Art is given an epicurean twist by Moët & Chandon, which is celebrating its 280th anniversary in style. Appropriately, the big birthday is being marked with the launch of a new cuvée, with the Collection Impériale Création No. 1 the first release to be unveiled from the Collection Impériale line. Created from seven vintages and aged through a variety of different processes, it strikes a deep yellow hue and is complex to the taste, offering notes of liquorice root and mocha through to vanilla and dried fig.
In another first, Moët & Chandon has partnered with artist Daniel Arsham to commemorate the anniversary. Arsham has looked to the historical codes of the Moët & Chandon estate for a vast, wall-mounted piece inspired by the estate’s intricate stained glass by Félix Gaudin. The piece is to be displayed in Galerie Impériale, in the cellars of Moët & Chandon, in an interweaving of modernity and heritage.
Alongside it, Arsham has designed 85 limited-edition bottles which stay faithful to his distinctive aesthetic, creating both a sculpture in its own right and a lasting piece of artwork which plays on the notions of time and permeance which run throughout his work. ‘In tasting Collection Impériale Création No. 1, I realised how nuanced the process of champagne making is, and how the layering of different years and harvests resembles the art of composing a sculpture,’ says Arsham on the collaboration. ‘Benoît Gouez’s work in selecting, ageing and blending vintages is similar to my own work such that this project represents to me a true and organic collaboration with Moët & Chandon’s Cellar Master.’
Adds Benoît Gouez, Cellar Master at Moët & Chandon: ‘We created Collection Impériale Création No. 1, released for our 280th anniversary, as a champagne crafted for eternity: it is precisely our relationship with time to grow, select and mature champagne that makes the choice of Daniel Arsham so inspired. Daniel’s unique take on Moët & Chandon’s heritage beautifully captures the essence of our history and our craft. A consummate artist of our time, Daniel approached his work in much the same way that we have approached the crafting of Collection Impériale Création No. 1: as an artistic endeavour made today, shaped by traditions of the past, but intended to go on well into the future.’
The new cuvée will be available in the UK from 1 December at Harrods at RRP of £205 (75cl bottle). The Daniel Arsham limited edition will be available to purchase at £23,000 per piece in the UK in April 2024. However, readers can pre-register interest in reserving a piece by contacting Moët & Chandon Private Sales team at avachher@moethennessy.com
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