The Shawn Carter Foundation has announced the debut of “Bottle No. 1” of the new D’USSÉ 1969 Anniversaire Limited Edition at Sotheby’s.
The auction is being revealed as the first bottle of D’USSÉ’s small collection of ultra-rare Grande Champagne Cognac from a single barrel. It has aged for decades at one of the oldest and most storied Cognac houses in France—the Château de Cognac. The collection consists of a limited 285 bottles and all are numbered with an inscription on the topper to showcase their place in the batch, and they feature a 12-cut crystal diamond decanter design encased in a leather box adorned with opulent accents.
The estimated value of the donated Bottle No. 1 is between $25,000 and $75,000. Bottle No. 1 also boasts 24 karat gold foil around the neck and a signature from part-owner, legendary rapper-entrepreneur, and Cognac connoisseur Shawn “Jay-Z” Carter.
“When our Cellar Master, Michel Casavecchia, discovered the aged liquid at the Château de Cognac and explained how truly one of a kind it is, it was important to me to honor it by doing something that would celebrate its singularity,” said Jay-Z in a written statement. “Once that barrel is emptied, there’s no way the liquid can be recreated. The whole process behind the 1969 Anniversaire collection reminded me why I got involved in the spirits industry in the first
place—to create something that will stand the test of time. It means a lot that we’re finally able to share the D’USSÉ 1969 Anniversaire Limited Edition with the rest of the world, and we’re proud to auction the first bottle in the collection with Sotheby’s to benefit the Shawn Carter Foundation.”Online bidding for Bottle No. 1 will start March 1, 9 a.m. Eastern, at sothebys.com. The highest bid will be awarded and announced at the Sotheby’s Finest & Rarest Spirits sale on Saturday, March 13
, at 9 a.m. ET. Proceeds of the sale will benefit the Shawn Carter Foundation to support the professional development and entrepreneurship workshops designed for college alumni.Starting early May, the remaining bottles in the collection will be sold for a suggested retail price of $10,000 in key cities across the country.
Visit www.sothebys.com/en/digital-catalogues/rare-whisky-cognac-live-the-macallan-anecdotes-of-ages-the-bo-johnston-collection?locale=en to learn more about the auction for Bottle No. 1