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Tasting the Stars: what makes a celebrity wine worth the hefty price tag?
Words by Lucy Edwards
These days it seems that every celebrity and their dog is releasing a beverage brand. Whether it's Kendall Jenner's problematic tequila brand 818, or Kylie Minogue's every growing range of rose wines, everyone's doing it.
In Champagne this is not new, with Jay-Z's launching his own brand in collaboration with Cattier in 2006 after feeling the sting of Cristal's CEO Rouzaud's comment on their wines being purchased by rappers.
Since then, there is a string of celebrity champagnes, each more expensive than the next. But are they worth the investment? Or are they just a marketing exercise?
Here is a selection of the most notable, and my humble opinion on what to splurge on, and what to take a rain check on.
Armand de Brignac - Jay-Z
Premier Cru
With 50% stake recently acquired by Moët Hennessy from Shawn Jay-Z Carter and usually spotted in clubs, The Ace of Spades with its gold plated bottle is the OG celeb champagne.
Owner of the brand - Jay - Z and LVMH
Winemaker - Jean-Jacques and Alexandre Cattier
Blend - 40% Pinot, 40% Chardonnay, 20% Meunier
Time on Lees - 4+ years
Dosage - 9.5g/L
Price (€) - 289
Would I buy this?
I have been told by champagne insiders that Jay-Z has an excellent palate, and is well versed in champagne. However I'm not sure my pockets are deep enough to pay for the extra hype here.
Le Chemin du Roi - 50 Cent
Grand Cru
50 Cent is no newby to the beverage industry, have previouly launched Effin Vodka and Branson Cognac, and his champagne certainly made waves online when it was launched.
Owner of the brand - Curtis “50 Cent” Jackson
Winemaker - Champagne Castelnau
Blend - 60% Chardonnay, 20% Pinot Noir, 20% Pinot Meunier
Time on Lees - 48 months
Dosage - 8g/L
Price (€) - 106
Would I buy it? Based on the fact that there is very little transparency, and that their insta account recommends mixing with grenadine and apple juice... highly unlikely. Especially as Jackson says he would rather drink ginger ale....
“First I’ll pour drinks from a bottle of Champagne for everyone who is in VIP with me. When the bottle is empty, I’ll give it to one of my guys and have him quietly refill it with ginger ale,” he writes. “For the rest of the night I’ll have that bottle in my hand. I’ll take swigs every now and then just to keep the vibe right, but I’m not drinking anything but Canada Dry.”
Porte Noir - Idris Elba
Grand Cru
After tasting a Provence rose on his wedding night, Idris decided to put his name to a wine. First edition was a cru classe of Cotes de Provence made with Chateau Sainte Marguerite. He then ventured into champagne and teamed up with the students of Avize Viti Vini Sanger school. He launched the Grand Cru Blanc de Blancs vintage 2010 in the UK, and has since opened a bar in London with the same name and followed up with a NV: La Petite Porte.
Owner of the brand - Idris Elba & David Farber of Connaught Cellars
Blend - 100% Grand Cru Chardonnay
Time on Lees - 6 years
Dosage - 4.5 g/L
Price (€) - 100 Number of bottles: Unknown
Would I buy this? Initially, I was a little concerned about Idris' choice of glassware, but after researching the project I am very much intrigued. I believe it is reasonably priced for a 2010 Grand Cru, which is more than can be said for others on this list, and if it follows in the footsteps of its Provence sister, then it will rack up the points and medals. Short answer: YES.
Leo de Verzay - Scott Disick
Premier Cru
Scott Disick who is mostly known for being Kourtney Kardashian's ex, has been working on "a new champagne from Europe, for about a year already".
The Leo de Verzay brand has been around since 2019, and even made an appearance in a Sean Paul clip, but Disick has been officially "branding with" the company since last week, and will be dropping a limited release of 1,000 bottles in the US adorned with a Swarovski crystal.
Owner of the brand - Scott Disick, Brad Turk & Charlotte Chaudron Castagne
Winemaker: Champagne Chaudron
NV Blend - Unknown
Time on Lees - Minimum 5 years
Dosage - Unknown
Price ($) - 150 Number of bottles - 1,000 with Swarovski, but total unknown.
Would I buy this?
Do I trust Disick's judgement of a "fine luxury branded champagne". Not for a second. And the fact that he can't even pronounce the name, doesn't help his case. If you're in it for the wine, don't fall for the hype, and go directly to the source. If you think Disick is in it for the wine ... I recommend drinking it out of their custom crystal tumblers.
Mod Sélection - Drake
Grand Cru
A partnership between Canadian Rapper Drake and Brent Hocking (founder of DeLeón Tequila and partner in "Champagnepapi's" Virginia Black Whiskey project) led to producing these eye catching handmade bottles. To date he has released a Reserve, Rose, 2008 Vintage and 2008 Rose.
According to Hocking, each bottle features “delicate symbolized patterns and embellishments handcrafted and applied by the finest artisans in Champagne, ensuring no two bottles are ever alike.”
Owner of the brand - Drake & Brent Hocking
Winemaker: Champagne Pierre Mignon
NV Blend - 10% Pinot Noir, 40% Chardonnay, 5% Meunier
Time on Lees - 3 - 4 years
Dosage - 8 to 9 g/L
Price ($) - 400
Would I buy this?
Do I need another champagne ornament for my home? No, probably not. If I was interested in this wine, I would go straight to the source, making sure my money goes to the winemaker and not on the extra bling.
Champagne Telmont - Leonardo DiCaprio
Founded after the riots of 1911, Champagne Telmont was bought by Rémy Cointreau group in 2020. Earlier this year, it was announced that Leonardo DiCaprio had invested in the business as their green ethos aligns: "Champagne Telmont, together with its partner wine-growers, has set its sights on producing 100% organic champagne, ensuring a completely sustainable production lifecycle in the coming years. From protecting biodiversity on its land, to using 100% renewable electricity, Champagne Telmont is determined to radically lower its environmental footprint, making me proud to join as an investor." say Leo.
Owner of the house - Remy Cointreau (majority shareholder) & Leonardo DiCaprio (minority shareholder).
Blends - Telmont is based in Damery in the Marne Valley, and therefore works with a majority of Meunier.
Time on Lees - minimum 3 - 4 years for their NVs
Dosage - decreasing based on ageing
Price (€) - from 35 upwards Number of bottles: total of 1.25 million
Would I buy this? This is a house that will be making waves in the industry, and Leo has jumped on board at the right time. A large selection of their range seems very interesting, including the Sans Soufre, Reserve de la Terre, but especially their Vinotheque Collection. Watch this space...
Fleur de Miraval - Brad Pitt
Launched in collaboration with Rodolphe Péters of Champagne Pierre Péters and the Perrin family who are involved in their Chateau Miraval project, this is an announcement that blew everyone away. Péters are known for their blanc de blancs, and the Miraval house are exclusively rose, so the blend was key: 75% Chardonnay (25% from the 2016 harvest; 25% from Rodolphe’s perpetual reserve system going back to 2007 and 25% from seven-year-old Blanc de Blancs purchased ‘sur latte’) and 25% Pinot Noir (from Vertus).
Owner of the house - Brangelina
Blend - 25% Pinot Noir, 75% Chardonnay
Time on Lees - 3 -4 years
Dosage - 4.5 g/L
Price (€) - 340 Number of bottles: 20,000 for ER and 22,000 for ER2
Would I buy this? Far from being a marketing excercise, Brad and Rodolphe have really worked on something unique, and didn't just put their name on an existing blend. They supposedly have no marketing team, but who would need one with the Brangelina visibility? Is it overpriced? One would tend to say so for a NV that is only aged for 4 years, but the first and second edition have both sold out. And they are looking at making Miraval NFTs available, and creating a venue in Le Mesnil-sur-Oger to welcome VIPs.
I have no doubt that these wines will become highly collectible in years to come, so would make a good investment.
The Who Roger Daltrey - Champagne Charles Orban
To commemorate The Who‘s 50th Anniversary, Champagne Roger Daltrey was launched in 2016. A percentage of proceeds were donated to Teen Cancer America, a charity founded by Daltrey and lead guitarist and songwriter, Pete Townshend.
The Who's bullseye logo, along with Daltrey's signature are featured on the bottle's sleeve.
Owner - Eminent Wines & Daltrey
Blend - 40% Chardonnay, 45% Pinot Noir and 15% Meunier mostly from the Marne Valley.
Time on Lees - Unknown
Dosage - 10 g/L
Price (€) - 110
Number of bottles : Unknown
Ratings: 90 points by Wine Spectator
Would I buy this?
I am no glass snob, but when the recommend glassware looks like this, It makes me wonder why they wouldn't want the wine to breathe... Short answer: NOPE.
As much as we love to gaggle over these high profile releases and Hollywood endorsements, celebrities need to be held to the same standards as the hardworking winemakers and growers of the region. Tasting the stars should be as much about the tasting, as who is behind the release. Some are interested in the wine, others are interested in the dazzling. The best way to find out is to pop open a bottle yourself.
image from Leo de Verzay Instagram
About the author
Having worked in the industry since 2009, Lucy is a self confessed champagne nerd. When she joined the French Chamber of Commerce to help grower producers looking to import to Australia, she fell in love with champagne, not because of the glitz & glamour but because of the undeniable mix of art & science required to create the world’s most prestigious wines and the dedication to traditional winemaking. Over the past 12 years, Lucy has consulted to houses such as Jacquart, Pertois-Lebrun & Grande Charte, and was a pivotal in developing the Vranken-Pommery Monopole brands in Asia Pacific over 5 years. She has an acute knowledge of wine and specifically champagne and is passionate about bringing more interesting cuvees to wine lovers and collectors.
Disclaimer: The opinions presented in this article are my own, and do not reflect the points of view of the houses. If you would like to share any additional information, please email me at info@champagneeverday.com.au All images are sourced from the websites and social media of said houses.
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