Sotheby’s to sell Jay-Z’s 1969 D’Ussé Cognac bottle

Rapper Jay-Z will offer his ‘one-of-a-kind’ signed 1969 bottle of D’Ussé Cognac at a Sotheby’s auction next month, which is expected to sell for up to US$75,000.

American musician Shawn Carter, known professionally as Jay-Z, founded the D’Ussé brand in 2012, which is owned by Bermuda-based Bacardi.

Bottle number one of D’Ussé 1969 Anniversaire Limited Edition Grande Champagne Cognac will be sold at a Sotheby’s auction in New York on 13 March.

The Bacardi-owned brand created the Cognac in celebration of Carter’s 50th birthday on 4 December 2019. With only 50 bottles created, it is estimated to sell for between US$25,000 and US$75,000. Most of the other bottles were given to friends and family.

The rapper will donate proceeds from the auction sale to his charity, the Shawn Carter Foundation, which supports people facing socio-economic hardships through education.

The bottle is also the only one in the collection to feature Jay-Z’s signature and the first to be made available to the public as part of Sotheby’s first dedicated live spirits auction in New York.

Jonny Fowle, Sotheby’s spirits specialist, said: “We have seen an increasing rise in demand for Cognac in recent years, from the oldest and most valuable vintage Cognac sold at auction to ultra-premium brands.

“We are delighted to support the Shawn Carter Foundation with the sale of this highly special bottle of D’Ussé Cognac. As we have recently expanded our sales of spirits, there is no better time to offer this special lot in New York.”

The liquid comes from one of the oldest Cognac houses in France, Château de Cognac. It was bottled from a rare single barrel and was matured for decades in a 200-year-old cellar.

Carter said: “When our cellar master, Michel Casavecchia, discovered the aged liquid at the Château de Cognac and explained how truly one of a kind it is, it was important to me to honour it by doing something that would celebrate its singularity. Once that barrel is emptied, there’s no way the liquid can be recreated.

“The whole process behind the 1969 Anniversaire collection reminded me why I got involved in the spirits industry in the first place – to create something that will stand the test of time.

“It means a lot that we’re finally able to share the D’Ussé 1969 Anniversaire Limited Edition with the rest of the world, and we’re proud to auction the first bottle in the collection with Sotheby’s to benefit the Shawn Carter Foundation.”

Read Full Story at source (may require registration)
Author: Nicola Carruthers