Pont des Arts launches new Champagne project

Thibault Pontallier and Arthur de Villepin of Pont des Arts have launched two new Champagne cuvées in partnership with Côtes des Blancs producer, Pierre Péters.

Speaking to dbHK at the launch event, Arthur de Villepin said that Pont des Arts had reached a “turning point” since its foundation in 2010 and were in a position to start broadening its portfolio which had comprised wines from Burgundy and Bordeaux and a limited edition Cognac range, all created in partnership with different artists.

“We’ve grown 50-100% year on year and seen some amazing, completely organic growth,” said de Villepin.

“We feel we’re there now to look at even more ambitious projects. After five or six years in a company, it’s time to re-anchor and build up the sustainability.”

In the pipeline for next year is a collaboration with Burgundy producer, Etienne de Montille for two wines. Further details were not ventured, though de Villepin praised Paul Pontallier for helping to grow the support in Burgundy and introduce them to de Montille.”

“de Montille is a great family, with great traditions. And through Etienne we were introduced to Rodolphe Péters and decided on the collaboration, we wanted to do something in the Côtes des Blanc and Blanc de Blancs is in the Pierre Péters’ DNA.”

Spanish contemporary artist, Miquel Barceló who has worked with Pont des Arts for its previous release of Grenache rosé by super-Rhone producer, Chêne Bleu, created the labels for the Avant-Premiere grand cru range which encompasses two cuvées.

The Réserve Privée has only 900 bottles and the Réserve Perpétuelle is even more limited, with a mere 150 bottles released and is made up of more than 20 vintages, including 1988 – de Villepin’s year of birth. The grapes were sourced from Le Mesnil, Oger, Cramant and Avize.

With 21 active markets, Pont des Arts’ efforts are focused in Asia; with China, Japan and Hong Kong claiming the top three spots, followed by South Korea and Taiwan, though Pontallier and de Villepin have now decided to cautiously build up Europe, which previously had been “tough” to convince.

“We couldn’t have done it with the wines we had before. The Europeans are too skeptical with new products – even with the family traditions that we have. They just want to maintain the status quo,” said de Villepin.

“You have to show you’ve come to a certain level and need to be taken seriously, and now we’re in that situation with better partnerships and a loyal customer base to grow steadily for the years to come.”