The French have a term for fine dining: l’art de la table. Highly trained, passionate artisans and craftspeople produce the premium wine, spirits, and tableware that make dining something special. In this article, you’ll discover some of the elements that can elevate your next noteworthy dinner party.
Why Louis XIII Cognac Is the Ultimate Luxury at the Dinner Table
Since 1874, Rémy Martin’s Louis XIII Cognac has marked the close of major celebratory dinners hosted by nobility, politicians, celebrities, and connoisseurs. This precious eaux-de-vie—made from grapes in the Grande Champagne region—ages for decades in 100–150-year-old French oak casks before it is bottled in its iconic crystal decanter. Each decanter is handcrafted from Baccarat crystal, inspired by a 16th-century flask.
Louis XIII “Art de la Table” Porcelain: Inside the Limited-Edition Limoges Collection
Art de la Table is the name of the Louis XIII Cognac collection of Limoges porcelain tableware. There are two collections—Soil is Our Soul and Light of Time—each available as a six-piece set. Produced by 40 porcelain artisans at the House of J.L. Coquet in Limoges, a city long renowned for its porcelain, the pieces are individually numbered, with only 750 sets available.
Fun fact: a Louis XIII tierçon holds exactly 750 liters of liquid.
“The Art de la Table collections mark an exciting new chapter in LOUIS XIII Cognac’s own art de vivre,” explains Anne-Laure Pressat, Executive Director of Louis XIII, “and are an invitation to discover or rediscover LOUIS XIII Cognac through a new elevated experience that takes one through the enjoyment of dining.”
Decoding Bordeaux: Beyond the Grand Crus Classifications
The history and legacy of Bordeaux’s wine classifications continue to be a powerful marketing tool for châteaux across the region. One woman—the third in her family to lead the legendary Saint-Émilion estate Château Angélus—decided it was time for change.
A Grand Cru Does Not Equal Grand Cru Classé
The 1855 Bordeaux classification, ranking châteaux from first to fifth growth, was created for Emperor Napoleon III’s Exposition Universelle. Remarkably, that system still defines quality perceptions of Bordeaux wines today.
Saint-Émilion introduced its own classification in 1955:
- Premiers Grands Crus Classés (PGCC): divided into the top-tier “A” and secondary “B.”
- Grands Crus Classés (GCC): a separate, lower tier.
All producers in the Saint-Émilion region—around 600 châteaux—can label their wines Grand Cru. These wines are not automatically part of the higher-ranking Grands Crus Classés or Premiers Grands Crus Classés categories.
A Legacy Winery that Walked Away from the Rules.
Château Angélus: The Rebel of Saint-Émilion
Founded in 1782 on Bordeaux’s right bank, Château Angélus grows its grapes in soils of limestone, gravel, chalky clay, and blue clay. The micro-valleys of the region cool the land, creating ideal conditions for Merlot-dominant blends, which account for 75 percent of Saint-Émilion’s plantings.
Led by eight generations of the same family, Angélus had long held a coveted Premier Grand Cru Classé A ranking—until it withdrew from the Saint-Émilion classification in 2022, citing concerns about the evaluation process. Château Cheval Blanc and Château Ausone made the same decision.
According to Stéphanie de Boüard-Rivoal, President of Angélus, “Our family’s deep attachment to the region and to the reputation of its wines remains intact. Angélus will continue to actively promote Saint-Émilion and the great growths of Bordeaux across the world.”
During a private tasting with her at the Waldorf Astoria Residence Tower’s Empire Club, I sampled the outstanding 2015 vintage—a blend of 62% Merlot and 38% Cabernet Franc. Inky purple in color, the wine opens with aromas of dark fruit and violets, evolving with aeration into notes of black fig, cedar, and rose, all lifted by a lovely minerality. The palate is expressive with a persistent, elegant finish.
Why Château Montelena’s 1973 Chardonnay Changed Wine History
Across the Atlantic, Napa’s French-Inspired Contender
Nearly a century after the founding of Angélus, Alfred L. Tubbs purchased 254 acres in Calistoga in 1882. Enamored with French wine, he planted vines and built an American version of a Bordeaux château—what would become Château Montelena.
After changing ownership several times, the estate released a wine in 1978 made from entirely replanted vines. Its winemaker, Mike Grgich, later founded his own celebrated winery.
Château Montelena’s defining moment came in 1976 at The Judgment of Paris, a blind tasting that pitted top California wines against prestigious French bottles. In the white wine category, the 1973 Château Montelena Chardonnay placed first—beating out Burgundy’s finest.
A World of Wine Awaits
Even Now, There’s Never Been a Better Time for Wine
Even as some consumers drink less, those who enjoy wine have more excellent options than ever. Winemaking is more global, precise, and quality-driven, from vineyard practices to production methods. For anyone who loves a glass—or a pour—there’s never been a better time to explore.
This story originally appeared on Upscalelivingmag
