"As someone who is passionate about food and wine, I am thrilled to be supporting, alongside my friend Mario Batali, Moët & Chandon's generous efforts to raise money through the auction of a rare case of Grand Vintage 1911 champagne, for a charity..." - Gwyneth Paltrow
In cooperation with Moët & Chandon, Christie's has announced an upcoming auction of a century-old treasure: a case of the legendary champagne house's Grand Vintage Collection 1911 champagne.
The lot will be sold for charity at Christie's upcoming sale of Fine & Rare Wines on November 19, 2011, estimated at $30,000 - $50,000.
All proceeds from sale of the exclusive collector's case of six 750ml bottles of the legendary Moët & Chandon Grand Vintage 1911 will benefit The Lunchbox Fund.
The fund is a not-for-profit organisation dedicated to providing a daily meal for impoverished and at-risk students in South African township high schools. Supporters include Gwyneth Paltrow, Salman Rushdie, Joaquin Phoenix, Jim Dine, Francesco Clemente and Michael Stipe among others.
Even at the time of its harvest a century ago, the 1911 vintage was recognised for its remarkable quality by the then-chef de cave of Moët & Chandon.
 The Grand Vintage Collection of 1911 champagne comes in a luxurious |
Presented in a luxurious black leather chest with elegant brass fittings, this extraordinary champagne has been conserved under optimum aging conditions in the château's cellars, and the bottles were disgorged only in early 2011 to ensure a vintage wine of uncommon excellence.
Tom Stevenson, the world-leading expert on champagne, has previously said of the Grand Vintage Collection 1911: "Although a champagne of this age would usually be a copper brown, Grand Vintage Collection 1911 is a beautiful pale yellow gold."
"The nose is still floral and fruity and after a century, it's still bubbly on the palate! Grand Vintage Collection 1911 is a superb vintage champagne, both elegantly mature and deliciously lively!"
 Hollywood actress Gwyneth Paltrow |
Charles Curtis, MW, Head of Wine Sales for Christie's Asia, agrees: "Collecting vintage champagne is a niche within the already-exclusive world of fine wine collectors, attracting some of the most dedicated fans in the world of rare wines.
"Just as at Christie's Hong Kong, where a six-bottle lot of the remarkable Vintage 1911 Moet sold for HK$780,000 or just over US$ 100,000, we anticipate this collector's case will be greeted with great enthusiasm by our global clientele of collectors."
In addition to winning this superb champagne, the successful bidder will be invited with a guest to a special dinner hosted by award winning Chef Mario Batali.
The meal will be complemented by vintage champagnes selected by Moët & Chandon chef de cave Benoît Gouez, including a bottle of the rare 1911 vintage. Mario Batali is a board member and one of several well-known ambassadors of The Lunchbox Fund.
To further the success of the charitable auction, Paltrow and Batali have come together as the ambassadors to garner more awareness for the fund's cause.
As an added enticement for bidders, it is anticipated that one or more of the celebrity supporters of The Lunchbox Fund will co-host the once-in-a-lifetime dinner that will be awarded to the winning bidder.
