menu every month: for $44 it is fresh, varied and comes with a glass of champagne!

The Westin hotel (234, rue de Rivoli, 1st) specializes in fantastic seafood and raw fish. Healthy and tasty ($78).

On Sunday, the brunch at La Cuisine, the restaurant at the Royal Monceau (37, avenue Hoche, 8th) plays the abundance and luxury card ($135): ripened cheeses, Pierre Hermé desserts and pastries, fresh pastas, etc.

WHAT’S IT COST?

US$

MEETING FOR A BITE

CHRISTIAN LE SQUER Raising the bar at George V even higher with the awarding of a third star, Christian Le Squer displays a clean track record and quiet sort of force. He is the only chef to have achieved three stars for the twelfth consecutive year.

Laurence Gounel

What does a table at a luxury hotel get you?

A signature. That of a chef. Mine comes down to simplicity, followed by lingering flavor in the mouth.

The dishes must have character, and mine is to concentrate the flavors. I have always favored a gourmet kitchen over sales and marketing. I don’t follow fashions; I use my palate. For me, the simplicity is in the representation of the natural setting that inspired the dish. The region I love most? The sea! When I’m working on a new dish, I spend at least two or three hours each day researching, to envisage the relationships and the dish, reproducing the environment from which the produce originated as faithfully as possible.

016

What is your relationship with wine?

I am a wine man! It is why I do not hesitate in diluting the strength of a dish so that it can be paired with a wine. With each new menu, we have the pleasure of working with Eric Beaumard, the head sommelier. I couldn’t imagine it any other way. Our clientele is extremely educated when it comes to wine, and they expect a perfect pairing. We have discovered absolute wonders, such as the Madeira that brings out the subtlety of our onion gratin and the Sauternes that enhance the apricot asparagus.

I love this precise work and operate on the principle that a chef is like an architect, he must be able to work with all trades.

www.alainducasse-meurice.com LOOK ONLINE

www.restaurant-lecinq.com A la carte or Gourmet Tour: 4-course lunch ($163), 6-course lunch ($236), and 9-course dinner ($349).

Behind Gentlemen 1919, the timelessly chic barber-hairdresser, hides a cocktail bar and smoking salon. Giving off a clearly masculine vibe, the concept was the brainchild of two men: Frédéric Lafleur and Sébastien Paucod www.gentlemen1919.com

© Stéphane de Bourgies

You say that your cuisine is “like a Chanel suit that you wear over your jeans”?

Like this legendary suit – which is beautiful by itself – my excellent dishes only need to be accompanied. The idea is to highlight them, not overshadow or eclipse them with over-complex dishes. I questioned myself when I accepted this new challenge at V: the decor in this dining room is so beautiful, so full of history, I chose to “simplify” my cuisine. As you get older, you focus on the essentials.

The price of the Spring 2016 Menu Collection at Le Meurice Alain Ducasse restaurant on Rue de Rivoli. Six dishes paired with one champagne and three wines.

Alcohol is dangerous to your health. Consume in moderation.

By Jean-Pascal Grosso

PARIS

650

GOOD LIFE LOS ANGELES

MAPPED OUT

WHERE CAN YOU GET A LITTLE BIT OF FRANCE ON YOUR PLATE? In the mood for a Parisian soufflé in California? Want to enjoy French cuisine in Burger King land? When he arrived in Los Angeles in the 90s, Stéphane Strouk had the idea of creating a stall that sold the best French and European produce. And so Monsieur Marcel was born, at the Farmer’s Market in the Fairfax neighborhood. At the adjacent restaurant, you can also enjoy things like a filet mignon ($25) and Savoyard cheese fondue ($30) in a chic, friendly atmosphere. The recipe works: Monsieur Marcel even has a branch at LAX, Los Angeles’ international airport. www.mrmarcel.com WHAT’S IT COST?

US$

LOOK ONLINE

The wine enthusiasts of Los Angeles gathered on May 3 at Smogshoppe on La Cienega Blvd for a tasting of Loire wines. www.marvimon.com/smogshoppe

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MEETING FOR A DRINK

CASH BLACK The Ten Pound Bar (£10) is the “underground” bar in the Montage, a luxury hotel in the Beverly Hills golden triangle. It has a chic atmosphere where guests can eat, drink and smoke discretely. Interview with Cash Black, its learned bartender.

What makes £10 stand out from other bars in Los Angeles?

It is the only stronghold for The Macallan whiskies in the United States; the only other one in the world is in Dubai. The bar is discretely located above our gourmet restaurant and offers guests total intimacy - they enter through a hidden door - which is why a lot of celebrities visit regularly.

What’s behind this partnership with The Macallan?

This unique partnership means that we receive some of the finest and rarest whiskies that have never before left their distillery. For example, up to September 2014, we were the only establishment to serve the last drams from a bottle of 64-Year Old Macallan Scotch, which sold for $64,000! This exclusive offer with Macallan got the Montage Beverly Hills into the Guinness Book of Records as the establishment that sold the world’s most expensive shot of alcohol.

What exceptional alcohols and cigars do you have?

That’s a difficult question as we have such a fantastic section. Here are some names to enlighten you: The Macallan N°6 “Limited Edition” at $850 a glass, the 60-Year Old Macallan at $2950 and the 62-Year Old Macallan at $3500 a glass, a 1968 Highland Park at $790 a glass, and the 160-Year Old Perfection Hardy cognac at $1400. We have exceptional cigars such as the Opux X by Arturo Fuente at $110 or the 1978 Partagas 150 with vintage Cameroon wrapper, which we sell for $275.

And what about for the dinner menu?

The iconic Macallan 18 Sherry Oak pairs fantastically with the Macallan-braised pork belly from chef Patrice Martineau. An absolutely delectable combination.

Montage Beverly Hills, 225 North Canon Drive, Beverly Hills, Los Angeles. www.montagehotels.com

Alcohol is dangerous to your health. Consume in moderation.

www.thevcut.com

LOS ANGELES

The price of an Arturo Fuente Opus X The Lost City cigar, inspired by actor Andy Garcia, and available at the V Cut Cigar Lounge, an elegant smoking salon in the Melrose neighborhood.

Par Jack Carter

110

Inspirée par 6 siècles de tradition polonaise, Belvedere ne ressemble à aucune vodka, elle n’est pas distillée avec de l’eau, mais avec une eau purifiée issue de ses puits artésiens, elle n’est pas élaborée avec du seigle, mais avec le seigle de Dankowskie.

Belvedere : Savoir faire la différence.

GOOD LIFE GENEVA

MAPPED OUT

BEAU-RIVAGE, THE BEST COCKTAILS IN GENEVA It is one of the chicest and most sought-after areas in Geneva. Famous for its restaurant, Le Chat-Botté (one Michelin star), and its refined cuisine designed by chef Dominique Gauthier, it is also known for its Atrium Lobby Bar, a hot spot for local mixology. On the menu, an Atelier-style Mandarito, the very exotic Marrakech Mojito or why not try the Strawberry & Balsamic Martini ($34 a glass), a favorite among the socialites who come to enjoy a cocktail and the views over Lake Geneva and Mont Blanc. www.beau-rivage.ch WHAT’S IT COST?

US$

30th birthday of Corte Sant’Alda, an eminent Veneto property run by Marinella Camerani, which houses “Chez Philippe” owned by chef Philippe Chevrier. www.chezphilippe.ch

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MICHAEL GANNE On May 22 in Geneva, Baghera Wines held Master Cellar, auctioning more than 600 batches of wine, including Romanée-Conti and Yquem. Interview with its Director, himself a keen collector.

Can you tell us about how Baghera Wines came about?

I created Baghera Wines in 2015 with the aim of making major sales at wine auctions in Switzerland. I was at Christie’s for 10 years, specifically as the wine department’s Director for Continental Europe, when their strategy was to cease all wine sale sites in Continental Europe to focus on Hong Kong and New York. I therefore decided to leave my job in 2014 and along with two friends, I created a specialist organization for wine selling to master our strategy.

Why is Switzerland an interesting country for wine collectors?

For several years, Switzerland has seen very significant collections at Geneva’s auction houses.

Historically, it is a country that is highly attached to wine culture, with a broad knowledge of foreign wines, particularly French. There are a lot of fantastic collections and big wine collectors.

In this time of economic uncertainty, is wine a safe investment more than ever?

The advantage of this specialization is being part of a passionate and culturally strong investment, which can be seen as a sign of certain knowledge to an enthusiastic amateur. In any event, I think that it is dangerous to enter into any such type of safe investment without a good knowledge of wine. And don’t forget that wine was not made to be just a mere investment but to be drunk!

What are the best bottles in your own collection?

I have a cellar with around 800 bottles. The best ones are those with which I have a particular emotional connection. In my cellar I have a beautiful half bottle of 1855 Cognac with “Vintage” engraved on the glass, absolutely immortal; and magnums of 1978 Hermitage la Chapelle that I can still drink with my children in 20 years. I just drank a delicious 1947 Yquem from my cellar... I try to keep the wines and drink them when they are in their prime! www.bagherawines.com

© AlineFournier

LOOK ONLINE

MEETING FOR A DRINK

Alcohol is dangerous to your health. Consume in moderation.

www.cars.mclaren.com

By Pierre Blast

That’s the price of the super-sporty McLaren 570 GT; its public world premiere was the event at the last Geneva Motor Show.

GENEVA

221,550

GOOD LIFE LONDON

WHAT’S IT COST?

US$

9000 For one night in the Infinity Suite at the Langham, a luxury hotel overlooking timeless Regent Street! A suite that comes with its own spa. www.langhamhotels.com

THE CHICEST GENTLEMEN’S CLUB IN LONDON?

MEETING FOR A DRINK

PIERRE-MARIE FAURE Re-opened in July 2015, the Lanesborough hotel has established itself as one of London’s great luxury hotels. As well as the gourmet restaurant Céleste, there is also the Garden Room cigar lounge. Interview with the inspiring sommelier.

Why is the Lanesborough unique among London hotels?

In a city as big as London, it is really special to find such a place, where you feel so at ease, a home from home. The harmonious arrangement within the hotel is reflected in the pleasure our guests feel each time they visit.

What do you love about being sommelier in this luxury hotel?

Wine is always an excellent pretext for conversation with our guests; searching for the wine that they would like best, learning their preferences to find the bottle that suits them perfectly, opening it and awaiting their reaction. It is gratifying to see them drinking a wine that they truly appreciate.

Tell us about the Lanesborough cellar...

It has a fantastic variety of bottles from all over the world. The Lanesborough is the ideal hotel for experiencing great wine. The size of our selection means that we can cater to the tastes of all our guests – from excellent bottles of the younger vintages to an amazing Cabernet Sauvignon to one of the very rare labels.

For example?

To name but a few: a 2009 Romanée Conti at $25,420, a 1982 Pétrus at $29,130, and even a 1993 Taittinger Comtes de Champagne at $2810.

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And what about rare alcohols?

I would recommend the Macallan 60-year old Lalique Decanter at $9780 for 5 cl. Or perhaps an excellent Cognac from 1770, a “Grande Fine Champagne” at $9450 for 5 cl.

Your favorite wine on the Lanesborough menu?

Choosing just one is really difficult... There are a lot of great wines. If it was a white, I would choose a Meursault, as it has a creamy edge and a bit of a biscuity aftertaste, as well as a Riesling for its freshness. The Meursault is a complex wine to create, it takes a lot of patience. It is quite a powerful white. You can “feel” this complexity in each mouthful. If it was a red wine, I would choose a Barolo, “King of Wines”, for its unique taste. As I am Italian, it reminds me of my country.

In a city where financiers and businessmen are under constant pressure, the strip-tease business, tactfully re-branded a “Gentlemen’s Club”, is as hot as ever. The White’s Gentlemen’s Club (not to be confused with the White’s, a very closed circle reserved for the British aristocracy) is renowned to be the chicest and most frequented club in the capital. There are numerous private rooms and even a Studio 54 Room where you can party with friends. Chesterfield ambiance and champagne bar.

32-38 Leman Street, Aldgate, London. www.clubwhites.co.uk LOOK ONLINE

Can you recommend a wine bar in London?

Citons Gastrovino on King’s Road and Vini Italiani in South Kensington The Lanesborough, Hyde Park Corner, London. www.lanesborough.com

Where can you find important wine events taking place each week in the UK? The famous wine critic Jancis Robinson’s website provides a jam-packed, useful calendar. www.jancisrobinson.com

Alcohol is dangerous to your health. Consume in moderation.

By Roger Curtis

LONON

MAPPED OUT

Le Signet (s ceau) de Glenmo rangie en cuivre ré alis é par Pie rre Matte r

MHD MOË T HENNES SY DIAGEO - RC S Nante r re B 3 37 0 8 0 055

Une création à l’image de nos alambics en cuivre, les plus hauts d’Ecosse.

Ils apportent finesse et pureté à notre whisky.

En savoir plus sur Glenmorangie.com/fr

L’ E XC E L L E N C E VI E N T D E S D É TA I L S

L’ABUS D’ALCOOL EST DANGEREUX POUR LA SANTÉ, À CONSOMMER AVEC MODÉRATION.

GOOD LIFE HONG-KONG

MAPPED OUT

WHERE CAN YOU FIND A CHIC WINE MERCHANT IN HONG KONG? Located in the heart of Central, hidden away in the legendary Peddler Building, built in the Beaux-Arts style in 1923, is “Etc”, a fabulously Hongkongese wine merchant which knows how to present the best crus outside of the normal framework.

Although there are also merchants in Happy Valley and on Queen’s Road, Etc in the Peddler Building ticks all the boxes. In its elegant and refined setting, it offers exceptional wines such as Côte-Rôtie, Talbot and Veuve Cliquot Cave Privée, as well as more anecdotal ones, such as Miraval, the rosé produced by Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie. A must-visit.

Etc, Unit 404, 4/f Pedder Building, 12 Pedder Street, Central, Hong Kong. http://www.etcwineshops.com WHAT’S IT COST?

37,900

MEETING FOR A BITE

RICHARD EKKEBUS Amber, the restaurant in the Landmark Mandarin Oriental, is presided over by a prestigious Dutch chef who launched his career in Europe. Richard Ekkebus shares with us his passion for gastronomy without borders, fine wines and Japanese whiskies.

You have worked on five continents.

How does Amber differ from the starred restaurants that have marked your career?

Each time I changed continent, I naturally adapted to local gastronomy and tastes. I learned to be flexible, to develop my ability to acclimatize, which all made me into who I am today. Amber is the result of all of these experiences that gave me the instruments to create a restaurant that, for the last eleven years, has been an incredible success.

Is your clientele particularly demanding?

It is 70% local and Hongkongers are passionately devoted to gastronomy. It is a picky and highly critical clientele. It is because of these attitudes that we have never stopped trying to improve the restaurant’s repertoire. Add to that my vision, that of the Mandarin Oriental Group, their exceptional service culture, and you have Amber.

What is your favorite dish?

That would be the sea urchins on cauliflower, lobster jelly and caviar. I would pair it with a Junmai Daiginjo sake. A match made in heaven!

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Does Amber have an exceptional cellar?

It has 5000 bottles and 1200 labels. It is a cellar that reflects both my love of wine and that of our sommelier, John: it is very Burgundy-oriented but also boasts a great selection of Rhône wines. Our most prestigious bottle is a 1996 Domaine de la Romanée-Conti at 76000 HK$ ($9790).

The price of a bottle of 1961 Pétrus from the restaurant Pétrus (one Michelin star) at Island ShangriLa in the Admiralty neighborhood. www.shangri-la.com/hongkong LOOK ONLINE

Where do you dine in Hong Kong?

The Chairman (no. 18 Kau U Fong, Central) for its unique and delicate Cantonese cuisine, Yarbird (3335 Bridges Street, Sheung Wan) for the ambiance, its team and its succulent yakitori, Neighborhood (61-63 Hollywood Road, Central) for its simple but excellent French cuisine.

Your favorite bar?

Ronin (8 On Wo Lane, Central), a whisky bar and Japanese restaurant. For me, who loves Japan’s single malts and blends, it’s my ideal place. www.amberhongkong.com

Mondrian, Van Gogh and Dali were the sources of inspiration to the bartenders of Artesian at The Langham, a cheeky wink at Art Basel Hong Kong. Breath-taking. www.langhamhotels.com/en/the-langham/ hong-kong

Alcohol is dangerous to your health. Consume in moderation.

By Edward Li

HONG-KONG

US$

GOOD LIFE SINGAPOUR

MAPPED OUT

WHERE CAN YOU GET THE CHICEST COCKTAIL IN SINGAPORE? In the luxury hotel business, outrageous cocktails are all anyone is drinking. Their price tag is often explained by the jewelry that comes with the glass. But the question of pomp is superfluous. Served on request, the Caviar Martini is made with vodka, dry vermouth and lemon, topped with an olive stuffed with beluga caviar. Not to mention the 30 grams of beluga and its condiments that come with it. What does it cost? $1380. Only at the Axis Bar at the Mandarin Oriental, Singapore.

Axis Bar & Lounge, 5 Raffles Avenue, Singapour.

WHAT’S IT COST?

370

MEETING FOR A DRINK

ROBERT WILLIAMS Celebrating two years of the London-Singapore line in the Airbus A 380, Robert Williams, the British Airways Regional Executive Director for South-East Asia, reflects on the British company’s success and the onboard wine service.

Your First Class is among the most frequented in the world...

It is the epitome of contemporary British elegance, both understated and sophisticated. With just fourteen “suites”, customers are able to eat a world-class à la carte dinner, experience remarkable in-flight entertainment and sleep in a seat that transforms into a fully flat two-meter bed in an exclusive cabin.

What about the in-flight food?

Did you know that your taste buds do not perceive flavors the same way at 32,808 feet? The perception of taste is actually completely misrepresented... After carrying out in-depth research and working with the best chefs, we have improved the meals and wines that we offer so they now taste better in the air than on the ground.

What about the onboard wine selection?

In the same way, we searched for wines that adapt better to altitude, robust red wines or white wines that are not too acidic. White wines are actually more sensitive than red wines to the shock of travelling on a plane.

So the taste is influenced?

That’s correct. It is imprinted by stress and fatigue, so the context for tasting is not ideal. The ambiance in the cabin is noisy (murmuring noises, ambient noise). Did you know that the air conditioning and pressurization can affect an individual’s olfactory abilities by up to 30%?

www.marinabaysands.com LOOK ONLINE

What types of wine are onboard?

Our customers obviously prefer the big French wines such as Burgundy or Bordeaux. But on the flight to Singapore you will also find some excellent Australian wines.

On a personal note, do you have a favorite wine?

I live in Singapore so I have easy access to Australian wines, and I really love the Chardonnays. The best ones are raised between 6 and 9 months in French oak barrels. Most reach maturity in 2 to 6 years. It’s the opportunity to share a happy moment... www.britishairways.com

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Dinner at Waku Ghin, the most expensive table in Singapore.

An intimate setting at Marina Bay Sands serving contemporary Japanese cuisine created by chef Tetsuya Wakuda.

Bloggers share their foodie secrets at sethlui. com, including the best Happy Hours in Singapore, where you can have fun without breaking the bank (too much). www.sethlui.com

Alcohol is dangerous to your health. Consume in moderation.

By Edward Li

SINGAPOUR

US$

COLUMN ENRICO BERNARDO

A Riesling…

[ So why not Germany? ] Every year, the consumption of white wine increases with the arrival of the better weather. We search for a freshness and enjoyment to revel in during the first hot days of the year. So why not drink a German Riesling?

ENRICO BERNARDO

The 2004 World’s Best Sommelier A gastronomy prodigy, Enrico went to catering college at a very young age and was named Best Young Chef in Europe! He quickly showed a particular acuity for tasting wines. This talent became an aspirational passion which resulted in the titles of Best Sommelier in Italy, Europe, and the World in 2004.

Having served, in his early days, as a chef at Troisgros in Roanne, then as a sommelier artist at Franska Matsalem in the Grand Hôtel Stockholm, and in the Four Seasons George V, Enrico Bernardo has today created the innovative concepts for enhancing both the wine and the dish in a simple way, always pushing himself further in the discovery of subtle flavors. www.enricobernardo.com

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Alcohol is dangerous to your health. Consume in moderation.

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these producers on the international market, exports are on the f course, we know about the Rieslings from rise, and the feedback from consumers is excellent.

Alsace, the French region of choice for this grape variety. Some enthusiasts are also particularly The cornerstone of German Rieslings lies in their sugar/acid/ fond of the Australian Rieslings from Clare Valley alcohol balance. or from Wachau in Austria, for example, but The two big families must first be discerned: the “trocken” Germany and its Rieslings are really worth the detour. (which means “dry” in German) and the others, which are a For decades the Germans have stunned us with the quality of semi-dry selection of noble grapes, through to the late harvest their wines from this great variety, which is planted throughout grapes and the eisweins (ice wines). the country’s wine-producing These wines have great aging regions. The wines there are exciting, Some enthusiasts are also potential thanks to their crisp acidity but deciphering a German wine label and at times insane sugar content, is not easy for the average novice... particularly fond of the which deteriorates as it ages.

Australian Rieslings from Clare Alte Reben, Kabinett, Grosse Large, Valley or from Wachau in Austria, The diversity between areas is Grosses Gewächs, Beerenauslese, for example, but Germany and enormous and there are a number of Trockenberenauslese, etc. its Rieslings are really worth the producing regions. While Rheingau These are just some of the complex detour.… and its hilltop of Rudesheim offer terms that the Germans have given pure, dry and somewhat powerful their wines. wines, Nahe delivers on minerality, without forgetting Baden, Rheinhessen, and Pfalz, which also offer high-quality Rieslings.

And yet a large part of the success of these wines is down to The award has to go to Moselle, which is inescapable these their simplicity. Their driving force is that they provide immediate days. It produces what are probably the most accessible pleasure. Their second asset is the exceptional value for money wines, characterized by their dancing acidity, and their citrus, that these wines offer us, probably because of the impressive grapefruit and green apple aromas. amount of great estates producing quality wines. The VDP, a powerful organization of more than 200 producers, is not It’s not just the beer that flows in Bavaria! without significance. Nowadays, there are a large number of

L’ABUS D’ALCOOL EST DANGEREUX POUR LA SANTÉ. À CONSOMMER AVEC MODÉRATION.

La Passion en Héritage

Une Passion Française www.cognac-frapin.com

L’ABUS D’ALCOOL EST DANGEREUX POUR LA SANTÉ. À CONSOMMER AVEC MODÉRATION.

NELSON CHOW COLUMN

And the winner is... [ Jon Arvid Rosengren ]

A 31-year old Swede was recently awarded World’s Best Sommelier in Mendoza, capital of the province that produces most of Argentina’s wine, particularly the Malbecs of international repute. Jon Arvid Rosengren, who officiates at restaurant Charlie Bird in New York, battled it out in the final with a Frenchman and an Irishwoman.

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lthough Sweden is not known for its wine production, it does, however, appear to have the ability to produce leading sommeliers. It proved this once again in Mendoza (Argentina) at the 15th A.S.I. World’s Best Sommelier competition. Jon Arvid Rosengren won the top title, nine years after his colleague and friend, Andreas Larsson, won in Rhodes.

On the first day of the competition, 60 sommeliers representing 57 countries crossed oceans to gather in the province of Mendoza, which is known for its incredible quality of wines.

Alcohol is dangerous to your health. Consume in moderation.

At the end of the competition’s first day, no more than fifteen hopefuls had crossed the threshold to the semi-final: Gareith Ferreira (South Africa), Paz Levinson (Argentina), Elyse Lambert (Canada), Christian Jacobsen (Denmark), Heidi Mäkinen (Finland), David Biraud (France), Julie Dupouy (Ireland), Hiroshi Ishida (Japan), Satoru Mori (Japan), Raimonds Tomsons (Latvia), Henrik Dahl Jahnsen (Norway), Piotr Pietras (Poland), Rassadkin Aleksander (Russia), Jon Arvid Rosengren (Sweden), and Robert Andersson (Sweden).

The tests that followed would determine who was in with a chance to be in the public final, held at the Teatro Independencia (“Independence Theatre”). The diversity and originality of the tests surprised the candidates, but did not prevent them

from showcasing their talent and their ability to adapt to any situation, including tasting management, food and wine pairing, and their ability to be an ambassador for wine tourism, not forgetting a new questionnaire, which for many was the most complex stage.

After a day visiting three estates in the Vallée Uco vineyards, the final on the stage was in the form of a dining room, and was based on the different aspects of a sommelier’s work. The top three were thus able to flaunt their talent and knowledge. And just as in 2013, we found a sommelier at this level. Originally from France but now living and working in Dublin, Julie Dupouy flew the colors for Ireland and took third place. She was accompanied by the Swedish candidate and future victor Jon Arvid Rosengren and the candidate from France, David Biraud, who had already got the world final in 2010 in Santiago, Chile.

This time, he came in second.

The Commission Concours de Sommeliers, led by Gérard Basset, World’s Best Sommelier 2010, and a panel of other World’s Best Sommeliers, including Serge Dubs (1989), Shinya Tasaki (1995), Markus del Monego (1998), Andreas Larsson (2007) and Paolo Basso (2013) were tasked with devising the competition’s different tests.

NELSON CHOW

President of “HKSA Greater China” • Hong Kong Sommelier Association Premier professional sommelier in Hong Kong and China, Nelson Chow has also been President of the Hong Kong Sommelier Association for 17 years now. He has an encyclopedic knowledge of wine, which he has amassed over three decades of management posts in different renowned five-star hotels and restaurants in Asia. He was Vice-President of a group of five-star hotels, senior instructor at two training centers, manager at the prestigious China Club, F&B manager at the Jockey Club, and head of renowned restaurant Petrus. Nelson Chow’s expertise has earned him a large number of highly respected titles in the world of wine and he was recently appointed to the Grand Conseil du Vin de Bordeaux (the Great Council for Bordeaux Wine). He recently held some workshops on pairing Western wines with Chinese cuisine. www.hksa.org

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COLUMN ADAM BILBEY

2015 Bordeaux Futures [ Easter Promise? ]

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n early April I was lucky enough to join the Sotheby’s team in Bordeaux to taste the 2015 vintage from barrel. Joining Jamie Ritchie, Nicholas Jackson and myself was our honorary Chairman Serena Sutcliffe MW* and her husband and Bordeaux expert David Peppercorn MW*, whom together boast over a century of experience tasting En-Primeur!

gaux, Graves and Saint- Emillion. It was here where the character of the vintage and the individual properties terroir were in harmony, with a freshness elegance and wonderful flesh of fruit. This is a vintage that should offer early enjoyment but have the structure for mid to long term ageing, which is no bad thing… wine is there to be drunk and enjoyed!

It is always with intrigue when one approaches the new Bordeaux Campaign, as each year there is another vintage story to tell and another reason why we should be buying. This year was no different with the expectations of a highly successful vintage that could be the kick start Bordeaux needed after recent lacklustre campaigns. From an Asian perspective this is an even more intriguing vintage. Many collectors purchased En-Primeur for the first time in the mid-2000s, with demand growing, which culminated in the 2009 and 2010 releases.

Since then the Bordeaux market has softened, many of the wines have decreased in price and confidence in buying EnPrimeur in Asia is not what it was. However with the potential of the finest vintage since 2010 and the potential fair prices onto the market, this could be the vintage that lures wine lovers, both old and new, back to Bordeaux.

My feeling is that this is a consumer friendly vintage of high quality that is what the Asian market will be interested to learn more about. Mother nature has played her part and now it is up to the Chateaux owners. Price increases are a necessity to protect more recent vintages that are at this quality level.

However with good yields in most regions, there is wine to play with and it gives the opportunity for Chateaux owners to offer a “bargain”. From speaking to collectors and industry leaders in Hong Kong and other key cities in Asia, there is interest and a careful and considered optimism of a successful offering.

After tasting the wines, the first thing to report is that it is a good vintage, and great in places. The Sotheby’s team were in agreement that this did not hit the highs of the recent greats 2005, 2009 and 2010 and it was more inconsistent than some would have you believe. The high points were Pomerol, Mar-

I once believed that the Hong Kong and China markets followed the buying patterns of historic markets such as England during En-Primeur (if UK markets buys then Asia follows), however, with a growing awareness and confidence, this is certainly not the case anymore. The Asian wine collectors will make their own mind up on each release, weighing up the merits of buying and, with cellars full of young Bordeaux, they may need some tempting... * Master of Wine

ADAM BILBEY

Director - Head of Sotheby’s Wine, Asia.

With fourteen years’ experience in the wine industry under his belt, Adam Bilbey joined Sotheby’s in 2015 as the Asia Director of the wine department. Throughout his career, he has worked in the United States, Australia and many regions in Asia where he has built up quite a reputation in the world of wines. Before joining Sotheby’s, Adam Bilbey was Sales Director at Berry Brothers & Rudd, where he was responsible for Hong Kong and China. He has proven experience and has established strong links with major wine lovers in Asia. He has appeared for a wine segment on BBC2’s program Something for the Weekend and was named “Man of the Year for the Service Industry” in 2009 by English magazine Esquire. www.sothebys.com

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Alcohol is dangerous to your health. Consume in moderation.

Will the 2015 vintage lure Asian buyers back to the Bordeaux “En Primeur Market”?

Un grand vin naît toujours d’un grand raisin...

«Eclat, pureté du fruit, complexité, soyeux, subtilité…

Ces qualités ultimes révélées dans l’équilibre de nos derniers millésimes reflètent bien «l’esprit de Chevalier», le respect absolu de la terre et du fruit…»

GRAND CRU CLASSÉ DE GRAVES B O R D E A U X

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F R A N C E

d omainedech evalier.co m

L’abus d’alcool est dangereux pour la santé. Consommez avec modération.

This bid was offered on a 6-litre bottle of Macallan Decanter “M” whisky during a spirits sale held

by Sotheby’s Hong Kong in January 2014. It became the most expensive whiskey in the world sold at auction, surpassing another single malt from the Scottish Macallan distillery, and was presented in a Lalique signature decanter, of which just 4 were made.

$10,600 The price of a bottle sold in December 2011

by Japanese distillery Suntory. In total, 150 bottles of its 50-year old Yamakazi, aged in Mizunara casks (a very fragrant Japanese oak) in 1961, were put up for sale.

Claiming a miraculous discovery, on 1st April 2011 the site masterofmalt.com put up for sale a 105-year old whisky from the Aisla T’Orten distillery... anagram for “it’s not a real distillery”. It was a big joke but a number of sites continue to relay the information as if it were true!

The amount forked out for 70 decanters of 1952 Tullibardine. The Scottish brand, owned by a family of Burgundy wine producers, chose to present its whisky in a Baccarat crystal decanter outlined in gold and encased in a box with two glasses, a membership card, and a key giving access to a safe within the distillery.

The Most Expensive Whiskies Put into barrels during the last century, revered by connoisseurs, distilled drop by drop into beautiful decanters... whiskies have the knack of creating a buzz and attracting the attention of collectors. Focus.

By Chloé Sofi • Photo : Andrejs Pidjass

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Alcohol is dangerous to your health. Consume in moderation.

$1,409,000

The extravagant amount was paid for Isabella’s Islay whisky and its English crystal decanter covered in white gold, 8500 diamonds and 300 rubies. Within is hidden a very old single malt whisky reflecting the special character of the Queen of the Hebrides: The Island of Islay.

$28,550

$521,650

$6,199,700

RECORDS WINE AND RARE ALCOHOLS

L’ A B U S D ’ A L C O O L E S T D A N G E R E U X P O U R L A S A N T É , À C O N S O M M E R AV E C M O D É R AT I O N

EXPERT COGNAC

Mr President A unique Cognac and Armagnac collection was recently put up for auction at Christie’s New York, without finding a buyer: 39 bottles, all connected to a US President’s term between 1789 and 1977. Rare...

By Karl Ruhe

The name “American Presidential Collection” should have been enough to kick off with a bang and create a fuss, especially since it was not a private event. Imagine 39 bottles, each with a date representing an American President’s term.

There is certainly an obvious “marketing” side to it – these are by no means bottles from the White House cellars, as with the fine wines that some collectors have recently proffered from the Palais de l’Elysée in France – but this sale was a great occasion to journey back in time and pay homage to the relationships built over centuries between the countries of Uncle Sam and the Marquis de Lafayette.

Behind this exceptional sale is a Dutchman by the name of Bay van der Bunt, a renowned long-standing rare alcohol collector who has decided to part with his treasure trove: “The process of selling these bottles is exciting, but it is really sad to see them go,” he explains.

You only have to scan the list of names and years to want to give in to temptation. Between 1789 (George Washington) and 1977 (Jimmy Carter), brands and years are reeled

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off: a 1789 Grande Champagne cognac, an 1840 A.E. Dor cognac, an 1842 Meukow cognac, an 1865 Marnier-Lapostolle cognac, and an 1884 Courvoisier cognac.

Bart Laming, Managing Director at Old Liquors, which deals in rare spirits based in the Netherlands and to whom we owe this New York sale, looks back on the genesis of this collection: “Bay van der Bunt and I know each other as we worked together on one of his investments in a publishing company. He had vowed to sell his collection after 65 years. It has now been 67. He finally decided to show me his collection (6000 bottles valued at 15 million dollars, probably the biggest in the world) and we discussed how he wanted to sell them.”

Want to get your hands on an 1802 Napoléon cognac, from the time of Francophile Thomas Jefferson’s presidential term, or a 1961 Armagnac, a Sempé, from the time of John Fitzgerald Kennedy’s administration? The “American Presidential Collection” can still be seen and is available, pending another auction on the other side of the Atlantic.

Collectors and enthusiasts, grab your wallets! www.oldliquors.com

DID YOU KNOW? The Marquis de Lafayette brought cognac with him on his journey across the Atlantic to rejoin George Washington and help him in his fight for American independence in 1776.

General (and future President) Dwight Eisenhower sipped cognac with the British Prime Minister, Winston Churchill, as they were planning D-Day, the invasion that liberated France in 1945.

The European Union architect and offspring of the famous cognac family, Jean Monnet, worked as an advisor to President Franklin Roosevelt.

Alcohol is dangerous to your health. Consume in moderation.

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he opening bid was 100,000 dollars. That is more than 2500 dollars per unit. Perhaps it was too much for the potential buyers at Christie’s New York that day?

AUCTIONS WORLD

The Hong Kong and New York auctions Gambling on an old vintage, especially if it has a prestigious label, is increasingly common among wine and rare alcohol lovers. This undoubtedly explains, in part, the major auctions that are springing up all over the world.

By Audrey Grosclaude

5 FIGURES

AGENDA

$34,230

BONHAMS SAN FRANCISCO

July 15, 2016 - www.bonhams.com

That is the price of an infamous bottle of 1788 cognac. Sold at auction by Parisian restaurant La Tour d’Argent in 2009, it fell into the hands of London’s Playboy Club, before one of their customers dropped it on the floor in 2012.

ARTCURIAL – DEAUVILLE

August 19, 2016 - www.artcurial-deauville.com

ZACHYS – HONG KONG

$17,245

September 10, 2016 - www.zachys.com

For a bottle of 1848 Château d’Yquem, which sold for $17,397 at the last Baghera Wines specialized sale in Geneva in May. With sales totaling $6,285,380, the event was the most significant auction in Switzerland in the last nine years.

BONHAMS – LONDON

September 15, 2016 - www.bonhams.com

CHRISTIES – LONDON

September 15, 2016 - www.christies.com

$1,324,420

TAJAN – PARIS

This amount was paid out on May 11 at Sotheby’s London for 12 lots of rare vintage vinified by Henri Jayer, and notably included a case of 1978 Richebourg which finished at $303,045, triple its highest estimated value.

September 22, 2016 - www.tajan.com

ZACHYS – NEW YORK

September 22 & 23 - www.zachys.com

$55,110

SOTHEBY’S – HONG KONG

October 1, 2016 - www.sothebys.com

The price of a case of 1982 Château LafiteRothschild. One of the most interesting bidding sessions in the 30th selling season for Christie’s Hong Kong.

ZACHYS – NEW YORK

October 22, 2016 - www.zachys.com

$344,574,000

The total amount of sales on the wine auction market worldwide in 2015, according to specialized search engine Barnebys.fr.

LOOK ONLINE

RECORD PRICES FOR 1998 PETRUS

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C Several months ago in South Africa, the House of Bisquit auctioned off a precious Bohemia crystal bottle encased in oak and white leather… but without the cognac! For $22,375, the happy buyer was actually invited to travel (business class flight, visit to wineries, gourmet dinner, Paris trip, etc.) to collect the 50 cl blend of Grande Champagne and Petite Champagne brandy.

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ollectors showed a keen interest in the Châteaux Lafitte Rothschild, especially the 1996 vintages, which have doubled their estimated value each time. But it was the case of 6 bottles of 1998 Petrus that took the highest bid at $16,050 (estimated value: $12,122 - $12,571).

When purchased by a Russian collector, a bottle of 1994 Romanée Conti, Grand Cru doubled its estimated value ($5,612 - $6,734) to $11,111, and a case of 6 bottles of 2000 Mouton Rothschild took off at $8,979 (estimated value: $6,398 - $6,622).

These sales proved that auctions remain in good health. Artcurial’s Fine Wines & Spirits department actually totaled $2,581,500 in the 1st half of 2016. Remember that these first six months were marked by the success of the sale of the mythical cellar in La Tour d’Argent’s restaurant, notably the bottle of Vieux Cognac Clos du Griffier from 1788, which sold for $29,182.

In September, October and November 2016, Sotheby’s held auctions in New York, Hong Kong then London, selling off three Hermès leather trunks each containing a Saint-Louis decanter with several centiliters of Louis XIII cognac from the House of Rémy Martin and four crystal glasses. Name of the operation: King’s Odyssey!

Alcohol is dangerous to your health. Consume in moderation.

On June 8 and 9 in Paris, Artcurial held an auction dedicated to fine wines and rare alcohols. Let’s return to that moment…

APPRIVOISER LA RARETÉ L’ABUS D’ALCOOL EST DANGEREUX POUR LA SANTÉ, À CONSOMMER AVEC MODÉRATION.

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Alcohol is dangerous to your health. Consume in moderation.

In Cannes, with the festival in full swing, a very influential client wanted to meet a favorite American star who had come to France to present his latest film. With one specific condition: this meeting was not to take place in a classic setting, like a restaurant or a hotel bar. Quintessentially, which makes a point of respecting the confidentiality of its members and satisfying their expectations, offered to organize lunch on a yacht docked in the bay of Cannes. It was a significant occasion that required discretion, excellence, and exclusivity.

MEETING A STAR

One of the most extravagant requests made by Pure Entertainment Group involved organizing a wedding anniversary dinner in the Maldives, on a private yacht for the client and his wife, with a top Michelin-starred chef who travelled from Europe to prepare a tailored menu. Throughout the evening, the couple were served personally by the chef. The evening ended in the best possible way, with extraordinary fireworks, exceptional authorization having been received beforehand from the Maldives’ authorities.

ROMANTIC DINNER IN THE MALDIVES

By Steve Woodwin • Photo : Andrey Kiselev

For many years, it was reserved for the “men holding the golden keys”, but today the role of luxury concierge, someone who is able to meet all of your needs, whatever they may be, is also held by specialized concierges. Ready to rise to the challenge and succeed at even the most impossible demands.

Concierge : in the service of luxury

CONCIERGE LUXE

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To celebrate forty years of marriage to his wife, an American client asked Black Door Experiences if its most famous star could come and sing for her. A request that would take eleven months to finalize, but yes, Jon Bon Jovi would finally appear to croon happy birthday to his wife.

A SONG-FILLED ANNIVERSARY

One of the requests that sealed John Paul’s reputation: find 30 penguins to bring a “Black & White” evening to life. 48 hours beforehand, a member contacted them to find a solution to this crazy idea. Several vivariums were then contacted, and a refrigerated floor was installed on-site. At 30°F, the sheer coldness meant that the animals were able to move among the guests, and it created a real “scare” for their concierges!

PENGUINS AMONG THE GUESTS

Among its clients, One Concierge has a number of ball sports fans, whether they be round or oval, the gods of the stadium and pitches. In this regard, the list of demands is long but their wishes are consistently fulfilled: meetings with past and present champions, a one-on-one match organized with a top retired Miami Heat champion or even a trip for three American celebrities and their family to the Formula 1 Grand Prix in Abu Dhabi, including the rental of a private jet, a luxury yacht, several nights in a hotel and transport wherever they wanted to go.

FOR THE SPORTS MAD

QUINTESSENTIALLY PARIS With more than 60 offices in capital cities on five continents, members of Quintessentially receive continuous assistance and support, wherever they are, with discretion, confidentiality, and operational efficiency. www.quintessentially.com

PURE ENTERTAINMENT GROUP MONTREAL Created in 2008, this company offers top of the line luxury concierge services to both individual affluent clients and companies. It creates customized travel packages for access to prestigious events, and organizes unique experiences all over the world. www.purentonline.com

Founded in 2012 by a Hollywood star’s assistant, Black Door Experiences is aimed at wealthy clients as well as reputable companies, offering tailormade experiences, such as access to major events all over the world. www.blackdoorexperiences.com

BLACK DOOR EXPERIENCES NEW YORK

In 2016, its merger with Les Concierges made John Paul the number 1 in customer loyalty worldwide. The group employs more than 1000 employees in eleven offices distributed over five continents: The United States, Europe, Africa, Asia, and the Pacific. www.johnpaul.com

JOHN PAUL PARIS

Available in 115 countries, this luxury concierge service specializes in the art of living and helps its clients, both individuals and companies, to benefit from the expertise of its concierges, who are available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. www.oneconcierge.com

ONE CONCIERGE MIAMI

CIGAR PORTRAIT

Didier Lazare Benitah An aficionado in Miami An unusual figure in the fashion world, and an executive producer of photographic series and commercials for prestigious brands, Didier Lazare Benitah has used his connections among Florida’s Cuban community to create his own brand of cigars, which marry passion, elegance, and good living.

By Jean-Pascal Grosso

nado friends, who loved the quality of my cigars. It was sometimes difficult to say that they were produced by me and that I had a small team behind me that managed my tobacco bales and helped me get as close as possible to my idea of an ideal cigar. I was almost embarrassed, afraid of looking pretentious. Then I started thinking about developing a formula so that the taste was uniform across all of the cigars and I asked myself: why not start a business?

How did you become a cigar producer?

In the beginning, I got a taste for cigars through my increasing involvement in Florida’s Cuban community and then I met a tobacco owner with fields in Honduras and the Dominican Republic who also had a factory in Miami. He offered to let me store a very small quantity of my own tobacco and helped me create my own “blend”. So I started out privately. I offered my cigars around my professional network, and to friends, never thinking at this point of turning it into a business, or putting a solid structure around my passion.

What is the best drink to pair with your cigars?

You can pair Didier Cigars with one of my favorite cognacs, Hennessy Paradis Imperial, or even during dessert, with a white wine from southern Italy, from the Naples region, a Falanghina or a Greco di Tufo. Their fruity notes are fantastic

What made you decide to launch your venture?

It was simply the compliments I received from my aficio-

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What is the secret ingredient in Didier Cigars?

I can’t tell you, as you can well imagine. But they definitely have one of the best ligero in the world; the central leaf in the cigar where its flavor sits, which gives it its identity.

www.didiercigars.com

TO SUM UP… THE ISAAC COLLECTION An elegant 6” cigar, called a “Canon” for its size. Wrapper: Connecticut Shade. Binder: Dominican. Filler: Estelí Nicaragua. Strength: measured, creamy notes. Entirely hand-made.

Price: $85 for a box of five.

THE JOSEPH COLLECTION A divine 5” cigar that is close to a Rothschild in size. Wrapper: Connecticut Shade. Binder: Dominican. Filler: Estelí Nicaragua.

Strength: mild, creamy notes. Entirely hand-made. Price: $215 for a box of eight.

Smoking seriously harms you and others around you.

How did you get here?

I have lived in Miami for almost 20 years now, and have soaked up the Latin culture, especially the Cuban culture.

I am originally from Saint-Germain-en-Laye in France, where I spent a large part of my childhood. My professional career is totally at odds with the world of cigars and its networks. I come from the fashion world, modeling in particular. At the beginning of the 90s, I founded the communications agency Season Productions with my brother, which over the years became a world leader in creating and managing communication tools for modeling agencies. We persevered and have now worked with famous agencies such as Elite, Ford, Next, Metropolitan, and City Models to name but a few.

L’abus d’alcool est dangereux pour la santé. À consommer avec modération.

...au coeur du village

Propriétés de Famille

Château LA COUSPAUDE Château JEAN DE GUÉ│ Domaine DE MUSSET│ Château MESSILE-AUBERT│ Domaine DU ROUDIER Château SAINT HUBERT│ Château LAGRAVE-AUBERT│ Château LABESSE│ FLEUR ST-ANTOINE│ Château SAINT-ANTOINE

CIGAR TASTING

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alliances Churchill Would Be Proud Of The name of the illustrious British politician Winston Churchill has been branded on a cigar, so to rush smoking one of these cigars would be an abomination... This cigar is of a respectable length and is the ideal companion for the more exquisite liquids. We couldn’t let this pairing game pass us by - which we think would have pleased the “Old Lion”.

By Jean-Pascal Grosso

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MONTECRISTO CHURCHILLS AÑEJADOS CUBA • Dimension: 7” x 0.73” • Wrapper: Cuba • Binder: Cuba • Filler: Cuba • Price: $24

TASTING Aged between five and eight years under ideal conditions, this is one of the most remarkable Churchills. Silky wrapper and, on the nose, woody and floral aromas. It plays with smooth and sweet notes, balanced out by the distinctive spices of Montecristo.

DAVIDOFF WINSTON CHURCHILL DOMINICAN REPUBLIC • Dimension: 6.8” x 0.73” • Wrapper: Ecuador Rojiza • Binder: Mexican San Andres Negro • Filler: Piloto Mejorado Seco, Piloto Seco, Olor/ Piloto Seco (Dominican Republic).

• Price: $22

TASTING With a stylish band carrying the “Old Lion” profile, this Churchill displays an impeccable Ecuadorian wrapper. The rich flavors develop on lighting: hazelnut, licorice, cedar... A splendid cigar.

ROMEO Y JULIETA CUBA • Dimension: 7” x 0.73” • Wrapper: Cuba • Binder: Cuba • Filler: Cuba • Price: $17

TASTING A true institution with qualities that can still charm aficionados.

Beautiful light maduro wrapper and a tasting that plays out moderately along its entire length. Delicious notes of peat, wood, and coffee.

FLOR DE SELVA HONDURAS • Dimension: 7” x 0.76” • Wrapper: Connecticut Grown Honduras • Binder: Jamastran Valley Honduras • Filler: Jamastran Valley Honduras • Price: $10

TASTING For those who want a cigar that reflects power, this Flor de Selva will suit you perfectly. Beautiful construction and, on lighting, creamy notes where gingerbread, chocolate, and hazelnut can be easily distinguished.

CUMPAY NICARAGUA • Dimension: 7” x 0.75” • Wrapper: Jalapa and Ometepe Nicaragua • Binder: Jalapa and Ometepe Nicaragua • Filler: Jalapa and Ometepe Nicaragua • Price: $9

TASTING Born in the lands of Nicaragua, this Churchill seduces with its strength, rich spices and cedar flavors. For novices, an accessible cigar that is great value for money.

PAIRING Clash of the continents but full of flavor. The latest whisky from the venerable Yamazaki house, the Yamazaki Sherry Cask 2016, which is aged in old sherry barrels, releases rich and sugary grape aromas. An ideal alchemy.

Price: $325.

PAIRING In homage to the elegance of this cigar, an outstanding champagne from the cellars of the Gosset estate. The “minimum 15 years in a cellar” vintage is a seductive deep yellow gold, and offers the palate the gourmet pleasure of dried fruits and acacia honey. Perfect.

Price: $101.

PAIRING Created with a cider brandy base, the Gin from Christian Drouin has eight spices (lemon, rose, ginger, etc.) which provide a unique range of tastes. Forget the old English, either neat or on the rocks, this is a proud Churchill companion.

Price: $40.

PAIRING After Nicaragua, a little detour to Barbados, where the Kaniché Xo rum originates. Aged in bourbon barrels, then in Cognac barrels, it has a remarkable bouquet at the end: coconut, cocoa, and cane sugar. A lovely gustatory journey.

Price: $65.

Alcohol is dangerous to your health. Consume in moderation.. Smoking seriously harms you and others around you.

PAIRING For Sir Winston, we must find a sizable pairing: The Christian Drouin Calvados Pays d’Auge, distilled in 1970 and preserved to date in oak casks, then in port and sherry casks. An exultant nectar rich in pastry aromas.

Price: $365

D é c o u vrez la Sensation

des bul l es 30% plu s f i ne s

L’ABUS D’ALCOOL EST DANGEREUX POUR LA SANTÉ. À CONSOMMER AVEC MODÉRATION

DESIGN HUMIDOR

ULTIMATE LUXURY The Genevan house Imperiali, which is famous for its extravagant creations, unveils its latest masterpiece, the Emperador! Exquisite in its black casing enhanced with golden threads, this cigar chest preserves 24 luxury, high-end cigars. Its tourbillon (with mechanical needle!) is comprised of 323 parts that monitor the relative humidity, temperature of the chest, power reserve and stock of cigars... Swiss precision in all its splendor. This chest is one of a kind. Only 12 people a year are lucky enough to receive one, and the going rate is $1,036,200!

www.imperiali-geneve.com

Humidor The latest must-have masterpiece...

By Patricia Rey

HAND-CRAFTED Its innate sense of marquetry and design sets the Drevelle Workshop apart in the world of luxury goods. Encouraged by his success, Thierry Drevelle has launched his first signature collection. Each casket (there are five) tells a story. Kollur plays on the resin’s transparency to magnify the precious woods (this one is made from white ebony from Laos). For the devotees who worship precious objects, these custommade humidors are a must-have. They range from $1800 (this model) to $39,430.

www.drevelle.com

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INFINITE HAPPINESS Double happiness is a creation by Austrian designer Genco Berk. This round humidor, which is inspired by the Chinese symbol for infinity and lacquered the old-fashioned way, can hold up to 170 cigars on three levels. For those who want to smoke elsewhere, a removable case that can hold three cigars is concealed in the lid, which is engraved in bronze with happiness characters. Limited edition, only $28,160.

www.genco-berk-humidors.com

Alcohol is dangerous to your health. Consume in moderation.

Time is precious, just like a cigar... enjoying it is a sacred moment. To protect and preserve this precious treasure at a constant humidity of 70% and a temperature of 18°C, the biggest cigar houses, with their age-old know-how, create beautiful humidors. The perfect symbiosis between mechanics and technology, perfection and innovation.

Reflective of the famous «Luxe, Calme et Volupté».

WHEN YOU’RE TAKING OFF FOR THE WEEKEND...

To transport your rarest cigars, young brand T.T. Trunks came up with Havana, an ultra-luxurious cigar trunk that is entirely hand-made. The self-regulated humidor is made from Spanish cedar and holds up to 150 cigars. In an excellent but bold move, it has been clad in popular versions of the finest leather: pink python leather, apple green ostrich leather or even yellow crocodile leather... All of the stars are fighting over it!

This little passing fancy costs $6645. www.tttrunks.com

DE VISU-REIMS

L’ A B U S D ’ A L C O O L E S T D A N G E R E U X P O U R L A S A N T É . À C O N S O M M E R AV E C M O D É R AT I O N .

INTERVIEW YAN PEI-MING

Yan Pei-Ming [ An aficionado painter ]

The popularity of Yan Pei-Ming, who is considered to be one of the greatest contemporary artists in the world, is proportional to the size of his canvases: exponential. With a story that could be destiny, he has a prolific output and a sharp eye for the world around him. The artist, who is known throughout the four corners of the globe, creates using a continuous sense of urgency. Having said that, the man knows how to take time to enjoy a fine wine or a good cigar...

Alcohol is dangerous to your health. Consume in moderation.

Text: Rodolphe Gomis â&#x20AC;˘ Photos: Studio Harcourt Paris, Lin Kunzhi, AndrĂŠ Morin

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Alcohol is dangerous to your health. Consume in moderation.

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Alcohol is dangerous to your health. Consume in moderation.

BRUCE LEE - FIGHTING SPIRIT 2012, oil on canvas, 118” x 118”

YAN PEI-MING INTERVIEW

H

e loves to work on large, even immense, scales. Of his fruitful work, he is mostly known for his imposing bichromatic portraits: a gallery of famous peoples’ faces: a somewhat motley and at times controversial collection (Mao, Jean-Paul II, Obama, Bruce Lee, Prince Charles, An extensive exhibition of paintings Madoff, Buddha, etc.), as well as unby Yan Pei-Ming is at the Villa Medici named ones, portraits of his revered in Rome until June 19: “Yan Pei-Ming father, and self-portraits. His portraits are solidly painted Roma”. Several of his paintings are also on display at the Louis Vuitton and saturated with black, white, grey-blue and someFoundation (Paris) until August 29, times red. His sketches are expressive, and somewhat 2016. hesitant, which makes them seem alive. The scale of www.yanpeiming.com portrayal intentionally unsettles its interpretation. A sense of attraction is felt when you are near these works as well as a figurative representation, from a certain distance.

Yan Pei-Ming works in a hurry, using large brush strokes, in a frenzied and passionate tryst with the immense canvas. «When I paint, it is something uncontrollable. I started to paint this way, quickly, violently, intensely. Like an execution. I never fine tune things.»

«I paint on large canvases because when people look at my painting, I want them to feel like they are at the cinema, not in front of the television!»

Collectors compete over his works, which are internationally prized. Galleries demand them, as do museums and foundations.

“TREVI FOUNTAIN” 2015, oil on canvas, 118” x 79”

His circumstances did not predispose the young Ming to a brilliant future, or perhaps they did. Destinies are something exciting. They are unexpected, especially when they deviate an individual from their original trajectory. Unleashing destiny requires the circumstance of events or traumas. It also involves work, opportunity, and tenacity.

It is 1964 in Shanghai, China. Pei-Ming is born into an arranged marriage, into a working class family. Yan, his family name, means “severe”, his first name: Pei, “training”, and Ming, “light”.

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As a child, Pei-Ming has a stutter. The object of ridicule from those around him, he shows strong character and a fierce determination that pushes him forward.

To overcome this initial frustration at not being able to express himself, he throws himself into being, doing, showing, painting, living, something that would never leave him. The die was cast.

Painting becomes an offensive weapon and his best communication tool. «My handicap is what drove my success.» This Achilles heel was to become the fertilizer that nourished the emergence of a fertile talent.

“OBAMA” 2008, oil on canvas, 98” x 79”

“YOUNG EGON SCHIELE WITH PALETTE” 2016, oil on canvas, 51” x 39”

Before he was 20, he was a propaganda painter for Mao, for whom he made immense commissioned portraits. Later, promotion would shuffle the deck and the portraits of Mao would contribute to Yan Pei-Ming’s reputation.

He then arrived in Paris, and discovered the Louvre. Everything made sense. When he was nearly 30 years old, he became a

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I am first and foremost an optimist within the pessimism that works a bit like a basso continuo within me.

Yan Pei-Ming

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INTERVIEW YAN PEI-MING

resident at the Villa Medici. He was obsessed with death, survival, history, and current events. His talent and his obsessions would draw out his destiny. His first personal exhibition took place in 1989. Numerous others followed, almost one per year.

A noted participation in the Venice Biennale in 2003 saw him accepted on the international scene.

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In 2009, the Louvre welcomed him for an encounter with the Mona Lisa, “Les Funérailles de Mona Lisa”, which allowed him to explore his painting beyond the circles of art lovers.

A big cigar enthusiast, Yan Pei-Ming prefers the Havana.

They are the only ones he buys.

The artist works in an unusual, gigantic workshop, on the scale of his desire for expression. His works now cost several hundred thousand dollars. In its permanent collections, Beaubourg orchestrated a face-off between the portraits of Yan Pei-Ming and Andy Warhol. A few years later, the rating of the first caught up gradually to the second.

6 SPOTS TO HAVE BREAKFAST IN HONG KONG Hong Kong, where Pei-Ming Yan regularly stays, is the most foodoriented of the Asian cities. A true sanctuary for all foodies. The culinary scene offers a plethora of pleasing venues for both taste buds and spectacular views. The difficult part is choosing...

HING KEE

One of the best Cantonese restaurants in Hong Kong, it is sought-after by locals, visitors and stars alike for its fish and seafood specialties. A 2nd generation-run family business that always sets the bar high. Unmissable.

1st Floor, Bowa House, 180 Nathan Road, Tsim Sha Tsui, Hong-Kong

LITTLE BAO

Since 2012, the chef has blended Western and Asian culture, reinventing and mixing up the burger and the bao, a Chinese specialty. It pushes its ultra-tasty and trendy creativity without losing its DNA. The signature, original “fusion burgers” and “pork sandwiches” merit a detour.

66 Staunton St. Central, Hong Kong

YUNG KEE

Although I have a cellar filled with fine wines, I am not a collector. I prefer to drink wine with friends!

Yan Pei-Ming

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Doormen in uniform, receptionists with walkie talkies, and a personalized welcome. In short, the big game with high-powered flavors. Its roast goose is world famous. Some dishes have to be ordered in advance: tea-smoked pork belly, hairy crabs or little birds with rice. Unmissable.

32-40 Wellington street – Yung Kee building Central Hong Kong

BO INNOVATION

Ultra-modern and creative Chinese cuisine. The starred chef combines molecular gastronomy with traditional methods. The result is mind-blowing. A series of fifteen tasting plates. One of the most innovative venues. Chic, relaxed atmosphere.

60 Johnston Road, Wan Chai, Hong Kong

SPRING MOON

The Peninsula has forged a reputation as the ultimate gastronomy destination. Spring Moon offers authentic Cantonese cuisine. Among its famous specialties are its dim sum, seafood and the renowned XO sauce.

The Peninsula Hong-Kong.

Salisbury Rd, Hong Kong

SANG KEE

For 30 years, this restaurant has served top class cuisine that promotes traditional Cantonese methods.

Fish, seafood, and shellfish are always served as the catch of the day. It also has an excellent selection of meats.

1-2 F, Hip Sang Building, 107-115 Hennessy Roard, Wan Chai, Hong-Kong

Alcohol is dangerous to your health. Consume in moderation.

Although we tend to lock up the super talented and “geniuses” in an ivory tower, most of them keep their feet on the ground and don’t give up the earthly pleasures. Yan Pei-Ming is one of them. Although he recognizes that he has a pessimistic nature, he is fun-loving nonetheless.

He loves fine wine and good cigars. He prefers to drink red Burgundy wines only. Red Burgundy, the child of pinot noir. A wine that exudes fulfillment. It is rich in color. Purple at first then becoming ruby with age, then turns a dark purple. Something to inspire a painter. Red burgundy is a wine with a light and fluid structure. It is soft and round with a lively palate. A wine with flavors of red and black fruits and a palette of peppery notes.

A wine like him. «I have a cellar that contains only red Burgundies and fine wines from different areas. It’s a cellar that changes according to my findings, and any chance encounters. I do not have a preferred vintage. I also do not collect. I prefer to share wine with friends!»

www.lasuite-atelier.com

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santé.

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INTERVIEW YAN PEI-MING

XAVIER THUIZAT’S PAIRINGS WITH 4 YAN PEI-MING CANVASES Xavier Thuizat, head sommelier at The Peninsula Paris*****, flagship of the famous Hong Kong hotel group, lends his expertise to this pairing exercise. He shares with us the fine wines that he has paired with four Yan Pei-Ming canvases.

“INNOCENT X GRIS”

“INNOCENT X ROUGE”

2015, OIL ON CANVAS, 56” X 47”

2015, OIL ON CANVAS, 56” X 47”

SOMMELIER OF THE MOMENT

B This color palette makes me think of dust, of time passing by. To illustrate this canvas, I have chosen an old Burgundy pinot noir, which, in light of my original Burgundians, perfectly evokes the passing of time. More specifically, a 1961 Gevrey Chambertin, Petite Chapelle, Domaine Marchand. A noble wine that reflects the passage of time...

“INNOCENT X OUTREMER” 2015, OIL ON CANVAS, 56” X 47”

PAIRINGS On this canvas, the red for me evokes heat and sunshine. I have therefore picked a dense, deep, and warm wine from the Rhone Valley. More specifically, a 2011 Châteauneuf du Pape “Grenache de Pierre”, Domaine Giraud, that has remarkable depth and intensity. To me, its notes of black pepper and spices evoke heat.

And therefore the color red.

“INNOCENT X VERT” 2015, OIL ON CANVAS, 56” X 47”

Xavier Thuizat Head sommelier at The Peninsula Paris***** www.peninsula.com PAIRINGS

PAIRINGS

The blue in this canvas makes me think of water and cold.

I propose two options as pairings. The Junmai Daiginjo “Minowamon” sake, from the Daishichi House, produced during the cold of winter, where water is of fundamental importance to ensure its quality. Or perhaps an iodinated wine from the edge of the Atlantic to recall the freshness of seawater, such as a Muscadet amphibolite “Nature”, “Domaine Landron 2014”.

With its green colors, this work makes me think of the plant-like aspect of certain wines. And the sauvignon blanc, a grape variety from the Loire, is therefore appropriate to this pairing. I would choose the Sancerre “Florès” 2014, Domaine Vincent Pinard: an example of purity and finesse. The aromas of honeysuckle, blossoms, and fresh green grass in this wine create a clear link with the canvas.

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Alcohol is dangerous to your health. Consume in moderation.

PAIRINGS

arely thirty years old and an impressive track record. Propelled by an indisputable talent, Xavier Thuizat is the head sommelier at The Peninsula luxury hotel in Paris. When he arrived two years ago, carte blanche was given to him to build a sumptuous cellar within 3 months, which today has more than 14,000 bottles of 650 different wines. As a child, he dreamed of becoming a journalist but when he went with his parents to the Bourgogne at 17, another passion bubbled to the surface.

An oenologist took him under his wing and helped him discover the richness of the region. An internship in the Napa Valley, California opened his horizons and honed his passion. Fresh out of high school (lycée de l’Hermitage), he received the Best Young Sommelier in France prize.

The doors opened: Bernard Loiseau***, Yannick Alleno*** au Meurice, Pierre Gagnaire*** and The Peninsula Paris. His goal: to make wine accessible by offering a reasonable pricing policy, promoting a new generation of wine producers and of course, to discover some very fine wines that are priceless treasures.

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KENZO

MARC LÉVY

PIERRE ARDITI

VINCENT LINDON

JACQUES SÉGUÉLA

KARL LAGERFELD

A. KAREMBEU

P. COUELHO

JEAN ALÉSI

RAPHAËL NADAL

JEAN RENO

C. LAMBERT

PhilippeSTARCK Starck PHILIPPE Designer Designer

KEANU REEVES

OLIVIER DASSAULT

CAROLE BOUQUET

Publicitaire

Coureur automobile

Écrivain

Créateur de mode

Tennisman

Acteur

Artiste

Top model

Acteur

Homme d’affaires

Acteur

Écrivain

Acteur

Actrice

MAIS AUSSI CHRISTOPHE HONDELATTE | Journaliste • JACQUES VERGÈS | Avocat • DAVID DOUILLET | Judoka ALAIN AFFLELOU | Homme d’affaires • PHILIPPE BOUVARD | Humoriste • IGOR & GRICHKA BOGDANOV | Scientifiques PATRICK BRUEL | Artiste • HENRI SALVADOR | Artiste • MONSEIGNEUR DI FALCO | Évêque • CHRISTIAN CLAVIER | Acteur HENRI LECONTE | Tennisman • LUC FERRY | Philosophe • ANTHONY DELON | Acteur • ALAIN JUPPÉ | Politicien MICHOU | Artiste • MARCEL CERDAN | Boxeur • BERNARD MONTIEL | Présentateur • JEAN-CLAUDE BRIALY | Acteur JACQUES WEBER | Metteur en scène • FRÉDÉRIC MITTERRAND | Politicien • JEAN-JACQUES BEINEX | Réalisateur JOSÉ GARCIA | Acteur • DAVID PUJADAS | Journaliste • ROBERT HOSSEIN | Metteur en scène • STÉPHANE BERN | Journaliste BIXENTE LIZARAZU | Footballeur • CHARLELIE COUTURE | Musicien • PHILIPPE GILDAS | Présentateur

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Créateur de mode

VIGNOBLESPERSE.COM

L’ABUS D’ALCOOL EST DANGEREUX POUR LA SANTÉ. À CONSOMMER AVEC MODÉRATION.

EXPERIENCE

Escapade to Laverstoke [ Bombay Sapphire ]

The secrets of a recipe combined with design genius have propelled Bombay Sapphire gin to all the world’s greatest bars.

The famous blue cubic bottle contains plant infusions and also the scent of the great colonial history of the British Empire. The distillery at Laverstoke Mill near London has opened its doors to treat its fans to a totally immersive experience. Discover....

Peter, a business lawyer in a major London firm advises clients on the main areas of business and taxation in British law. Far from the bustle of Oxford Street, he treats himself to an escapade behind the wheel of his McLaren 570GT. He’s Hampshire-bound, more specifically to Laverstoke Mill, in order to visit the Bombay Sapphire distillery.

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Text: Jean-Charles Chapuzet. Photos: Leif Carlsson. Styling: Ysabelle Annet.

Hair & Make-up: Ludovic Bourret. Model: Peter – Agence Karin Models

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Alcohol is dangerous to your health. Consume in moderation.

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Alcohol is dangerous to your health. Consume in moderation.

Alcohol is dangerous to your health. Consume in moderation.

EXPERIENCE

ESCAPADE

ABOARD THE MCLAREN 570GT Presented recently at the “Geneva Motor Show” the McLaren 570GT joins the Coupé 570S and 540C Coupé as the third model of the “Sports Series” family.

Its sleek, revisited lines give the 570GT a stylish, refined silhouette. This model, which is certainly the most practical launched by McClaren Automotive, preserves the levels of demand of “supercars”. It whisks the happy few off on hedonistic long weekend getaways.

With 50 years’ experience in Formula 1 and over 20 years’ heritage in manufacturing sports cars, McLaren has made with the 570GT a car designed for the track and developed for the road...

Refinement and user-friendliness are improved thanks to cutting-edge tire technology developed by Pirellio which allows road vibrations to be absorbed and reduces noise in the cabin by up to three decibels. Like all models of the Sports series, the 570GT is fully equipped with the latest technology and high quality equipment.

As for performance, the 570GT needs just 3.4 seconds to reach 100 km/h (62 mph) and the maximum speed is 328 km/h (204 mph). Its sale price in the United Kingdom is £154,000 and the first deliveries will start in late 2016.

Alcohol is dangerous to your health. Consume in moderation.

www.cars.mclaren.com

Having parked his McLaren 570 GT in Bombay Sapphire’s inner courtyard, Peter discovers the titanic task carried out by designer Thomas Heatherwick to transform this former bank notes factory into a high-end distillery S MALTO blue suit with striped print, $2316.

SMALTO poplin shirt, $565.

TUMI 72-hour bag, $495.

RAUTUREAU marine derbies, $354.

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EXPERIENCE

White flannel bermudas with a khaki pith helmet, the mane of Lawrence of Arabia on the bottle of Bombay Original, taking pride of place on the counters.

L

egend has it that the gin and tonic was designed for English colonists in order to repel mosquitoes and protect them against malaria.

One thing is sure, before gin became the trendy new spirit for the past decade, this alcohol refers to certain idealized images touting the imperialism of the Victorian era, the white flannel bermudas with a khaki pith helmet, the mane of Lawrence of Arabia on the bottle of Bombay Original, taking pride of place on the counters.

This gin dates back to the 1760s when a distiller from northern England, Thomas Dakin, created it using local cereals. Over the following decades, the recipe was revisited with the particular contribution of Mary, Thomas Dakin’s daughter-in-law, who created steamed herbal infusions. The magic was now at work.

While the British crown separated from India at the end of the Second World War, a certain New York lawyer, Allan Subin, further improved this gin that he aimed at the North American cocktail world in the spirit of The Great Gatsby. The wheat was supplemented by molasses and the bottle became cubic till kingdom come, adorned with the portrait of Queen Victoria. Its name? Bombay Original, as if to epitomize its undiluted British old school history. New herbs are invited to the party, but the same recipe is passed on from distiller to distiller. In any case, this white alcohol was a big hit on the other side of the Atlantic, and was often mixed with Martini.

1920s. The Bombay Sapphire was born! A star was born so much so that this simple blue bottle always seemed to have existed in the bartender’s imagination.

The effigy of Queen Victoria made the subliminal link...

The various stages which have shaped the soul of this gin are found on the walls of the Laverstoke Mill site, a site entirely renovated in 2011 and located a few miles from south-west London. The Bacardi group, the owner of Bombay Sapphire since 1997, chose the legendary location of Laverstoke Mill, already steeped in history, where William the Conqueror launched his famous Domesday Book, in short the inventory of all his possessions.

Today, the gin distillery is open to visitors...The installations are in a series of galleries, a museum traces the history in depth, a bar shows off the genius of the mixologists and finally the Botanical Dry Room offers visitors the opportunity to understand more about the mysterious Bombay Sapphire recipe. Horticulturist Chris Cotterell and the Master of Botanicals Ivano Tonutti share the steam infusion distillation process for an anthology of scents: coriander, Spanish almonds, lemon peel, iris, licorice, angelica of Saxony, Java cubeb berries, African grains of paradise, Indochina cassis ... A non-exhaustive list which invites you to embark upon an extraordinary olfactory journey ...

The last impetus came in the 1980s, orchestrated by Michel Roux and The Bombay Spirits Company. This importer refined the recipe and changed the bottle to a blue glass evoking a 182-carat sapphire that the Hollywood star Douglas Fairbanks gave to his wife in the

SA mergers and acquisitions specialist, Peter has participated in many financial transactions and has advised many clients. A world away from his own, he discovers that of head barman Sam Carter, the Bombay Sapphire ambassador.

DE FURSAC linen jacket, $542.

DE FURSAC pouch, $61.

MARCH LA.B, “AM2-automatic, black new”, $1213.

RENHSEN “chino” pants, $267.

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Alcohol is dangerous to your health. Consume in moderation.

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Alcohol is dangerous to your health. Consume in moderation.

Alcohol is dangerous to your health. Consume in moderation.

EXPERIENCE

INTERVIEW WITH

SAM CARTER From Australia to Wales, via the Alps, Sam Carter has become an unparalleled mixologist and is now at Laverstoke Mill. He is putting his talent to work for Bombay Sapphire gin, of which he has become the ambassador around the world.

Everything seems to have been designed at Laverstoke Mill for total immersion. Is that right?

Our team has worked hard for 5 years to design the Laverstoke site. We didn’t want to create a generic “Visitors’ Centre”; we wanted to immerse our guests in a multi-sensory experience which they would always remember. For me, the highlights of the visit are the aromatic experience at the Botanical Dry Room, the interactive Cocktail Masterclass in the Gallery and the Empire Room.

We have the feeling that Bombay Sapphire has not revealed all of its secrets....

That’s true. It seems as if we are keeping secrets but in reality we are very open because we are showing how our gin is made. We let people smell the infusions and we even detail the origins of the plants that go into our bottle! Bombay Sapphire reveals its secrets to those who explore our beautiful distillery. We give our unique process in detail, what no other gin house has done before.

Where do you get your creative spirit for cocktails?

In short, and as gin is all the rage, my brain never switches off! Even when I’m sleeping, I dream and invent cocktail ideas! Even if I’m on holiday or it’s my day off, I dream of blends when gardening, driving my daughter to school... My daily life is a “gin-inspiration”.

Alcohol is dangerous to your health. Consume in moderation.

www.bombaysapphire.com www.distillery.bombaysapphire.com

Less than one hour from London, Peter discovers a modern educational tour and an impressive collection of forty buildings. They feature refined examples of Victorian and Edwardian architectural styles.

E FURSAC honeycomb suit, $757.

D DE FURSAC pouch, $60.

DE FURSAC white shirt, $150.

PAUL SMITH rainbow sneakers $473.

PAUL SMITH tricolor leather bag $1447.

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EXPERIENCE

Over the centuries, the old mill at Laverstoke Mill quickly gained momentum with the growth of the British Empire. This included manufacturing bank notes for the new lands acquired by England, including India... This heritage thus connects the history of England, India and the 1761 recipes based on Bombay Sapphire.

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SMALTO jacket, $1360. SMALTO waistcoat, $956. CINABRE tie, $150.

ZEGNA briefcase, $2782. PAUL SMITH Polished cap toe derbies, $415.

MARCH LA.B “AM3-chronograph, electric vader” watch, $862. MONTBLANC Roller Ball Pen, $429.

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Immersion in the Botanical Dry Room.

Did you know that the Bombay Sapphire recipe contains 10 spices from all over the world? Chinese licorice, Italian juniper berries, Spanish lemon peel, Moroccan coriander seeds, Indochinese cassia bark, West African paradise seeds, Italian orris roots, Javan Cubeb berries, Spanish almonds and Saxony angelica root (Germany). Today, every drop of Bombay Sapphire is produced at the Laverstoke distillery.

LANVIN wool and flecked, unbleached linen jacket, $1888.

LANVIN trousers, $774.

PAUL SMITH poplin shirt, $206.

LANVIN silk scarf, $278.

PAUL SMITH tortoiseshell sunglasses, $290.

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Alcohol is dangerous to your health. Consume in moderation.

EXPERIENCE

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EXPERIENCE

My daily life IN 5 FIGURES

35 MILLION

The number of liters of Bombay Sapphire products made in Laverstoke Mill, and there alone, each year.

MELODY YOUNG

138,000 DOLLARS

BARTENDER

The price of the limited edition bottle designed

by Egyptian designer Karim Rashid, amounts to 138,000 dollars, or 100,000 pounds sterling; there are just 5 copies of it in the world.

Lou Reed would sing Melody says…Especially because the bartender was spotted not for her professional experience but for her charm, her personality.

10 DISTILLERS

“I had never worked in a bar before, but as soon as I heard about the opening of the Bombay Sapphire distillery, I applied. I desperately wanted to become a bartender!

Everyone knows the iconic blue bottle and the idea of making cocktails in the place seemed incredible”, says this hugely creative young lady. It is also, we must admit, a policy of the house for Sam Carter to recruit a profile before recruiting a CV.

Just 10 distillers are authorized to produce the eau-de-vie used to make Bombay Sapphire.

8 HOURS AND 20 MINUTES

This is the time needed to make a quality gin.

“Great things require patience”, we are told on the Laverstoke Mill website.

Then, the team dedicates all of its time to training the new bartender. The main thing is to be “amiable, open and friendly. That cannot be learned...” he says. So, Melody became a talented bartender and today runs the masterclasses.

86.29%

The Bombay Sapphire comes out of the still with over 85% alcohol, but then it is reduced to 40% with the addition of neutral water before it is bottled.

LOOK ONLINE

MEDITERRANEAN MELODY

THE IMAGE

Almost a million views on YouTube of the video “Bombay Sapphire’s search for beautiful botanicals from the ends of the earth”. The famous blue bottle through this video takes us to an Indian ambiance full of wide spaces and exotic aromas.

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he ideal of this cocktail is to enhance the Bombay Sapphire using three typically Mediterranean expressions based around lime, lemon peel and cassia bark to give an explosive yet long-lasting sensation. Its creation remains simple. You need 5 cl. of Bombay Sapphire with 10 cl. of Fever Tree lemonade. The garnish consists of an entire peeled lemon, a squeezed lime wedge and some cassia bark or cinnamon mixed with sugar powder. You are recommended to present it in a Burgundy balloon wine glass with good quality ice cubes. “This cocktail shows another dimension of the complexity of the Bombay Sapphire, explains Sam. There are so many flavors inside the citrus peels. To get the best of the flavor, use a serrated knife to peel the fruit peel and squeeze the colored side of the peel and not the bitter white side.”

In 2015, for the 6th annual meeting of Bombay Sapphire artisans, many personalities went to Miami....

Alcohol is dangerous to your health. Consume in moderation.

Created by Sam Carter in February 2013, the cocktail “Mediterranean Melody” is an ode to coolness, a take on the famous Gin and Tonic.

is a “gin-inspiration”.

Sam Carter - Head Barman, Bombay Sapphire Ambassador

IN 5 DATES

1761

It was in 1761 during the reign of James II of England that Thomas Dakin invented the first version of Warrington Dry Gin that would go on to inspire a host of other gins.

PETER LEWIS BARTENDER

1959

The current Bombay Sapphire teams still keep in mind the 1959 vintage which saw the creation of Bombay Dry Gin, and is very close to what this gin is today.

He’s the lieutenant, the man of trust, the righthand man of Sam Carter. Peter is one of the best-qualified barmen at the Bombay Sapphire distillery. He frequently welcomes groups of bartenders from around the world.

1986

“I used to work in pubs before, that gets you up to scratch. My first real experience of making cocktails was at Bombay Sapphire and it’s become my absolute passion. I have realized my dream of becoming its brand ambassador and to travel the world, creating cocktails and demystifying the secrets of Bombay Sapphire...

I share this passion now with other bartenders.

I like to experiment, learn and even unlearn!

Finally, I work a lot with Sam to create new cocktails and I often take part in competitions to improve my skills and meet others who share the same ideas and madness as me”, explains Peter, the “Bombay Sapphire Doctor”.

Two new plants were added to the botanical recipe of Bombay Sapphire: the Ghana grains of paradise and the Java cubeb berries.

1987

We had the impression that the Bombay Sapphire bottle had always been blue, but in fact it dates back to 1987. The portrait of Queen Victoria is there to stay...

2015

It was in 2015 that Sam Carter and the Botanics Master Ivano Tonutti launched the avant-garde expression of a new gin that would experience great success.

L’IMAGE

POSITIVE LIBATIONS

LOOK ONLINE

“Positive Libations” were also dreamed up by the inimitable Sam Carter in February 2016. When Bombay Sapphire meets Martini…

T

Behind the doors of the historic distillery, Laverstoke Mill in rural Hampshire, Bombay Sapphire invites you to uncover the secrets of the world-famous gin.

he time estimated to make this cocktail is 40 seconds....Cut then squeeze the two halves of the lemon in a jam jar. Add 5 cl of Bombay Sapphire and 1.5 cl. of Martini Rosato Vermouth. And add a spoonful of strawberry jam. Fill the jar with ice cubes, secure the lid and shake for 10 seconds. Open and add 5 cl. Martini Prosecco and mix gently. Finally, garnish the jar with two short straws, a sprig of mint, a strawberry cut in two and a dusting of icing sugar ... “This cocktail is a wonderful drink to play with, says Sam. As you can still add your own personal touch by changing the Vermouth or by using your favorite jam - wild strawberry, raspberry, blackberry, blueberry, black currant, etc.”. Each to their own libation!

“Welcome to the bombay Sapphire distillery” is a three-minute video revealing the history of the Laverstoke Mill site which was to be transformed to become the Bombay Sapphire mecca from 2012. Cranes, scaffolding and grey matter...

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MUST HAVE FOR HIM

FOR HIM

ELIXIR With over 90 % Haïti Vetiver and in a travel size, Vétiver Veritas is the ideal squirt of freshness.

Eau de parfum, James Heeley, $150 for 5 cl. www.jamesheeley.com

When packing our suitcases, we prioritize the essentials, we retain a nomadic spirit - first what is small and light - except for a few details....such as a cocktail set! Why not if the party keeps its promises!?

RACEY Beautifully arrogant, more powerful with 450 horsepower and simple to drive thanks to its ZF automatic transmission, this is the sports version of the GranCabrio.

GranCabrio Sport, Maserati, from $158 700. www.maserati.fr

By Laurence Gounel

A WINK A memo for lazy days or for a stylish fix, with a little retro touch.

“Don’t Drink and Ride” Flask, Men’s Society at Drugstore Publicis, $27. www.publicisdrugstore.com

BRITISH Smarter than a moleskin notebook: that of century-old stationer Smythson (one of the 8 companies to benefit from royal labels).

Sloane Stationnery, Smythson, $18. fr.smythson.com TIMELESS A jewel is like a guiding thread for elegance....even for espadrilles. Tradition Automatique Seconde Rétrograde 7097, Bréguet, $33, 800 in white gold. www.breguet.com/fr

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Alcohol is dangerous to your health.

Consume in moderation.

ART TOY There’s no argument surrounding its performance or its playfulness, with bluetooth and 4 hours of battery life: ideal for around the pool!

Enceinte X Boy, Lollil, $76. www.lollil.com

PALACE Definitely chic, this cocktail kit takes up no more space than a bottle and could be your party savior!

Cocktail Kit, Urban Bar at Drugstore Publicis, $44. www.publicisdrugstore.com

grand cru en héritage Château de Saint-Pey, 33 330 Saint Pey d’Armens France, +33 (0)5 57 47 15 25 www.chateau-saintpey.com L’abus d’aLcooL est dangereux pour La santé, à consommer avec modération

MUST HAVE FOR HER

ULTIMATE Measures results, LED display screen, analyzes performances....

LED connected chrome skipping rope Smart Rope at the Conran Shop, $110. www.conranshop.fr

FOR HER

INSPIRED The pleasure is in the giving with these famous black and white candles. They are beautiful and adapt to seasonal moods. Bougie Jonquille, 190 g, Diptyque, $51. www.diptyqueparis.fr

PLENITUDE 60% chardonnay, 40 % pinot noir, including 15% aged in wood. It’s the perfect match for the 2005 vintage.

Extra Brut Vintage, Jean-Noël Haton Estate, $83. www.champagne-haton.com

It’s time for luxury. And in anticipation of what we shall bestow, we are mixing up our pleasures, thinking of everything.

Champagne, chic totes, techno toys....We are making our list in a guilt-free fashion for good. This is called letting go!

CONCENTRATED With a new look exterior, a new names and 4 flat cylinders instead of the famous flat 6...

The new roadster is more powerful while consuming 13% less.

Boxter 718, Porsche, from $62, 215 www.porsche.com

By Laurence Gounel

PRETTY The latest compact toy from Olympus oozes style and features with 16 megapixels, 14 artistic filters and built-in wi-fi.

Pen Epl-7, Olympus, $610. www.olympus-europa.com

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Alcohol is dangerous to your health.

Consume in moderation.

LESS IS MORE The bags of the designer are models of elegance and understated glamor. This one, in Italian ecoleather is no exception. Le cabas d’Ariane, Céline Lefébure, $533. www.celinelefebure.com

GRAPHIC Its stick fonts are known by all hipsters who love minimalistic chic.

Sponge bath towel, Ron Dorff, $83. www.rondorff.com

Grands Vins de la Vallée du Rhône Maison fondée en 1835

L'ABUS D'ALCOOL EST DANGEREUX POUR LA SANTE, À CONSOMMER AVEC MODERATION

COLLECTOR BILL KOCH

Bill Koch [ A collector of fine wines in Palm Beach ]

With a fortune estimated by Forbes magazine at around 4.5 billion dollars, William I. Koch - better known as Bill Koch - is an American businessman. At a recent auction organized in New York by Sotheby’s, part of his collection was auctioned for almost 22.5 million dollars.

The largest auction ever carried out....2729 lots, over 20,000 bottles, 27 hours of auctions! We reveal to you the secrets of his Palm Beach villa in Florida and offer you a meeting with the distinguished collector...

A GREAT ART COLLECTOR A great wine lover William I. Koch is also a renowned American art collector. Various sculptures stand proudly in his Palm Beach Villa in Florida, including numerous works by artist Fernando Botero, renowned for his rounded, voluptuous figures.

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Alcohol is dangerous to your health. Consume in moderation.

Thanks go to Sotheby’s Wine, particularly to Serena Sutcliffe, Matthew Floris and Jamie Ritchie’s team in New York for making this happen. Report: Adrian Paul.

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COLLECTOR BILL KOCH

M

y fifty-year love affair with wine began - like almost all of life’s great adventures - by accident. I was a graduate student working on my doctoral dissertation in chemical engineering.

Back then, when not studying fluid dynamics and chemical reactions in the lab, I passed my time playing rugby, gulping beer, drinking wine in a box, and slugging rotgut with my teammates and opponents. A bout of overindulgence of eating oysters in the early 1960s knocked me into the school infirmary with a bad case of hepatitis. Neither my body nor my doctors could tolerate my imbibing hard alcohol.

with my twin brother and several friends and knew at the first taste that something was amiss. Shortly after that, I received strong indications that four bottles of wine with Thomas Jefferson’s initials on them that I purchased for $400,000 in the 1980s, were counterfeits, as I believed the ’21 Petrus was as well. All of them came from the same source.

I assembled a posse of experts and investigators, including former FBI, M16, Scotland Yard, CIA, and others agents, who interviewed the German craftsmen who used electric tools to engrave Jefferson’s initials on the bottles.

I assembled a posse of experts and investigators, including former FBI, M16, Scotland Yard, CIA, and others agents...

Bill Koch

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AN EXCEPTIONAL RESIDENCE Following in the footsteps of many other wealthy Americans who have villas there, William I. Koch likes to meet at his Palm Beach residence. And more specifically in his wine cellar which houses many treasures including superb bottles of Romanée Conti.

Alcohol is dangerous to your health. Consume in moderation.

Experts spent years examining my collection. As a result of their questions, I sent several hundred bottles back to France, where experts at some of the oldest châteaus – including Mr. After about five years, I discovered that wine had no deletede Villaine’s - examined them. Looking back on it now, we rious effect on my body. It also had the added benefit of serraised the standards in wine authentication. We found glue ving as a great social tool for a socially awkward engineering experts, printers (some of whose grandparents made many of student from Kansas. I remember a music critic once asked the original wine labels) chemists who Duke Ellington why he studied piano specialized in inks and paper, and as a young man. Debonair and wry as others who focused on bottles, corks ever, Duke paused for a moment and and capsules. We asked a small team replied that every time his left hand of nuclear physicists from Bordeaux moved down the keyboard, he always to examine the chemical composition found a beautiful woman waiting of some of these wines. there for him. It didn’t take long for I have wondered what deeply attracts me to realize that opening a special me to outstanding wine, gourmet bottle of Burgundy or Bordeaux was food, great art, music, and camathis engineering student’s equivalent raderie. Wine brings it all together. of playing Sophisticated Lady or Satin Winemaking is both farming and art.

Doll.

To me, in simple prairie philosophy, you can taste the love, passion, hard I started my adventure in drinking work, dedication, teamwork, and wine by trial and error. Over a 15-year pride that went into the making of a period, I began to refine my taste…

INTERVIEW WITH BILL KOCH great wine.

“My fifty-year love affair with wine”.

Joe Liebling, a New Yorker writer, once A wine writer I admired once said quipped “Burgundy is a lovely thing that every lot of wine, like every human being, has a life when you can get anybody to buy it for you.” But back when I span. After five decades of collecting, I now have more than stared to build this collection, it was still possible to find a nice 43,000 bottles. Simple math will tell you that it would take Echézeaux or Musigny without much sacrifice. Even the great me more than a century to drink them all, and being 75 now, houses of Bordeaux, like Pétrus, Mouton, Latour, Lafite and I’m not sure I’m up to the task. So I offer them to the world, Haut Brion, still remained in the grasp of graduate students knowing that their aromas, fragrances and sublime flavors will with a relatively modest allowance. Hard work, some busiprovide wonderful memories for their future owners. Though I ness success, and a good deal of luck helped this collection am selling 20,000 bottles, what I have left should be enough grow to its current size. for me to continue savoring the love that went into making a great wine...

The only bad experience I had in over five decades of drinking wine involved a 1921 Petrus magnum. I opened the bottle

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COLLECTOR BILL KOCH

AN UNBELIEVABLE COLLECTION Serena Sutcliffe, Master of Wine, Honorary Chairman, Sothebyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Wine

Alcohol is dangerous to your health. Consume in moderation.

Wine is not art, literature or music - its beauty is found in its tasting. Looking at this collection meticulously preserved by Bill Koch, it seems obvious that we need several lives to be able to get seriously stuck into the amount of bottles he keeps. At the auctions, wine lovers were able to purchase legendary wines from the past which have marked the history of oenology.

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Alcohol is dangerous to your health. Consume in moderation.

CHARM AND THE SWEETNESS OF LIVING “What I’ve assembled has been purely selfish, but I like to share it with people who appreciate and enjoy it. It’s like having a good wine with dinner: you want to share it with someone who really values the quality, taste, beauty and the love the vintner had for making the wine.”

William I. Koch

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COLLECTOR BILL KOCH

AN OPEN-AIR MUSEUM « I’m interested in how people can look at many different works of art – From modern art to antiquities, and from cowboys and indians to impressionists – and get their own sense of beauty from them, and have their own emotional reactions. » William I. Koch.

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AN AMAZING COLLECTION Serena Sutcliffe, Master of Wine, Honorary Chairman, Sotheby’s Wine

Alcohol is dangerous to your health. Consume in moderation.

Bill Koch’s perfectionism and flair are evident beyond his wine collection that I consider to be the pinnacle of excellence, and the most amazing private cellar that I’ve been lucky enough to witness in all of my international travels. Bill Koch’s success in the international business community has also given him the chance to collect many works of art, antiques and enough western memorabilia to create his own town, which is a living museum in the Colorado mountains.

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COLLECTOR BILL KOCH

Bill Koch’s perfectionism and ability to ‘go for the best’ are evident in more than his wine collecting. This Kansas native is perhaps best known as a sailor – the winner of the 1992 America’s Cup and four world championships, as well as having started and backed the first woman’s team to compete in the America’s Cup. He is in the America’s Cup Hall of Fame and Kansas Sports Hall of Fame. He earned three degrees, including a Doctorate of Science, from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology with academic honors, and has been awarded four Honorary Doctorate Degrees from other universities. He is a world class international businessman and a recognized philanthropist.

antiquities and enough western memorabilia to create his own town, which is a living museum in the mountains of Colorado.

Bill Koch’s appreciation of fine things has resulted in a breathtaking array of wines, stupendous in both depth and breadth, liquid witness to what human beings can achieve with the grape. In oenological terms, it is a Bible.

However, wine is not art, literature or music – its beauty is in its consumption. Looking at this fabulous, meticulously conserved collection, it is clear that one would have to live several lifetimes to make serious inroads into the quantity involved. Bill Koch has decided to part with an important part of his collection, while keeping a percentage of many wines that he particularly appreciates and wishes to serve to friends and family, as he is a generous and hospitable host.

I know he hopes that many around the world who share his love of wine will be able to enjoy this treasure trove of bottles, particularly as a good number of these wines are increasingly difficult to obtain.

INTERVIEW WITH SERENA SUTCLIFFE Master of Wine, Honorary Chairman, Sotheby’s Wine

He built Oxbow Carbon LLC, a private international energy company from the ground up, with annual revenues of $4 billion and a market leader. As founder and Chairman of the State of Kansas Crime Commission, he has received numerous accolades and awards for his work combatting juvenile crime in Kansas. He is the founder of Oxbridge Academy, a state-of-the-art private high school in the city of West Palm Beach, Florida, where he provides more than half of the students with financial aid. He has received a number of civic awards, including: Kansan of the Year; Good Guys Award from the National Women’s Political Caucus; and the 23rd Most Generous Individuals in America from the Chronicle of Philanthropy. He is also an Honorary Admiral in four navies: Kansas, Nebraska, Alabama, and Boy Scouts. He has been awarded six Medals of Honor including the Ellis Island Medal. Bill Koch’s success in the world of international commerce has also afforded him the opportunity to collect art,

A crucial element of this sale is the door it opens to wine lovers who were too young to buy ‘en primeur’, or futures, when some of the most formidable wines of the last decades were first offered. We are well aware of this opportunity that early wine buying can create, since we are at the moment in such a ‘futures phase’ for the 2015s. When I survey the wonderful array of landmark Bordeaux that are here offered, in quantity, I see it as a true feast. Fascinating, and longliving, vintages such as 1982, 1989, 1990 and 2000 are here in super-abundance – the Haut Brion 1989 alone could cause a feeding frenzy.

Then there are those wine lovers who have read about mythical wines of the past, but have been unable to find them and see for themselves what it is that drives this passion for riveting, mature bottles that have stamped their mark on vinous history. Many of them are the reason why I entered this profession/trade – somehow, we can never make up our mind which it is! Just looking at Mouton 1945, Margaux 1953, Latour 1945, Lafite 1949, Vieux Château Certan 1947 brings immediate memories of magic drinking experiences. The whole panoply of 1959s and 1961s is laid before you in a First Growth powerhouse of choice, while close perusal of the catalogue will reveal gems such as Palmer 1961, Cheval Blanc 1964 and Pétrus 1971 (for which I would probably kill if left to my own devices). There are also those wines for which one would give a lot to see again – Pétrus 1952, Latour 1929 (I may have married my husband for his stock of this miraculous wine!), La Mission ••• Haut Brion 1955 and Haut Brion 1955, a comparison of

Bill Koch’s appreciation of fine things has resulted in a breathtaking array of wines, stupendous in both depth and breadth, liquid witness to what human beings can achieve with the grape. In oenological terms, it is a Bible.

Serena Sutcliffe, Master of Wine, Honorary Chairman, Sotheby’s Wine

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Alcohol is dangerous to your health. Consume in moderation.

W

e live in an age of superlatives, burnishing our descriptions to fit some of the remarkable sights, sounds and tastes we are lucky enough to experience throughout our lives. So, it is in full recognition of the fact that there is a competitive world out there that I consider the wine collection of Bill Koch to be the pinnacle of excellence and the most outstanding private cellar we have seen on our international travels. This collection happens to belong to one individual who sought to own and enjoy the most extraordinary wines made in our time, or in the epoch of our parents and grandparents. The collection encompasses both the New and the Old Worlds, as the collector had the intellectual and vinous curiosity to wish to know and understand what great winemakers were achieving in both the ‘classic’ areas of wine production and in the emerging regions of countries where winemaking has a more recent history. The only criterion for a wine to enter this collection was quality.

#ExperienciaRiscal Wine, only appreciated in moderation.

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@marquesderiscal

marquesderiscaltv

COLLECTOR BILL KOCH

these giants of Pessac in a vintage that was highly successful for this appellation. And from what other collection could you compare Yquem 1929 with Climens 1929, this vintage of record-breaking sweetness.

•••

Traversing La Belle France, there is Burgundy of the first order, intoxicating even to ponder. Domaine de la Romanée-Conti takes pride of place and the span of vintages is very exciting, with outright landmarks from many decades and, even more rarely, in all the formats.

Personally, those utterly enticing 2002s would be an enormous temptation were I eligible to enter the fray. All the great domains are on display, but the range of Leroy Grands Crus is unequalled.

There is also a bonanza of Grand Cru white Burgundies – lovers of Le Montrachet and its satellites will have a field day in this sale, as will followers of DRC, Leflaive, Lafon et al.

Bill Koch is a great American patriot so that it is hardly surprising that the best of California winemaking is honoured in his collection.

Decades of development, myriad styles and legendary names are all represented in significant quantity and the possibility of great vertical and horizontal tastings is immense. In our own cellar, we have found that this top echelon of California wines has real ability to age with aplomb and this is where the theory can be put to the test, for both educational and hedonistic pleasure purposes. The justifiably lauded 1974s, for instance, give me the same frisson of anticipation

as great, mature vintages of Bordeaux while, for example, the 1994s have always held a very strong appeal.

The Australian wine component of this collection is unusual to see in America and it has been beautifully selected. There is a plethora of very fine Shiraz to be found here and I would be tempted to juxtapose some of these strong-charactered wines with the giants of the Rhône that shine forth from the cellar, with especially glittering Guigal Greats.

Italy is clearly a feature in Bill Koch’s wine life and the choice of producers from Tuscany and Piedmont is exemplary, often in years that are now rarely available – try asking in a restaurant for vintages from the decade of the 1990s and watch the strange look that comes over the face of the sommelier! The Spanish wines are equally impressive – a splash of Iberian genius to awaken our palates. And Vintage Port is magnificently present, headed by superlative Taylor and Graham 1945, both still a triumph of the genre.

Bill Koch deserves a toast to his discernment in amassing a wine collection of this stature. We are privileged to be able to bring these wines to the international audience that buys from our auctions in New York, knowing that this is a wine sale that will long remain a landmark in the history of wine auctions and, perhaps more important, a byword for excellence.

In my twenty-six years at Sotheby’s, we have had many great wine auctions, but nothing that rivals the scale and quality of this single-owner sale.

CHATEAU MOUTON ROTHSCHILD 1945

CHATEAU PETRUS 1982

Bordeaux, Pauillac, 1er Cru Classé

1 methuselah - 6 litres

Pomerol

10 bottles

Estimation: $40,000 / $60,000

6 magnums

Estimation: $80,000 / $120,000

Sold for $104,125

Estimation: $42,000 / $60,000

Sold for $343,000

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LA TACHE 1971 DOMAINE DE LA ROMANÉE-CONTI

Sold for $73,500

Alcohol is dangerous to your health. Consume in moderation.

Jamie Ritchie, Ceo Sotheby’s Wine

Lifestyle magazine OLD VINTAGES ADVENTURE AT RAPHAËL ISSAN STRUTS ITS STUFF TASTING THE SOMMELIER’S SECRET LA PART DES ANGES www.planet-vs.com

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DISCOVER THE TASTINGS OF THE WORLD’S BEST SOMMELIERS PHILIPPE FAURE-BRAC World’s Best Sommelier 1992

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ENRICO BERNARDO

World’s Best Sommelier 2004

SHINYA TASAKI

World’s Best Sommelier 1995

La magie Saint-Julien, l’élégance Barton

leoville-barton.com

COCKTAILS

Fashionable

Cocktails [ at Bristol ]

Bristol doesn’t just enjoy an exceptional location. It has also become the place to be among Parisian luxury hotels, as well as among Parisians themselves... It is the result of a bold vision for luxury hotels, with a “speakeasy” type bar, a bias towards contemporary art, and seamless service.

Manon ended up in Paris after doing a photo shoot in New York.

Nestled in the plush sofas, she sits in front of the 19th century Siena marble fireplace and two libraries.

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Alcohol is dangerous to your health. Consume in moderation.

Text: Laurence Gounel • Photos: Leif Carlsson • Hair & Make-up: Ludovic Bourret Model: Manon – Agence Karin Models With thanks to Maxime Hoerth, Céline Lavail and their team (Aude and Hayat).

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Alcohol is dangerous to your health. Consume in moderation.

Alcohol is dangerous to your health. Consume in moderation.

COCKTAILS

The bar has shaken up the codes, all the while preserving the things that contribute to the legitimacy of such an exceptional place. You are invited to talk rather than whisper, to share rather than blend into the artwork decor.

A BUBBLE IN A BOX There are places that “take hold” without us really knowing why. This is the case for the Bristol Bar, which on appearance resembles more of an English bar: chic, cozy, and aristocratic with its Versailles oak floor, century-old woodwork from Esher in Surrey, 19th century Siena marble fireplace, and two libraries, all courtesy of designer Pierre-Yves Rochon. Take a close look around - friendliness here is not feigned: plush couches that form small islands dotted around the bar, leopard prints, a screen behind the mirror to attract contemporary video artists, and twice a week, a different “electro-vintage set”. In four years, the bar has shaken up the codes, all the while preserving the things that contribute to the legitimacy of such an exceptional place. You are invited to talk rather than whisper, to share rather than blend into the artwork decor. The start of 2016 already promises to be festive with the return of “speakeasy” evenings, stirring up the winds of prohibition with the Soirées Parisiennes, which are rather feminine evenings punctuated by Dom Pérignon champagne bubbles. Every first Saturday of the month, DJ Charles Schilling will receive rock, electro-funk, soul, and disco lovers. What a program...

A LEGENDARY VENUE Thumbing its nose at the turgid traditions of luxury hotel bars comes pretty naturally to this family business, which has been up and running for almost a century and is still going strong. The latest stroke of genius? The monumental installation by French artist Daniel Buren in the gardens in spring 2016. A bold and sassy nod to the hotel that flies the flag for the values of the French art of living. With more than 600 people - housekeepers, chefs, florists - all experts in their field and people who have made this luxury hotel into a place that is frequently visited as much by politicians as artists and collectors ... exactly what makes this legendary luxury hotel stand apart from the others?

It’s the little extra soul and the ingenious ideas, such as Eric Fréchon, a three-star chef whose performance has been strong for 17 years. Or the legendary pool, which looks like an actual cruise liner has landed on the roof.

And of course, the shadows still hover of American actor Gregory Peck offering a “light” to Ava Gardner at the bar, Marilyn Monroe when she came to Paris to present her film Some Like It Hot, Orson Wells, Charlie Chaplin and now Robert de Niro, who cannot imagine “slumming it” elsewhere in Paris. Woody Allen even honored it by shooting several scenes for the film Midnight in Paris there.

In front of the bar, courtesy of designer Pierre-Yves Rochon, Manon samples a “Bella Luna” a mocktail made from 6 cl of orange juice, 6 cl of pineapple juice, 4 cl of raspberry juice, and 2 cl lime juice

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Alcohol is dangerous to your health. Consume in moderation.

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he Bristol bar is beautifully hidden behind the Palais de l’Elysée, and nevertheless remains one of the last Parisian bars where you can have fun... Bolder than a simple place for guests to chat at tea time, it only voluntarily opens its curtains at 5:30pm, bringing them down again at 2am. It pampers its guests and cultivates discretion. “I like the idea that this bar is a lot less slick than you would think. People from all generations and walks of life coexist here and (good) surprises are commonplace... It’s a question of alchemy,” says Maxime Hoerth, head bartender.

Manon in discussion with head bartender Maxime Hoerth, an inexhaustible source of information on the incredible history of this legendary bar. The shadows of Gregory Peck, Ava Gardner, Marilyn Monroe, and Orson Wells hover...

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Alcohol is dangerous to your health. Consume in moderation.

COCKTAILS

Lifestyle magazine ANDREA’S CLOVER CLUB BRISTOL SUMMER CUP JASMIN SIDE CAR PROVENÇAL DAIQUIRI RHUBARB FIZZ SCOTTISH JULEP... www.planet-vs.com

B A R T E N D E R ’ S

S E C R E T S

10 Fashionable Summer Cocktails

Alcohol is dangerous to your health. Consume in moderation.

Alcohol is dangerous to your health. Consume in moderation.

By Maxime HOERTH Head Bartender Le Bristol - Paris - France

PULL-OUT DETACHABLE BOOKLET

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Alcohol is dangerous to your health. Consume in moderation.

LIFESTYLE

Wine Break

[ Stopover at the Mandarin Oriental ] Jean, the young creator of a very soughtafter, high-tech Silicon Valley start-up makes a stopover in Paris at the Mandarin Oriental. He takes delivery of his new Porsche 718 Boxster S and transforms one of the suites in this luxury hotel into a forward operating base for his business, before preparing to ship his racing car to California.

Alcohol is dangerous to your health. Consume in moderation.

Text: Alain Aviotte. Photos: Gilles de Beauchêne.

Styling: Izabelle Annet assisted by Yvette Ebengue.

Hair & Make-up: Christelle Minbourg.

Model: Jean - Karin Models Agency.

THE EPITOME OF LUXURY “Coiled” on rue Saint-Honoré in Paris, and a step away from the Place Vendôme, the Mandarin Oriental enjoys a wonderfully chic location. Jean arrives at the wheel of his car, the new Boxster, heir of an era that began in 1957 with the legendary 718. Its 4-cylinder turbo engine today beats like the heart of this famed great champion. From $76,500.

E FURSAC woollen suit, $770 D DE FURSAC shirt, $205 PAUL SMITH derbies, $390 PAUL SMITH gloves, price upon request TUMI grain leather bag, $2220

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LIFESTYLE

ANECDOTES FROM THE CONCIERGE

ADRIAN MOORE Gastronome and hedonist, Adrian is Assistant Head Concierge at the Mandarin Oriental Paris and author of the book “Inside Chefs’ Fridges”, which reveals what lurks in the refrigerators of Europe’s top chefs. Among them, Thierry Marx, Hélène Darroze, and Magnus Nilsson. He recounts some of his memories of being a concierge.

A SUMPTUOUS DINNER “For one of our young affluent clients who wanted to impress his latest squeeze, we closed off the Château de Vaux le Vicomte in France and organized an intimate dinner! The couple arrived by helicopter and landed on the grounds of the château, then took a carriage that belonged to Napoleon III. They were welcomed by troubadours and the dinner was livened up with salsa dancers from Colombia.

Dessert was designed by Pierre Hermé himself!

The evening ended with notes from “Au Clair de la Lune”, all arranged by us”.

THE ROYALE MANDARIN SUITE Situated on the top floor of the hotel, the Royale Mandarin suite offers superb panoramic views over Paris. The decor in this 3767 ft² duplex suite boasts the opulence of the 1930s, with its elegant orange, white, beige, and prune palette.

From €20 000 (about $22,272).

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Alcohol is dangerous to your health. Consume in moderation.

A FERRARI AS A GIFT… “At the request of the wife of one of our clients, we organized an “anniversary date” for her husband, who loved Ferraris. So we closed off the Ferrari museum in Modena, Italy in record time, chartered a return flight, arranged a transfer by Ferrari from the airport to Modena, and reserved one of the best tables in the world for lunch at L’Osteria Francescana owned by chef Massimo Bottura. His wife was so happy, she bought a Ferrari for her husband as an anniversary present!”

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Alcohol is dangerous to your health. Consume in moderation.

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Alcohol is dangerous to your health. Consume in moderation.

LIFESTYLE

“TAILORED” CUISINE [ At Thierry Marx’s table ] When it comes to a haute couture lunch or dinner, find a place designed by Patrick Jouin and Sanjit Manku.

A protected atmosphere, supernatural lighting and intriguing wall drapery by artist Heidi Winge Strom.

ALEXIS MARTINEZ

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mong one of the most renowned chefs in France, Thierry Marx was trained in internationally famed restaurants, notably Ledoyen, Taillevent and Robuchon. Today he presides over “Sur Mesure”, a two-star Michelin restaurant and signature of the Mandarin Oriental Paris. His creative and innovative cuisine is inspired by his French roots as well as his adventures in Asia. He plays with refined and ultrafresh ingredients to create the trendsetting flavors and textures that made his reputation; a unique style that will not fail to charm your palate and give you a truly one of a kind gourmet experience.

To find out more: www.mandarinoriental.fr/paris

BEYOND THE WHITE… After a business lunch, Jean leaves “Sur Mesure”, a two-star Thierry Marx restaurant. He leaves behind him a cocoon where white reigns supreme, a blank canvas on which the menu remains to be imagined.

At the Mandarin Oriental bar, you can also order a snack that upholds the refinement of the place. Alexis Martinez’s creations swing between heavenly foods and divine nectars.

Intimately linking the bar world with the inventive cuisine of Thierry Marx.

The Bloody Mary cocktail, entirely deconstructed whilst staying within the lines, is a beautiful revelation, as is the “L’eau furieuse” shown above.

PAUL SMITH cashmere coat, $670 ZEGNA beige suit, price upon request RAUTUREAU calf leather derbies, $430 LANVIN silk scarf, price upon request PAUL SMITH leather laptop bag, price upon request.

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LIFESTYLE

AN EXCEPTIONAL SETTING In the extension to the beautifully landscaped garden, John waits for his business lawyer, with whom he has to define the main strands of a future acquisition. He will have lunch at Camélia, a setting bathed in light that highlights the natural stone floors and delicate details of the decor.

Before returning to the United States, he will meet up with friends tomorrow to give them an unforgettable experience at the “La Table du Jardin”.

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PAUL SMITH marl jacket, , $1100 ZEGNA pants, $890 PAUL SMITH shirt, $205 MONT BLANC “Chronométrie Héritage” watch, $2230 RAUTUREAU leather derbies, $430 PAUL SMITH glasses $290

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Alcohol is dangerous to your health. Consume in moderation.

LIFESTYLE

AN EXTRAORDINARY CELLAR The cellar at the Mandarin Oriental contains a number of treasures. David Biraud, head sommelier at Thierry Marx’s “Sur Mesure” restaurant and runner-up at the World’s Best Sommelier competition in Argentina last April, watches over it.

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BACCHANALIAN GETAWAY ABOUT DAVID BIRAUD Head sommelier at the Mandarin Oriental, in 2016 David Biraud earned the second place title in the world of sommellerie. Without getting into technical terms, instead choosing the right words to sensually awaken desires, he opens up to us about his cellar and what happens behind the scenes at tasting events

Alcohol is dangerous to your health. Consume in moderation.

How do you prepare for a world sommellerie championship?

Without a doubt, preparing for it takes a long time. I have taken part in a lot of competitions throughout my career. I obtained several titles in France and Europe, but this one is even more complex... The theoretical part is vast, because wine culture is globalized. And this culture is accessible to everyone since the Internet was developed. That is why we are now finding great sommeliers who are not from wineproducing countries. Blind tasting only takes place in the final stages. So the technical trials get harder!

Is there a kind of online “core curriculum” that helps you to get through each stage?

That’s correct. And although, in the past, the French sommelier had an edge, today it is much more complicated. The competition takes place every three years and since Olivier Poussier (who coached me in my preparation for the 2016 competition) took the title in 2000, the winners are less and less French. It is also a question of mentality. The need to relax, concentrate, and master your stress levels makes it a bit like the work of a top athlete.

What share of risks does blind tasting hold?

During the trials, there are not only wines to taste, but also liqueurs and spirits, which requires training. The tasting mechanism is the same for all wines, which enables a very detailed analysis of the styles of wines that can be found all over the world. For example, the Chenin grape variety is not expressed in the same way, it depends on where in the world it was planted. Being able to recognize the grape

DAVID BIRAUD Honored with second place at the world sommelier competition in 2016, David Biraud trained in cookery before discovering his passion for sommellerie and joining prestigious French institutions, such as triplestarred restaurants L’Arpège and Le Crillon.

He joined the Mandarin Oriental in March 2011 as head sommelier and head of Thierry Marx’s “Sur Mesure” gourmet restaurant.

variety and its different expressions enables you to place it on the world map.

Has this path influenced the makeup of the Mandarin Oriental cellar?

Of course. From among the well-known French varieties, we frequently offer three wines by the glass that are representative of these grapes. These wines are too often referred to as “copies” when they express original personalities, depending on where they were planted. The best known examples are the great Italian red wines Sassicaia and Ornellaia, which were not planted by chance, but were building on the Cabernet Sauvignon, the Bordeaux flagship grape variety. We could also mention some big names in America who have chosen this variety.

The creation of your cellar at the Mandarin Oriental is recent...

It is obvious that, faced with the rising prices of Bordeaux fine wines, creating a cellar full of old vintages made no sense.

Here I have the chance to write on a blank page and be able to put forward lands that I love, especially France, particularly vintages from Savoy, Rhone Valley, Loire, and Corsica, where aromatic expressions are based on ancestral varieties.

There is an element of gambling in the Mandarin Oriental’s cellar makeup, and after five years, we have upheld our bet rather well. We still have to wait a bit to fully create what I have in mind.

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TIME YACHTING

On-board

Watches

[ Navigate through time ] Whether racing, diving, or simply enjoying the ocean, marine watches know how to pander to yachts. They can adapt their functions, their sealing and their style to the widely diverse maritime world. So give in to your desires and let’s go…

NOT FAR FROM THE ATLANTIC OCEAN… Abbie and David are on board their sailboat not far from Baltimore on the East coast of the United States. They are preparing to navigate Chesapeake Bay, the biggest estuary in the United States of America.

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Alcohol is dangerous to your health. Consume in moderation.

Text: Adrian Paul • Photos: Andrejs Pidjass Models (New York Agency) : Abbie & David Watch Expert: David Chokron

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Alcohol is dangerous to your health. Consume in moderation.

TIME YACHTING

WEEKEND BREAK A corporate lawyer in Baltimore, David spends his weekends at his luxury property in Pikesville, Maryland, and he and Abbie explore the shores of the bay that covers almost 12,427 miles.

Eos needs no introduction. This three-masted Bermuda rig schooner pays homage to the Greek mythical god Eos...

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o are you hunting pirates? The term “yacht” was originally coined to describe a small sailboat used to hunt pirates… but what is a yacht? The term “yacht” comes from the Dutch “jacht”. The term was anglicized in the 17th century, when King Charles II returned from exile outside the Commonwealth with a passion for yachting. The term was then gradually associated with sail- and motor-run pleasure crafts.

BIGGER, BOLDER, PRICIER… Eos needs no introduction. This three-masted Bermuda rig schooner pays homage to the Greek mythical god Eos. Not only is this yacht the longest private sailboat in the world (305 feet), it is also the most expensive! With a value exceeding 123 million dollars, Eos is owned by billionaire Barry Diller, co-founder of Fox and husband of fashion designer Diane von Fürstenberg. According to Harper’s Bazaar the figure on the bow sculpted by French artist Anh Duong represents his wife…

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SET SAIL! Following the best maritime tradition, raise the anchor, hoist the sails and sail with the wind on a lovingly restored sailboat. Discover the pleasant atmosphere around the pontoons, the light breeze that rocks you during the night, and the sunsets and sunrises over the masts. Pack a book byErnest Hemingway, whose numerous works refer widely to cocktails, and who gave the name to the Hemingway Daïquiri, a variant of a Mojito. And don’t forget to bring the right timepiece…

H OR I M

RICHARD MILLE RM 60-01 REGATTA FLYBACK CHRONOGRAPH 50-mm titanium case, waterproof to 100 m. Self-winding, hours, minutes, seconds, yearly calendar with large date and month display, flyback chronograph, countdown, second time zone. . $173,970.

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LOUIS VUITTON Tambour Spin Time Regatta 45.5-mm titanium and rubber casing, waterproof to 100 m. Alligator leather and rubber strap. Self-winding, hours, minutes, chronograph, 5-minute countdown indicated by rotating cubes. $25,815

H OR I M

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CARTIER Calibre Diver Blue 42-mm steel or rose gold case, waterproof to 100 m.

Self-winding, hours, minutes, seconds, date. $11,055

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Alcohol is dangerous to your health. Consume in moderation.

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PANERAI PAM 526 Luminor 1950 Regatta 3 Days Chrono Flyback Automatic 47-mm titanium case, waterproof to 100 m. Selfwinding, hours, minutes, flyback chronograph, countdown. $18,740

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ROLEX Oyster Perpetual Yacht-Master 37 ref. 268 6555 37-mm rose gold case, waterproof to 100 m. Selfwinding, chronometer certified, hours, minutes, seconds, date. Oysterflex strap. $22,670

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IN A FAST-MOVING WORLD… Time is often too slow for those who are waiting, and it’s also too fast for those who are afraid. Sometimes it may seem long to those who are mourning, and it’s far too short for those who are celebrating. But to those who love each other, time does not exist.

BREITLING Superocean II 36 36-mm steel case, waterproof to 200 m. Self-winding, chronometer certified, hours, minutes, seconds, date. $3535

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Alcohol is dangerous to your health. Consume in moderation.

BLANCPAIN Bathyscaphe 38-mm steel case, waterproof to 300 m. Self-winding, hours, minutes, seconds, date. $9965

TUDOR Heritage Black Bay Bronze 43-mm bronze case, waterproof to 200 m. Aged leather and fabric straps. Self-winding, chronometer certified, hours, minutes, seconds. $4210

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ULYSSE NARDIN Marine Chronograph Annual Calendar 43-mm steel case, waterproof to 100 m. Self-winding, hours, minutes, seconds, chronograph, annual calendar with month and date. $13,355

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ROLEX Oyster Perpetual Yacht-Master 40 ref. 116 621 40-mm rose gold and steel case, waterproof to 100 m. Self-winding, chronometer certified, hours, minutes, seconds, date. $14,480

TASTING NOTES Whether diving or sunbathing, black set or brilliant white, the marine watch beckons the wrist. For the sea is vast and perfect for all kinds of activities: relaxing or playing sports, going at speed or diving down deeper. Watches are a stylish and practical object that can adapt to any situation, and to any type of dress code, on both women and men.

By David Chokron

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Despite everything, some features are essential. The straps are comfortable and are made of specially designed steel or rubber. The cases are hard-wearing, usually made from steel and often titanium. They are usually waterproof to at least 100 meters.

More than enough for you to enjoy pleasures of the sea. For the more regular divers, better seals are available, up to the 300 meters, which then moves into the certified diverâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s watch category.

As black dominates this small and practical world, contrast is needed. But white takes its place in the sun, as do the clean bronze fittings, which is a remarkable breakthrough in watchmaking. And of course, blue always has its place onboard a boat, whether itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s the motor or sail, or under the wide canvas of a parasol

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LOUIS VUITTON Tambour Lovely Cup Navy 28-mm steel case, waterproof to 100 m. Dial inset with 12 diamonds. Quartz movement, hours, minutes, seconds. Rubber strap with monogram design. $3200

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ORIS Aquis Date Diamonds 36-mm steel case inset with 118 diamonds, waterproof to 300 m.

Self-winding, hours, minutes, seconds, date $4321

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hey know the remaining time before the start of a race ... or before lunch. They can withstand the onslaught of the deep ... or the seashore. They can measure dive time using a rotating bezel ... or tanning time.

The more serious you are the more accessories it has; the world of marine watches is as vast as the sea.

Alcohol is dangerous to your health. Consume in moderation.

RUNNING THROUGH MORE THAN 150 RIVERS Abbie and David navigate the estuary catchment, which is closed to the north by Cape Charles. They explore Chesapeake Bay, which was once the cradle of slavery in the United States, as the layout was favorable for huge tobacco plantations.

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BOTTLES OF TEQUILA

TIME YACHTING

ABSOLUTE LUXE Owned by Mexican businessman Carlos Peralta, the Pegasus V is a 78-meter long yacht estimated to be worth 84 million dollars.

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ome parts of the hull can be opened up to provide deck terraces just above water level. The boat has a heliport (2 helicopters) that can be converted into a virtual golf course with a large screen, a Jacuzzi and a basin that, once filled, serves as a berth for a small boat or even a pool. On-board you will also find a cinema (13 seats), a fitness room and jet skis. The happy few can also enjoy a dance floor, 2 bars, a concert piano, and even a cellar holding 1000 bottles of tequila…

There are three types of tequila: • White tequila is used in common cocktails.

• Tequila Reposado is fermented in white oak casks for at least 150 days.

• Tequila Añejo is aged between 3 years and several decades in white oak casks.

DID YOU KNOW? Tequila is made from fermented agave juice. It starts with the selection of maguey plants aged between 8 and 10 years old. The leaves are removed and only the heart (piña) is kept, which is then cooked in a steamer for 24 hours.

The concentrated juice is then removed, and left to ferment for six days. The fermentation process transforms the sugar into alcohol, which is then distilled several times until it is pure, becoming the all-important tequila.

In a yacht wine cellar EXPLORE THE JOYS OF NAVIGATION

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With or without a skipper, pull away from the shore, cut through 20 knots of wind, haul in your sails, learn to read a map, plan your route around the winds ... Navigation will hold no secrets from you! However, the sea is an unpredictable creature and a friendly holiday on the water can turn into a nightmare. So we recommend you research the owner or rental agency beforehand. Here are some addresses around the world…

Our top picks to take on-board

FOR BRUNCH?

TAITTINGER BRUT PRESTIGE

a blend of chardonnay (40%) and pinot (60%) from 40 different vintages and several perfectly ripe harvests. Airy champagne that pairs beautifully with smoked salmon blinis.

Price: $35 www.taittinger.com

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FOR LUNCH?

CLOS DES LUNES, « LUNE D’OR » 2014

Rated 91 by Robert Parker, this Bordeaux wine is a crystalline yellow color and the nose is dominated by the aroma of white flowers. Perfect with grilled rascasse.

Price: $40 www.closdeslunes.com

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AND FOR DINNER?

CHÂTEAU CANTENAC BROWN 2010

Rated 15.5 by Jancis Robinson, this Margaux is the perfect partner for a romantic dinner. The tannins, acidity and alcohol form a perfect balance.

Price: $70 www.cantenacbrown.com

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MANHATTAN « FOREVER » What could better evoke images the East coast of the United States?

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he very first Manhattan was mixed in 1874 at New York’s Manhattan Club at a party thrown for the election of Governor William J. Tilden. A bartender invented the cocktail during the party and gave it the club’s name. Following the attack on the two World Trade Center towers on September 11, 2001, this cocktail saw a resurgence in a lot of New York bars as a way of paying homage to the victims.

INGRÉDIENTS

• 3 dashes of Suze Bitters Aromatic • 5 cl American whisky • 2.5 cl red vermouth

RECIPE

Fill the cocktail shaker with ice and the ingredients, then pour into a cold cocktail glass. Garnish with a cherry.

CANNES

www.atiyachts.com

MONACO

www.msc-yachting.com

MIAMI

www.miamiyachtcharters.net

SINGAPOUR

www.marinakeppelbay.com

DUBAI

www.xclusiveyachts.com

Alcohol is dangerous to your health. Consume in moderation.

STORMING TO GREAT HEIGHTS The Baltimore World Trade Center, the skyscraper where David’s offices are located, is now far away… Abbie and David enjoy a special moment, sailing with the wind on board their sailboat.

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FOR SEVERAL YEARS NOW, OUR MAGAZINE HAS HELD DECADENT LUNCHES IN PARIS AT THE MOST PRESTIGIOUS ESTABLISHMENTS, BRINGING TOGETHER AMBASSADORS FROM WATCH MANUFACTURERS.

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Alcohol is dangerous to your health. Consume in moderation.

d o m a i n e s - o t t . c o m

L ’ A B U S D ’ A L C O O L E S T D A N G E R E U X P O U R L A S A N T É , À C O N S O M M E R A V E C M 117 ODÉRATION

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Alcohol is dangerous to your health. Consume in moderation.

Alcohol is dangerous to your health. Consume in moderation.

ARTY

Behind the scenes [ Arts assembly ]

Because creating, season after season, special reserve wines and exceptional vintages is a matter of subtle art, the resonances between cellars and picture rails are quite obvious to Moët Hennessy. Painting, sculpture, design, gastronomy, architecture...

Its collection of houses is flavored with art throughout. Decryption...

Alcohol is dangerous to your health. Consume in moderation.

By Audrey Grosclaude

THE ART OF DOM PÉRIGNON Often referred to as a unique champagne house, Dom Pérignon has carved a specialty out of surprising, inviting prestigious artists to call it into question. Among them: Martin Szekely, Marc Newson and Jeff Koons. This is all down to the expertise of Richard Geoffroy, the house’s iconic chef de cave.

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Art is often distinguished at Moët Hennessy by its desire to build and to safeguard.

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xhibitions of reference (eleven Chinese artists, including Ai Weiwei, Zhang Xiaogang and Yan Pei-Ming, this summer), recitals, prestigious themed dinners...Since its opening in October 2014, the Louis Vuitton Foundation is undeniably one of the most popular cultural centers. And the most talked about. The building’s architecture alone speaks volumes, which is designed by Franck Ghery upon request of Bernard Arnault, CEO of LVMH, who never ceases to repeat how much the patronage for art and culture is at the heart of his business plan. “(…) An area of development (…) which bears our Houses’ values of expertise, excellence and creativity”. This bias is not just embodied by LVMH’s leather workers or jewelers; it spreads far and wide at “MH” or Moët Hennessy, its wines and spirits division, boasting 25 “maisons” scattered all around the world.

Dom Pérignon’s cellar master. A crafter of vintage wines, which only put up with couture tailoring, he has already called upon Jeff Koons and David Lynch before creating last year, with the El Bulli Foundation, a “lab” built for the dining experience.

GREAT BUILDERS Art, finally, is often distinguished at Moët Hennessy by its desire to build and to safeguard. Here, perhaps more than elsewhere, wineries, distilleries, abbeys and house cellars flirt with the sublime. How can one not marvel at the winery of Château Cheval Blanc created by Christian de Portzamparc or the spectacular chalk cellars of Moët

ALL ARTISTIC FORMS AND EXPRESSIONS On the whole, its brands have long-standing and very deep connections with art and have their own idea about design. A work based on precision, audacity and rarity which explores all avenues. Looking happily back to the commission of an advertising poster with Alfons Mucha in 1896, Ruinart has a real pioneering streak, sponsoring an emerging artist to reinterpret its heritage every year for the past 10 years. The only restriction: “That the work is tangible and long-lasting”, reports Jean-Christophe Laizeau, its Communications Director. It is indeed impossible to show a video for lack of adequate facilities.

A STORY OF LEGENDS In Cognac, it is the itinerant exhibition Next Stop Hennessy which has just regained its stronghold. Intended as a “bridge between the house’s values and contemporary design”, it will bring together Charles Sandison, Anton Corbijn and Xavier Veilhan all summer long. Another fascinating casting at Veuve Clicquot which has worked, among others, with the Campana brothers, Tayoi Kusama and Andrée Putman ; an artistic thirst which is not limited to the French borders. For Glenmorangie Pride 1978, the Scottish distillery has sought the services of Idris Khan, whereas the Polish vodka Belvedere has distilled a nightlifer, glamorous style by calling upon Terry Richardson, Jade Jagger, DJ Mark Ronson or graffiti artist André and, more recently, DJ Marc Carola, at the last Cannes Film Festival.

NOT TO MENTION CULINARY DESIGN...

A matter of taste and DNA, some houses choose to associate their labels with big name chefs. For the “Krug Month”, the champagne house is thus organizing culinary rendezvous at the addresses of “embassies” featuring tastings of ephemeral food pairings with vintage wines.

And how can we not cite the hardliner Richard Geoffroy,

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& Chandon? Or when faced with the amazing Frenchstyle gardens of Newton Vineyard in California or the chateau at the Yquem winery, listed as historical monuments? There are so many rare places that perpetuate the legend, opening their doors to curious peeks on their Journées particulières. Heritage tours to discover not only houses, but also an art of living and creating, French style.

AN ARTISTIC INTERPRETATION After touring over 34,000 miles, Next Stop Hennessy is back in Cognac: a creative journey of over 0.3 miles in which we can admire the works of Xavier Veilhan, Anton Corbijn and Charles Sandison.

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Š Hennessy

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Alcohol is dangerous to your health. Consume in moderation.

ARTY

DISCOVERY

RUINART, THROUGH THE EYES OF ERWIN OLAF Artist of the year for the champagne house, photographer Erwin Olaf goes back in time and through his own history.

Flash-back…

The Ruinart champagne house has a close, longstanding relationship with contemporary art. After “artistic reinterpretations” by Hubert le Gall, Maarten Baas and Giorgia Russel based on silverware, paper and glass, the brand has chosen artist Erwin Olaf this year.

From the outset, the photographer was impressed by the mystical depths of the area’s only chalk pits, included in France’s historical heritage: “I was totally fascinated the first time I went down (...) Both nature and humans had left their marks. In my job I photograph people (...) it was a big challenge to change”. Accompanied by around twenty models, the Dutchman soon focused his Hasselblad on the details - sometimes prehistoric - which reflect the passage of time.

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Freezing the footprint of man and his history, Erwin Olaf ended up delivering twenty shots in black and white, as a “return to the roots of the 80s,” he whispers. Snapshots of “still life but with a human approach” featuring a jumble of symbols, mineral materials and graffiti from the First World War. Exhibited during Journées particulières, in Brussels and Kyoto, the series will still accompany the champagne house in thirty international fairs.

THE RUINART CELLARS REVISITED For Erwin Olaf, the Ruinart house’s artist of the year, this series “illuminates the art found in the chalk pits”.

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ARTY

DESIGN

FERRUCIO LAVIANI SIGNS AND LETTERS Handwritten letters of Madame Clicquot to modern-day emails, the Italian designer has rewritten, in an object steeped in history, times gone by and their sequel...

“For somebody who works, the desk is the piece of furniture with which we have the most important relationship. Madame Clicquot took a great sense of pride in it. Maybe in the future we will no longer need it, it will not be as important (...) but at the time, it was essential and it was an object of great value”, said Ferrucio Laviani.

The designer, a trained architect, who flung himself into the playground of the “great Italians” in the mid-80s with the Memphis group, has long worked as artistic director to Kartell.

A figure in contemporary design, he presented “Correspondence Desk” dreamed up by Veuve Clicquot at Milan Design Week 2015, inspired by the many missives of Barbe Nicole ClicquotPonsardin to her representatives in Europe and Russia. To pay tribute to her, Ferruccio Laviani first of all commissioned a desk made out of mahogany, with bronze inlay and gilding, inspired by the Louis XV era, “the most representative of French magnificence” which he then pierced in two places, as if hit by a comet.

A TRIBUTE TO THE PAST A bridge between past and present: the desk designed by Ferrucio Laviani in tribute to Madame Clicquot.

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From his visit, he leaves a strong reference to the vintage of the same name: a spherical imprint, painted in the colors of the House - a perfect fit for a Murano glass champagne bucket. To accompany it, Laviani chose a leather armchair, enhanced with a gold leaf design partly devoured by a star. Astral and spectacular.

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Š Alexis Jacquin

Alcohol is dangerous to your health. Consume in moderation.

Alcohol is dangerous to your health. Consume in moderation.

ARTY

The highest expression IN 5 FIGURES

25

This is the number of gold medals gleaned by the Polish vodka “Belvedere”, literally meaning “Beautiful to see”. The term also refers to the presidential palace in Warsaw represented on a stylishly designed bottle crafted from frosted glass.

JEAN-CHRISTOPHE LAIZEAU RUINART COMMUNICATIONS DIRECTOR

India Madhavi, Hubert Le Gall, Erwin Olaf…

How do you select the artists to be invited each year by the house?

We prefer to be precursors, to go for young artists amid the excitement of their fame.

Once we have spotted them, we must make them come to us and it’s a very long process, sometimes it takes around a year.

7

The number of months required by the winery Bodega Numenthia, in Spain, to restore the church of Valdefinjas built by Rodrigo Gio de Hontañon, the architect of the Catholic kings. It houses a thirteenth century sacristy.

145,000

The number of visitors who amassed for LVMH’s Journées particulières to admire, among other things, the historic buildings of the Maison Krug, the Moët & Chandon cellars or the portrait of Madame Clicquot revisited by Yayoi Kusama at the Hôtel du Marc.

72,000

The number of bottles welcoming visitors to the Chandon Australia winery at “Riddling Hall”, a vast vaulted room built by the Allen Jack + Cottier architects firm in the style of Champagne’s limestone cellars.

LOOK ONLINE

In an article of 21 February taken from the Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeintung, the Courrier International became interested in the newly built cellars of architects in the Bordeaux region, such as that of Château Cheval Blanc.

Futuristic and all curves, it is signed by Christian de Portzamparc. www.courrierinternational.com

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A MALT BLEND! GLENMORANGIE & IDRIS KHAN To accompany the launch of its prestigious whiskey Pride 1978, Glenmorangie called upon one of the most gifted artists of his generation, Idris Khan.

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aloed in mystery, floaty, blurred and ghostly, the photographs of Brit Idris Khan, who has become a master of the art of superimposing snapshots, enable us to see and imagine another reality. More dreamlike but no less physical. In response to an invitation from the Glenmorangie distillery, the artist headed off into the famous Scottish highlands to find the “men of Tain” and their secrets. From this visit, Disappearing Casks was born, a unique work “representing the traces of the whiskey barrels”, of which he “extracted” 700 copies. These numbered and signed prints highlight the exceptional nature of the whiskey that they support: Pride 1978. A unique 34-year-old nectar, including 15 years of additional aging (an unprecedented period) in old Bordeaux barrels. A treasure available since 2014 in luxurious boxes designed by Laurence Brabant and Wouter Scheublin, responsible also for the decanter for Pride 1981.

Do they have carte blanche?

Each one brings a subject, a theme, a different point of view while remaining in their own worlds. Giorgia Russel is used to working on media unearthed in book stores. So we copied for her our very first accounts book. Conversely, some opt for radically different approaches, such as Hubert Le Gall - we expected him to work with bronze but he worked with glass, or Erwin Olaf who reconnected with black and white.

Does this perspective allow the house to “rediscover” itself?

You always learn something about yourself.

In the chalk pits, Olaf highlighted the details that we no longer see, fascinated by their immensity. When Gideon Rubin wanted to collect portraits from our archives, we rediscovered Voltaire there!

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8

The number of generations of the Hennessy family and the master blenders of the Filioux family working for the prestige of the famous cognac house. 8 is also the number of eaux-devie making up the exceptional “Hennessy 8”, together with a mouthblown Baccarat crystal decanter designed by artist and designer Arik Lévy.

of art...

IN 5 DATES

1573

This is the year of creation of Chinese distillery Wenjun. Founded, according to legend, by the young Zhuo Wenjun, forced to flee her family for love. She found refuge in Qionglai and launched herself successfully into making “Bai Jiu”, an eau-de-vie made from wheat, rice, glutinous rice, maize and sorghum.

RICHARD GEOFFROY DOM PERIGNON’S CHEF DE CAVE

Exclusively vintage champagne, produced only when the years are favorable (39 times since 1921 for the white), Dom Pérignon is essentially a unique house, where we talk of its true sense, of the art of blending. A legendary brand, it also bears the paternity of the champagne, but the atypical nature of its chef de cave, Richard Geoffroy, also grants it a totally special taste for contemporary design.

A few weeks later, in the spring of 2015, Dom Pérignon made official during a fabulous dinner performance the creation of a “Lab” with the chef Ferran Adria (El Bulli). A threeyear partnership between designers on an encyclopaedic discovery of gastronomy, so as to design it, serve it and of course to accompany it.

2011

© Alexis Jacquin

Having invited filmmaker David Lynch, the plastics star Jeff Koones and the pianist Lang Lang for a limited edition or a tribute, “Dom Pé” chose the designer Iris van Herpen to accompany the second metamorphosis of the 2004 vintage. Materializing the idea through which these immobile bottles undergo multiple transformations at their core, she worked on a green and gold cocoon case, both plant-inspired and futuristic: the concept of Metamorphosis.

2013

A change of tone, design, logo and signature for Mercier who called upon artist David Lanaspa to reinterpret the house’s image. A bias which would surely have pleased Eugène Mercier, one of the first to use advertising.

EXPLORATORY DESIGN PABLO REINOSO & VEUVE CLICQUOT An old friend of the Veuve Clicquot maison, the artist created for his refuge in Reims, the Hôtel du Marc, one of his iconic spaghetti benches.

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arefully restored, this nineteenth-century Reims building is rarely open to the public, with the exception of the Journées particulières, as it prefers to save the beauty of this venue invested heavily in art and design for its distinguished guests. Just like the imposing work Cadre de Vie proposed by Pablo Reinoso: “What makes it special is that it joins together the elements. We don’t really know where the story starts or ends. I like that it travels through space to colonize the window. We’re somewhat framed and unframed, controlled and uncontrolled.” A game of paradoxes which reflects not only the world of the vine and its nature tamed by man, but also the very identity of the Champagne house. “Both classic and irreverent, it is not afraid to push the boundaries, our minds go together well”, stresses the French-Argentinian designer.

From the art of innovating... Ardberg, recognized as one of the best single malts in the world, sent into space one of its samples, as a passenger on the European Space Station.

The aim of this orbit? To discover the impact of gravity on the whiskey ageing process.

1365

The year of the first mention of Clos des Lambrays, then called “Cloux des Lambrey” in the deeds of Citeaux Abbey in Burgundy. The oldest winery of the LVMH group is listed on the Ministry of Culture’s general heritage list and is surrounded by ancient trees in Park Joly.

1896

André Ruinart commissioned Alphonse Mucha to create an advertising poster. The start of a long love story between the house and the world of art...

LOOK ONLINE

On the brand’s official site “anecdot’yquem, number 9”, the Symphony, quotes the writer Frédéric Dard: “... after Mozart, the silence that follows is still Mozart. After a sip of Yquem, the moments that follow are stillYquem.” www.yquem.com

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ARTY

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Some of the great chefs who have agreed to participate in the game: 1

Arnaud Lallement (“L’assiette champenoise” near Reims, France)

2

Hiroyuki Kanda (“Kanda”, Tokyo, Japan)

3

Leonardo Vescera (“Ristorante Il Capriccio”, Gargano, Italy)

4

Umberto Bombana (“8 1/2 Otto e Mezzo Bombana”, Hong Kong)

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EGG-BASED...

Every year, for “Krug Month”, the champagne house selects an ingredient for a series of tasting events based on its “Grande Cuvée”.

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5 BACCHANALIAN ESCAPADES AROUND THE WORLD From distant Pacific shores to the Champagne countryside, stopping off at the Scottish Highlands and southwest France, five areas to savor on a longdistance trip.

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HENNESSY

GLENMORANGIE

CLOUDY BAY VINEYARDS

DOM PERIGNON

DOMAINE CHANDON

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LOCATION In Cognac, between Bordeaux, La Rochelle and Paris. On the new visit trail: coastal navigation on the Charente, ultra-contemporary scenography, copper stills tour and tasting. www.hennessy.com

In the countryside in northeast Scotland, not far from the town of Tain and the North Sea. Unmissable: Cadboll stone engraved by the Picts and the country’s tallest stills. www.glenmorangie.com

In New Zealand, in the Marlborough region. In the north of the south island, the winery takes its name from Cloudy Bay or Te Koko-o-Kupe in Maori. It is surrounded by the Pacific and the Richmond Range mountains.

Tasting is accompanied by oysters and cheese. www.cloudybay.co.nz

At l’Yeuse, 3 miles from central Cognac. This lovely nineteenthcentury building with swimming pool overlooks the Charente valley with its vineyards and villages. It features an admirable “respectful garden” geared towards seasonal cuisine.

Right there! A luxury seventeenthcentury country house, Glenmorangie House is caressed by the spray of Dornoch Firth, has its own vegetable garden and celebrates the art of afternoon tea.

At the Bay of Many Coves, resort and spa at Queen Charlotte Sound, about thirty kilometers north.

Features a marina and a little hamet of apartments with views of the dolphins.

In Epernay, along the famous avenue de Champagne where the largest French mansions take pride of place. Don’t miss the village of Hautvillers, the historic birthplace of the precious beverage developed by Dom Pérignon. www.domperignon.com

In Nappa Valley, California. The first vineyard in the United States established by a brand from Champagne, the winery has 400 hectares of vineyards and a main building made from wood, copper and stone, designed by the Roma architects. www.chandon.com

In one of the 20 rooms of the very elegant château du Domaine des Crayères, a haven of greenery and refinement à la française where you can savor the noble cuisine of twice-starred chef Philippe Mille.

In Yountville at the Bardessono Hotel. Expos, green initiatives, spa… This dog-friendly hotel strongly committed to environmental conservation brings luxury and luxuriant together.

By plane via Reims with Air France; by train from Reims or Paris.

By plane with Air France via San Francisco or Sacramento.

WHERE TO SLEEP

GETTING THERE By plane with Air France via Angoulême airport - Cognac or by train via Cognac station.

By plane with Air France (1 stop) or by train from Inverness.

By plane with Air France from Wellington and then by ferry.

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