L'Atelier de Courvoisier and the £95,000 bottle

by Sophie Mutevelian

Courvoisier is delighted to announce the launch of L'Atelier de Courvoisier - an explorative insight into its renowned aging cellar in Cognac. L'Atelier will celebrate the alchemy of this prestigious cognac: the meticulous craftsmanship of their master blender Patrice Pinet in bringing together regional grapes, copper pot stills, new oak barrels and intricate techniques to create this most precious liquid. This one-of-a-kind experience will take place in the exclusive Tasting Room in the Wine Shop on the lower ground floor of Harrods, London from Wednesday 5 to Sunday 9 December.

our tasting experience began...

Each day between 12 and 4 p.m., brand ambassador Rebecca Asseline will be conducting tastings of Courvoisier's celebrated XO directly from the barrel and explaining the magic behind the brand. On Saturday 8 December, L'Atelier will play host to a one-off special evening, where guests will embark upon an immersive and educational journey through Courvoisier's rich heritage and alchemy, which we were lucky enough to try out. Starting with a bespoke cognac cocktail designed by Nathan Merriman (from The Ivy), followed by a tasting of Courvoisier XO and a rich food pairing. The tasting and educational experience ends with a chance to taste the limited edition Courvoisier Succession J.S., which was presented in a beautifully handcrafted wooden replica of Napoleon's War Chest and was only produced in 2,500 bottles. 

To finish our tasting experience with a bang, Rebecca Asseline unveiled the world's oldest bottle of Courvoisier cognac, bottled in 1789 (the year of French Revolution) and is exclusively on sale at Harrods for £95,000. Previously it was sold to Bay van der Bunt, who bought it from Sotheby's, and has kept it in his cellar up until now.

Hedonism Wines in Mayfair

Hedonism Wines is London’s newest wine and spirits boutique, which has already become the most talked about wine project of recent times. Located in the heart of Mayfair on Davies Street and unlike any other fine wine shop in the UK, Hedonism Wines has created a contemporary, innovative space to showcase their produce, yet offering an easy to browse environment with an experienced team on hand to recommend and advise, many of whom are former sommeliers from London’s finest restaurants.

Specializing in the world’s finest wines and spirits, the owners have employed the UK’s top buyers to source 1,500 spirits and 4,500 wines from each region of the world, whilst carefully checking the provenance of every bottle. As a result Hedonism Wines is now home to some of the world’s classics including Macallan 50 year old 1928, Taylors 1945, a Courvoisier 1976 Baccarat Decanter and The Laird 2006 27 litre bottle.

Aside from the exquisite fine wines and spirits, Hedonism Wines has generated a name for itself in terms of design. Exposed brick walls, floor to ceiling glass cabinets and the most unique feature of all, the live vines growing up the walls which hold bottles of wine at all angles. Highlighted by an assortment of spotlights, up lighting and hanging wine glasses to reflect light. Hedonism Wines is not just about buying wine it is about the experience and the learning process. Customers are encouraged to sample the various bottles and currently they have 40 of the world’s finest wines and 5 champagnes to taste on the Enomatic machines.