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Champagne Duval-Leroy gets tattooed

05 September 2024 By James Evison

Champagne Duval-Leroy has collaborated with renowned tattoo artist Chaim Machlev (also known as DotstoLines) to ‘combine the elegance of Champagne and the contemporary art of tattooing’.

Together the duo has created the Coffret Héritage, a triptych of the exceptional 2002, 1997 and 1988 vintages of Duval-Leroy’s iconic Fleur de Champagne cuvée.

The limited edition features only 750 box sets. According to the Champagne house: “It embodies the ambitious vision of Julien, Charles and Louis Duval-Leroy, celebrating and showcasing rare bottles made and cellared by their ancestors over three decades” — namely the 1980s, 1990s and 2000s.

The name Héritage “underlines Duval-Leroy’s commitment to handing down the house’s invaluable heritage”, it said, “rooted in a continuity of time bordering on eternal: this vision gave birth to the idea of collaborating with a tattoo artist”.

Chaim Machlev is world-renowned for the purity and finesse of his highly graphic work. Raymond Duval-Leroy also said he wanted to pay tribute to his predecessors by creating an exceptional wine in the year when the crus scale was officially introduced.

The first blend of Chardonnay and Pinot Noir grapes selected from the only villages classified Grand Cru and Premier Cru in the Grande Vallée de la Marne, Montagne de Reims and Côte des Blancs was born in Vertus. The wine’s white flower aromas are “so evocative of flowering vines that the cuvée takes its name from them”, the Champagne house said.

Chaim Machlev said about the collaboration: “Ultimately, this is about tradition, and an ancient craft that has been adapted over the years. It’s the most precious thing we can have. If you possess something that represents a family tradition and a craft, and you share it with the rest of the world in the form of a product, it becomes truly essential.

Charles Duval-Leroy added: “We created the Coffret Héritage box set to highlight the old vintages of Fleur de Champagne, working with Chaim Machlev to design a very special box. When we first met, his simplicity and creativity struck me immediately. We worked together for over a year to come up with the final version that is now available to connoisseurs.

“A family-run champagne house has a unique relationship with time, and a great deal of patience is required. Growing, producing, selecting and ageing champagne is not just a technical skill, but a philosophy. Creating a box set with a tattoo artist elegantly encapsulates our heritage and marks Duval-Leroy’s many years of existence.”