Veuve Cliquot, and its distinctive yellow-coloured label. Some might not know the history behind the brand’s resurgence back in the 19th century. Turns out, this story is even more impressive than its signature champagne. Together with Baccarat, makers of exquisite crystal pieces, it is now retelling its history in luxurious glamour.
Back in 1805, Barbe-Nicole Clicquot found herself in a difficult situation. At just 27 years, she lost her beloved husband to a fever, and the champagne business he had left her to run alone was failing miserably, giving rise to rumours that he had committed suicide because of his failing business.
Barbe-Nicole had to act fast, both to preserve her husband’s legacy and to create a sustainable business for herself. Going to her father-in-law, she requested for a loan: twice, in fact, and set out to make a success out of what was not very profitable or popular at the time.
Her wit and perseverance finally paid off in 1811, the year the legendary vintage of 1811 was born. Focusing on a country other than her native land, she smuggled her champagne out of France to Amsterdam (it was the period of the Napoleonic Wars) and waited for peace to be declared. Once that happened, she sent the bottles to her intended market, Russia, beating her competitors by weeks.
But she did not stop there.
To preserve the champagne bubbles, she created the ‘table de remuage,’ a slanted table that allows winemakers take out the yeast from champagne without transferring it into an altogether new bottle, which would cause the drink to lose a bit of its taste and uniqueness. And to further ingratiate new customers while keeping existing ones loyal, Madame Clicquot wrote thousands of letters to them regardless of their location, extolling the quality of her champagne.
It is in honour of this impressive legacy that the House of Veuve Clicquot teamed up with Baccarat to create one of the world’s most glamorous champagne buckets. Made from a single block of crystal – one of the largest objects to ever come from a single block of crystal – the champagne bucket took two years to develop and over 1000 hours of work. Only 15 of this exclusive buckets, made in the shape of an inkwell, is available.
The base holds six fantastic vintages — 1989, 2004 and 2008, both Brut and Brut Rosé — of La Grande Dame champagne, as well as four Baccarat crystal champagne glasses and a leather serving tray.
Everyone lucky enough to acquire the inkwell receives a private invitation to Champagne, France to visit the château and take a deep dive into the history of Veuve Clicquot and its famous namesake.
This limited-edition inkwell-shaped bucket costs $55,000 and can be purchased via the house’s website.
Source: Elite Traveler