Stuck what to buy the man who has everything for Christmas? As reported on thedrinksbusiness.com, a six-bottle case of Moët & Chandon Grand Vintage Collection 1911 has gone on sale in luxury London department store Harrods for £65,000 – just under £11,000 per bottle. The famed Champagne house has released 11 six-bottle cases of the 100-year-old wine – disgorged last January – with each being offered to a different market around the world. One of the cases was auctioned at a gala dinner in Shanghai in September, raising US$100,000 for charity.
Noted by the then Moët cellar master as a “memorable” year, 1911’s conditions were near perfect. As the vintage matured, it soon took its place as one of the house’s most distinguished Champagnes. Describing the wine, Moët & Chandon chef de cave Benoît Gouez gushed: “It’s a stunning Champagne – an inspiration. “I’m astounded by the fact that, after a hundred years, it overflows with vitality and energy, and boasts both impressive depth and amazing freshness.”
According to Gouez, the nose contains: “notes of brioche, candied fruits and panettone, with intense middle notes of mocha, crème brûlée and honey, and hints of leather and tobacco,” while the body is “supple, velvety and perfectly balanced.” Champagne authority Tom Stevenson said of the wine: “The nose is still floral and fruity and after a century, it’s still bubbly on the palate. It’s a superb vintage Champagne, both elegantly mature and deliciously lively.”
The £65,000 case, housed in a chic black holdall, has gone on display in one of Harrods’ Christmas windows. Far from the optimum storage conditions for such precious bottles of liquid history, at least we can all be afforded a glimpse of the 100-year-old treasure before it’s stashed away in a billionaire’s cellar, or, even worse, cracked open by a hedge funder on New Year’s Eve.
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