Artéis & Co officially introduced its first traditionally made, micro-cuvées last fall in select NYC locations, and now, this spring, is bringing Artéis & Co Brut Rosé 2007 to the US, while expanding distribution in select cities nationwide. An exclusive addition to the world of fine French imports, Artéis & Co Champagne is an unambiguous testimony to its origins and to the artisanal methods of blending and disgorging in order to offer distinct vintages.
As Town & Country magazine recently quoted, “Artéis debuts with three microcuvees whose burnished flavor and distinctive finish come courtesy of some serious champagne guys.”
At the forefront of the company is CEO, Fabien Gay, a champagne professional with years of experience from Champagne Pommery to Perrier Jouët. “Pairing my experience with my passion for high-quality champagne has been a truly rewarding experience,” says Fabien Gay. “We have carefully selected first-rate artisans, who grow the best vines which give the best musts, which resulted in the most unique, complex and well-balanced vintages I’ve had the pleasure of working on.”
The brand’s vigneron-partner is Jean Diot, based in Vinay, near Epernay and the Côte des Blancs. In the early 1960’s, Jean Diot created his own champagne brand that would bear his name. Over the years he developed a family business that has retained his values and traditions. In 1998 his children took over the management of the vineyards in Vinay and continued to develop their wines of champagne, meticulously working on the vines on the southern slopes of Epernay and in the Marne Valley. Jean Diot’s son, Jean-Philippe, offers specialized wines of champagne such as low dosage wines, rosé de saignée or oak barrel aged wines, all produced in limited quantities.
André Saraiva, famed graffiti artist and nightlife impresario oversees the brand as Artistic Director, contributing bold graphics and fonts to the bottle artwork. “I’m proud to be a part of this amazing project ”, says André Saraiva. “We now have a champagne that reflects who we are—independent, creative, classic and yet modern. Giving Artéis & Co its individualistic flare has been an exciting project to be a part of ”.
The luxury collection of Artéis & Co Champagne is composed of four unique cuvées, each significantly different in taste and complexity from the others. Artéis & Co Brut Rosé 2007 has been aged for 6 years and now offers a sharp and elegantly powered nose with fruity notes of blood orange, strawberry and raspberry. Its fresh and lively finish, complete with a light salmon color is a perfect accompaniment for the warm weather months ahead. The 2007 harvest started as early as August 23rd and lasted two months. The pinot meunier suffered from those conditions while the Chardonnays and Pinots Noirs (when not harvested too early) showed good potential, resulting in wines with a nice acidity and elegance. Artéis & Co Blanc de Blancs 2002 is 100% Premier Cru, Chardonnay from Cuis, aged for 10 years. This golden hued, elegant vintage features a complex palate and fine minerality, showcasing the exceptional grapes of 2002. This exceptional vintage year created Chardonnay with outstanding aromatic power and complexity, arguably the best vintage of the decade for Chardonnay. Artéis & Co Brut 1999 offers an elegant blend and an aromatic power which reflects the lengthy 12-year aging process that enables the champagne to develop itself, while the low dosage underlines the low acidity specificities of the 1999 harvest. In just a few weeks, the new Artéis & Co Brut 2002 will be released with a 50 % Chardonnay and 50 % Pinot Noir blend (65% Grands Crus and 35 % Premiers Crus).
Already exclusively distributed to high-end gastronomic accounts in New York, Los Angeles and San Francisco, Artéis & Co continues to unveil the world of vintage champagne with very high quality wines, always showing complexity, finesse and elegance. Currently Artéis & Co can be found at glamorous spots such as Colette in Paris, The Chateau Marmont in West Hollywood and Le Baron in New York as well as gastronomic destinations including Daniel in New York, Fig, FarmShop and Nikita in Los Angeles as well as Saison and La Folie in San Francisco.
Fabien Gay continued, “Our attention to detail during the disgorgement process and while choosing our assemblages gives us the ability to present genuine wines with great character while using a very limited dosage. We have positioned ourselves, as vintage wines only, at the same price as the non-vintage wines from the champagne leaders to allow our friends to enter the world of vintage champagne.”]
With the launch of Artéis & Co Rosé this week and the expansion of the US team, Artéis & Co is continuing to bring its bespoke craftsmanship and unique style to the industry, targeting additional hand selected, on-premise gastronomic destinations.
Please visit www.arteis.co
