Vintage Bubbles, With (Real Gold) Baubles

"Piper had supplied Champagne to Marie Antoinette in 1785," said Mr Collard, the brand's global executive director So Mr.

Collard invited Mellerio to design an ornament for bottles of a special 1997 vintage Champagne, and the exclusive pairing is being offered for sale this holiday season The year 1997 brought poor weather to the Champagne region of northeastern France: A frosty spring followed by a wet and humid summer resulted in an unremarkable yield Still, bad years can produce exceptional Champagnes, and Régis Camus, cellar master at Piper-Heidsieck, was not deterred.

"Vintage" refers to Champagne blended exclusively from grapes harvested in a single year, while "Non-vintage" Champagne is made of a varied assemblage that includes reserve wines As for Mellerio, "I realized our two maisons had so much in common," said Laure-Isabelle Mellerio, artistic director of Mellerio The remaining 1,000 bottles were decorated with solid gold woven ribbons and, as "Rare Le Secret Goldsmith," are being sold at $1,795 each by high-end wine sellers, including Harrods, Galeries Lafayette, Isetan in Tokyo, as well as at Sotheby's and the Baccarat Hotel in New YorkTo ensure that buyers actually drink the Champagne, the ornament is removable, and Mellerio can transform it into a wearable pendant or brooch. Source