Celebrating one of the rarest, finest Port wines left in the world

The first ‘Niepoort in Lalique 1863 decanter’ to be auctioned in Hong Kong on 3 November 2018.

Two of Europe’s great heritage brands, Lalique and Niepoort, have come together for a ground-breaking collaboration - the Niepoort in Lalique 1863 decanters. Five exceptional demijohn decanters, each one engraved with a name from one of the five van der Niepoort generations and holding what is possibly the oldest fine wine in the world.

The first Niepoort Port created in 1863 by the first Niepoort generation, Francisco Marius van der Niepoort. The first of the five generation decanters, created in his honour, is to be auctioned by Acker Merrall & Condit on 3 November in Hong Kong.

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Each decanter is signed Lalique, numbered and filled with the exceptionally rare 155-year-old vintage Port, from an original Niepoort demijohn decanter, filled in 1905 with the first 1863 Port in the Niepoort cellar in Porto, Portugal. Each decanter represents a generation of the Port wine dynasty from its foundation in 1842 by Franciscus Marius van der Niepoort up to Dirk van der Niepoort, the fifth generation, who runs the company today. Each generation has followed the other, working side by side, continuing to innovate whilst preserving the traditions and knowledge learned over centuries. The design of the decanter is based on the original 11-litre demijohn from 1905 created using one of the oldest glass production methods – a nod to the heritage of both Lalique and Niepoort - cire perdue or ‘lost wax’, a technique learned and passed down through the generations of skilled craftsmen and still used today at the Lalique factory in Alsace.

 

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The piece to be auctioned will be presented in a bespoke Macassar ebony wood cabinet with Lalique grape pattern crystal inlays created by Lalique Maison. Lalique has a history of collaborating with the world’s most sought-after and collectable wine and spirits houses. Since 1925, it has produced exceptional decanters for, amongst others, Clos Saint Odile, Patrón Tequila, Beluga Vodka, Grand Marnier and Cognac Hardy. Its collaboration with The Macallan continued for more than a decade and resulted in the Guinness World Record for the most expensive whisky ever sold at auction in 2014 (The Macallan ‘M’ Imperiale in a Lalique six-litre decanter sold for US$628,000 in January 2014)

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Dirk van der Niepoort: “We only have one demijohn from 1905, which contains one of our first wines, 1863. It is an incredibly rare port, the result of years of dedication and craftsmanship. A big wine, but very refined, not too sweet but highly concentrated - it is the oldest port we have ever bottled, and we wanted to do something very special with it. The collaboration with Lalique is a truly momentous occasion to commemorate our remarkable journey over five generations. Lalique mirrors our own values and commitment to creating only the exceptional and it provides connoisseurs and collectors with an opportunity to acknowledge the distinguished history of the two houses.”

 

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Tatler Asia

Silvio Denz, Chairman and CEO of Lalique: “We have created a highly collectable work of art, which marries the two houses and is deserving of one of the greatest wines in the world. Masters in their respective fields, Lalique and Niepoort are joined by mutual respect and an unwavering commitment to craft, artistry and beauty and going beyond the ordinary. Our master craftsmen put all of their savoir-faire and passion into producing each piece.” Marc Larminaux, artistic and creative director of Lalique: “For me, there is always a parallel with the artisan work by our master craftsmen in Alsace and the final design. Inspiration came from the cellars of Niepoort and the original demijohn from 1905, which was refined, simple and elegant in shape with a masculine and weighty quality. The Niepoort in Lalique decanter has been created using one of the most ancient glassmaker’s techniques, the lost-wax method. The end result is an exceptional piece for an exceptional wine.”

The 1863 Port was rated 100 points by James Suckling, the international wine critic in March 2017 and is an integral part of Niepoort’s rarefied tawny blend known as “VV.”

Lalique is available at Rustan’s Makati, Rustan’s Shangri-la, and Rustan’s Cebu

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