French champagne house Perrier-Jouet celebrated its bicentenary on 21 March, the first day of spring, in Paris this year. To commemorate this 200th anniversary, the champagne house revealed its first Living Legacy champagne Bi-Centenaire. The house that is best known for its Belle Époque Cuvée, also commissioned an artwork by US-based artist Daniel Arsham that would capture the spirit of the new champagne.
The Perrier-Jouet Bi-Centenaire is not merely an exclusive spirit. It is also an experience. The first episode took place on 21 March, when invitees to the exclusive event sipped on glasses of Perrier-Jouët Belle Epoque 1998. The spirit will then be stored in a private Perrier-Jouet cellar for up to 100 years before being offered to descendants of this generation. The champagne house has selected the Belle Epoque 1998 vintage because of its ageing capacity. The man in charge is Cellar Master Hervé Deschamps, the seventh cellar master of the 200-year-old Perrier-Jouet.
The exclusive lunch was conducted in the glass courtyard of Paris’ Ecole des Beaux Arts. There were only 200 invitees from 10 nations. Among the guests were Spanish choreographer and dancer Blanca Li, English designer and restaurateur Sir Terence Conran and TV presenter Stephane Bern. On display were portraits showcasing family legacy by photo studio Studio Harcourt. French chefs Alain Ducasse and Jean-Louis Nomicos prepared the elaborate dinner to be paired with the champagne. The dinner was modeled on the Perrier-Jouet Centenary menu of 1911. Adding the finishing touch was Daniel Arsham’s diptych sculpture, an exquisite artwork offering glimpses of the spirit of the night.
Only 100 units of the Perrier-Jouët Bi-Centenaire will be available, however. Connoisseurs can purchase it from Perrier-Jouët’s Epernay boutique or source it through the Pernod Ricard network for 10,000 euros.
