The Classicist: LVMH's Distinctive Vintages
French luxury goods conglomerate LVMH is best known for its marquee property Louis Vuitton, but the company has also amassed the world's most amazing collection of top-class wine and spirits brands under its Moët Hennessy group. The incomparable portfolio is celebrated in a suitably lavish new book called Distinctive Vintages ($200, right) just out from Flammarion. Moët Hennessy owns too many luxury brands to list, but to name a few: Hennessy Cognac; Moët & Chandon, luxe Dom Pérignon, Krug and Veuve Clicquot champagnes; Belvedere and Chopin vodkas; Glenmorangie and deliciously smoky Ardbeg single malt Scotch whiskies; and the famed Chateau d'Yquem wine, synonymous with the finest money can buy.
The book focuses on the collection of fine French wines and spirits, personified in three regions that are "as noble as they are prestigious": Cognac, the ancestral birthplace of Hennessy; Champagne, home Dom Pérignon and its confreres; and Bordeaux, graced by the magical Château d'Yquem. It offers both a practical guide to the three regions as well as an explanation of the different vintages and results produced by the famed houses.
Distinctive Vintages is a creative collaboration of cutting-edge photography, archival documents and dramatic design elements including 16 gatefolds and over 50 other special effects such as die-cuts, inserts, and movable pieces including replica wine labels and vintage postcards.
With a rich gold cover and slipcase, the deluxe, limited edition volume is aimed at oenophiles and connoisseurs of stellar vintages. "Unparalleled richness of soil coupled with the passion and genius of exceptional entrepreneurs have upheld the success of these famous nectars, to which this book offers an exuberant tribute," the company notes. It's meant not only as a luxury good in and of itself, but also "a unique and memorable fetish item."
Of course, there's a lot more to these brands besides what ends up in your glass. Veuve Clicquot sponsors polo matches and frequently introduces innovative new products including the amazing collection designed in collaboration with Riva yachts. Dom Pérignon has a thriving collaboration with Karl Lagerfeld, who designs special editions and shoots their ad campaigns. And Hennessy, adopted as the rap stars' drink of choice, has even branched out into sneakers, as we reported recently.
With a rich gold cover and slipcase, the deluxe, limited edition volume is aimed at oenophiles and connoisseurs of stellar vintages. "Unparalleled richness of soil coupled with the passion and genius of exceptional entrepreneurs have upheld the success of these famous nectars, to which this book offers an exuberant tribute," the company notes. It's meant not only as a luxury good in and of itself, but also "a unique and memorable fetish item."
Of course, there's a lot more to these brands besides what ends up in your glass. Veuve Clicquot sponsors polo matches and frequently introduces innovative new products including the amazing collection designed in collaboration with Riva yachts. Dom Pérignon has a thriving collaboration with Karl Lagerfeld, who designs special editions and shoots their ad campaigns. And Hennessy, adopted as the rap stars' drink of choice, has even branched out into sneakers, as we reported recently.
