It is astonishing what one French Domaine can do with an Ugni Blanc. Three years ago, the super-luxury cognac distiller, Rome De Bellegarde, claimed the Guinness Book of Records for the “World’s Most Expensive Shot” when one 1.5 ounce measure was sold for $14,154.79 at Hyde Kensington Bar in London.
It was bought by Ranjeeta Duff-McGroaty, the founder and director of “Trinity Natural Gas.” The Cognac plonk was discovered in the cellars of cognac house Jean Fillioux by fifth-generation cellar master Pascal Fillioux. It is believed to be the very first blend created by Jean Fillioux in 1894.
Rome De Bellegarde’s new XO label comes in at $3,900 for a 700ml bottle.
Hailing “a new Renaissance.” with three cousins entrepreneur David R. Bellegarde the family name and heritage going back to 1725. “All of our Cognacs are made with 100 percent ugni blanc from Grande Champagne, which is the best out of the six Cognac regions, due to the quality of the soil and location. Dimitri Nalin, an award-winning sommelier from the Aquitaine/Bordeaux region, works alongside Christophe Fillioux to meticulously create our unique blends. The new blend XO is a blend of eau de vie, all aged for over 25 years,”
Rome De Bellegarde is involved in reducing malnutrition, reducing gender inequality, creating more employment and educational programs for minorities, participating in wilderness preservation, and reducing human impact on the environment. “This is no PR stunt but rather a responsibility that forms part of our legacy. We wish to forward the Bellegarde family legacy of developing and producing the world’s most exquisite Cognacs. We’re really just getting started.”
The company collaborated with internationally acclaimed, Iranian-French artist Ghass Rouzkhosh to create 150 limited edition bottles to house the world’s most expensive Cognac. Each 750ml decanter was hand-painted, with world peace as a central theme to the design.
Rome de Bellegarde Cognac is a luxury bottler and a master blender collaborating with some of the most prestigious Cognac Houses and Châteaux to create the most precious blends formed with rare aged Eaux de vie. Its glass decanter is designed in honor of King Francis’s motto “Nutristic et Extinguish” or “nourish [the good] and extinguish [the bad].” The mythical salamander is a majestic symbol of changing times, promising hope, courage, and prosperity in the midst of blackened flames.
Rome de Bellegarde has also recently collaborated with British leather accessories brand Ettinger with a limited-edition luxury gift box containing a 100ml bottle of Rome de Bellegarde’s X.O. cognac, which has been aged for more than 25 years, alongside a 4oz Ettinger flask, wrapped in supple cognac color leather. The flask can be embossed with the collaboration’s logo and can also be personalized with up to five letters in gold font.
