ENDURING EFFERVESCENCE

By Roger Grody

No product conveys the very essence of luxury like Champagne, and its farreaching cultural adoptions range from Formula One to the World Series—and from James Bond to P. Diddy.

Champagne is a timeless metaphor for luxury, and connoisseurs have always had a fascination with the most iconic labels, from elegant Dom Pérignon to hard-partying Cristal. Nothing speaks to the gravity of an occasion like Champagne, and an exploration of the world’s most coveted bottles can be a worthy lifelong pursuit.

Sophie Gayot leads a team of food, travel, and lifestyle writers at GAYOT.com, originally launched by her father, prominent French publisher André Gayot, and her brother Alain. Offering insights on the glamorous sparkling beverage, she says, “Champagne only comes from France, which is considered the most luxurious country, reflected in fashion, art, and cuisine.” The journalist, whose website features extensive wine content, adds, “Champagne has a connotation of festivity and its bubbles bring something different to the table.”

Champagnehasa connotationoffestivity anditsbubblesbring somethingdifferentto the table.”

-SophieGayot

As a policy, Ms. Gayot generally does not divulge her favorite restaurants or brands, but her website cites specific vintages of Cuvée William from Deutz, Grand Cuvée from Krug, and Sir Winston Churchill from Pol Roger on a list of the finest prestige Champagnes. Gayot suggests that cost can sometimes be misleading, as consumers are willing to pay a premium for what they perceive as exclusivity or cachet. Personally, she enjoys Champagnes with smaller bubbles, and when pressed on what foods pair best with Champagne, Gayot concedes, “Almost everything goes with Champagne.”

For pure unadulterated extravagance, nothing rivals Goût de Diamants (“Taste of Diamonds”) from GDD Chapuy, a privately commissioned Champagne that commanded nearly $2 million. The spectacular packaging features a platinum bottle enclosure encrusted with a 19-carat diamond.

Founded in 1808, the esteemed Champagne producer Maison Henriot represents eight generations of family leadership. Henriot CEO Richard Moreau says, “For centuries, Champagne has been favored by royalty and celebrities, which has cemented the association with luxury and sophistication.” He notes that Henriot’s Champagnes were quickly embraced by aristocracy, with its vintages enjoyed by the royal courts of Holland, Austria and Hungary.

Marking the 200th vintage of the house since its founding is Henriot’s Cuvée Hemera 2008, a soon-to-be-released Champagne named after the Greek Goddess of Daylight. Noting the 2008 vintage is, fortuitously, an excellent one, Moreau says, “Hemera is regarded as an elegant, refined Champagne with complex flavors and a light, delicate body.” Even more rare is Maison Henriot’s Cuve 38, a special blend of the most prestigious Grand Cru Chardonnays from the Côte des Blancs, of which only 1,000 magnums are produced each year. “This is a truly special wine and unique gift,” says Moreau.

As in most alcohol categories, the Champagne industry has witnessed an influx of celebrity-branded products, and arguably the most acclaimed celebrity label is Armand de Brignac, a venture of billionaire musician Jay-Z, now halfowned by luxury conglomerate LVMH, whose impressive stable of Champagne brands also features Dom Pérignon, Moët & Chandon, Krug, and Veuve Clicquot. Armand de Brignac, easily recognizable by a distinctive pewter Ace of Spades insignia adhered to a mirror-glazed bottle, has a much longer history than most celebrity-branded alcohols. The house dates to 1763 (the Champagne is still created by a staff of artisans in Chigny-les-Roses, France) and regularly earns high scores from respected wine journalists. Retail prices of Armand de Brignac generally range from about $300 to more than $3,000, but the limited-edition Armand de Brignac Rosé Midas Champagne—presented in a 30-liter, glossy pink bottle—was priced at $275,000.

For the Champagne lover who has everything, any bottle of Champagne can be dramatically transformed with a fine art bottle cover by K-Over. Among the company’s products is a hand-painted, 24-karat gold-plated cover inspired by the “The Kiss” by painter Gustav Klimt, crafted by Florentine master goldsmith Stefano Vigni and priced at approximately $23,000.

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