The magnificence of magnums

Why the made-tomeasure approach is the only way for Château La Grace Dieu des Prieurs

Since the purchase of Château La Grace Dieu des Prieurs by Russian philanthropist and entrepreneur Andrey Filatov in 2013, there has been no expense spared in revitalising the historic estate.

A team of hand-picked specialists was enlisted to craft a premium grand vin, called Art Russe, and together with investments in a state-of-the-art winery, as well as pioneering work with Chardonnay in a region dominated by Merlot, it has very quickly built a reputation for meticulous precision, attention to detail and the ability to attain the highest quality at every stage of production.

However, it’s in the beautifully hand-crafted bottles and artisanal packaging that the estate has firmly established its luxury credentials.

The tailored approach, or ‘sur mesure’ as château director Laurent Prosperi says, is at the heart of the estate’s philosophy and extends from working in the vines through to using the oldest glassworks in France, and the last to remain specialised in semi-automatic glass production, to create their custom magnum bottles.

These handcrafted bottles, manufactured by Waltersperger, are visibly squatter and wider than the classic magnum format. Crystal green glass is used for the red wine, Art Russe Collection, while transparent and frosted opaque glass is used for the white wine.

They have been used for the estate’s red wine since the first vintage in 2014, with the shape specifically designed to ensure the preservation of all taste properties and for optimal long-term storage.

They also work to emphasise the beauty of different Russian artworks taken from the ART RUSSE Foundation’s collection which adorn the labels each year. The pieces are personally selected by Filatov, Prosperi and the head of the Foundation, who choose a series of 12 to be presented on the regular-sized bottles and one reserved solely for magnums each vintage.

The 2014 magnum label is of particular importance, entitled ‘Godspeed’ (‘With God’) the work by Anatoly Gankevich represents the Soviet cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin who was the first human being to travel into space and who is also celebrated artistically in the winery’s vat room. This year will celebrate the 60th anniversary of the remarkable feat.

Magnums have also been chosen as the exclusive format for a brand new white wine, a 100% Chardonnay from St-Émilion, named Cuvée Elena in tribute to Filatov’s wife. The project aimed to explore the potential of the grape, more commonly associated with Bourgone or Champagne, on St-Émilion terroir. The 2019 is the first vintage to be bottled and the result is ‘very special’ according to Prosperi.

A limited-edition production of 1,300 label-free bottles were made, then exquisitely painted, stoppered and sealed by hand at the estate. The name of the cuvée is carefully embossed in relief on the face, while a floral motif also embossed is hand-painted along the base. The bottle is also relieved of foil leaving the Amorim cork visible, presenting the grape and vintage, just below a yellow wax seal.

The 2019 collection is due to be auctioned for charity, with all sales proceeds going to support children’s hospitals, a philanthropic specification of Elena Filatova.

Presentation boxes have also been given equal care and attention and come in the form of see-through cases made of cast acrylic, a unique type of organic glass. Executed by WildCat Packaging, they are transparent, durable and reliable. Characteristic of the château’s creative design traditions, the innovative cases not only allow for the appreciation of the art on each bottle but they are art objects in their own right steeped in both history and modernity.

The side of each case also features an emblem of a knight, making reference to Filatov’s love of chess and a desire to promote the intellectual game through his wine as the President of the Russian Chess Federation.

Each step of production and detail reaffirms the commitment to quality both as wines to be consumed and works of art to be collected and cherished.