“Champagne must be to wine what couture is to fashion.” Alfred Gratien, founder of Alfred Gratien Champagne.
In the “Year of the Comet” of 1811, a glorious champagne encounter abundant with flaxen sparkles and floral embellishments had begun its illustrious incarnation, courtesy of two sprightly individuals by the bestowed titles of Pierre-Nicolas Perrier, and Rose-Adélaïde Jouët.
Where Nicolas was seen as an accomplished vintner and stellar botanist, Rose was an enlightened intellect born into a Norman merchant household. Upon recognising their shared mutual adoration for the world of creative arts, photogenic botanical terrains and of course, the intricacies of fine champagne, the scene was set for the newlyweds a year after saying the sacred words “I do”, to finally introduce to the sphere’s illustrious glitterati a delicately golden bubbling creation, with a unique sweetened floret gusto thus giving rise to the lionised birth of Maison Perrier-Jouët.
Influenced by his parents’ artistic flair and their bon-vivant affluence, Nicolas and Rose’s son Charles Perrier had chosen to take to the champagne throne and hold sway over the house in 1848, honing in on the priceless botanist prowess he had inherited from his father elevated by the sacred heritage of the Art Nouveau movement; an ornamental craft of fine art craft which had graced its vibrant full-bloom presence across Europe in the late-19th century.
With a shared precious empathy of artistic aesthetics and enchanting fauna, a formidable dalliance was no sooner forged, which was showcased in 1902 through the decorative vision illustrating a dainty, intricate anemone floral motif doused in rich green, smooth cream and antique gold hues for the House courtesy of Emile Gallé.
This till today continued to be translated as a grandeur experience with artistic collaborations and sees Maison Perrier-Jouët emerge a cuvée showstopper as the high-class elite Savile Row of champagne for over a bountiful 200 years.
The glittering savoir-faire exhibit of art, nature and champagne has harmoniously been embodied into the Perrier-Jouët Objets Extraordinaires Collection, marrying the French nation’s masterly artisans with Maison Perrier-Jouët’s darling Belle Epoque vintage cuvées to in turn, present to the haute-monde society, Ode à la Nature.
It was during the lavish couture cocooned spell of Paris Fashion Week, where the House chose to invite, embrace and host the bonny belles and beaus from across the gleaming globe, to unearth a sublime, sparkling ultra vintage tasting odyssey of Ode à la Nature – Libellule.
Sipped and savoured with an assemblage of embellished “choose your own” flutes, this invaluable educational champagne degustation was twinned with a delectable attire of sybaritic hors d’oeuvre delights, all curated by culinary maestro and Michelin three-star chef, Pierre Gagnaire within the contemporary Parisian magnificence of the Perrier-Jouët Suite, neatly nestled inside Paris’s timeless gloried sanctum of Hôtel Lutetia.
The creation of Libellule, which embosoms the sleek emerald green bottle with a pair of exquisitely intricate crystal adorned dragonfly wings had been portrayed as a painstaking obstacle for even Atelier Montex, highly heralded for its hard graft of innovative revolutionary techniques.
This set the scene for Artistic Director Aska Yamashita, whom had called on for the expertise of Montex partner Studio MTX, known for the specialisms in architectural embroidery and its own Artistic Director, Mathieu Bassée.
It was soon judged that a wholesome 12 months of research and development was necessary to perfect a delicate and complex structure, 3D-printed and galvanised with nickel with a plating of 24-carat gold, to finally etch by hand with the green of nature and of Maison Perrier-Jouët.
This sculptural creation was then meticulously hand-embroidered by a single Atelier Montex artisan, with a 75-hour exercise of jewel-hued glass beads inspired by the stained-glass windows of the Maison Belle Époque, then enraptured into an exquisite garnishing of ethereal creature creations, and flowers trimmings emblematic of the Art Nouveau movement.
Presented in a statuesque jeroboam format is Perrier-Jouët Belle Époque 2008, a soft fruity yet deep bodied cuvée distinguished by its subtle aromas of white floral and flavoursome glazed apricot and candy ginger, rounded off with an invigorating clean finish which paired flawlessly with Pierre’s butter silk scallops.
Any privileged clients who are blessed with Ode à la Nature creation will see themselves in possession of a further high vintage of Perrier-Jouët Belle Époque 1999; a lavish seductive cuvée bustling with a honey hue entwined with the floral-scented aromas of musky orange blossom white flowers, tropical fruits and sugared lemon to blend with the meaty lean elegance of vanilla and langoustine.
Not one to neglect the exclusive collection of the pale crystal-toned Perrier-Jouët Belle Époque 2012, a delightfully fresh sensation combines the crisp palate with luscious notes of white flowers, sweet white peach and citrus lemon with a flowery finish, to sing in harmony with the hot toffee notes of toasted hazelnuts, and a velvety sweet nutty conclusion of the parsnip puree topped onto a golden crunchy toast serving.
In the fine words of Séverine Frerson herself. “Perrier-Jouët Belle Époque champagnes are a testament to the art of vintage – rare and precious cuvées, produced in limited quantities from the House’s finest terroirs. It was fascinating to me to discover that the savoir-faire of Atelier Montex, with its precise and intricate assemblages of materials and techniques, has surprising similarities with the process of blending champagne.”
The Ode à la Nature edition is available at a retail price of 100,000 euros, in an exclusive edition of 10 pieces only for the honoured devotees of objets d’art and remarkable vin ordinaire.
