Cover D'ussé’s “Bottle No. 1” of the 1969 Anniversaire Limited Edition is one of just 285 bottles in existence and has just sold for US$52K at auction. (Photo: Sotheby's)

D'ussé’s “Bottle No. 1” of the 1969 Anniversaire Limited Edition is one of just 285 bottles in existence

The Shawn Carter Foundation, in collaboration with Sotheby’s auction house, recently debuted "Bottle No. 1" of the new D'ussé 1969 Anniversaire Limited Edition—an ultra-rare bottle of cognac that is one of just 285 in existence. 

The limited edition bottle sold for an impressive US$52K at auction last week, will all proceeds going toward Shawn Carter Foundation, a public charity founded by Shawn “Jay-Z” Carter and his mother, Gloria Carter, that aims to help individuals facing socio-economic hardships further their education at postsecondary institutions.

The first bottle of D'ussé's small collection of ultra-rare Grande Champagne Cognac comes from a single barrel, which has aged for decades at one of the most storied Cognac houses in France—Château de Cognac. All of the bottles are numbered with an inscription to showcase their place in the batch. Placed in a 12-cut crystal diamond decanter encased in a leather box, the bottle also comes with a 24 karat gold foil around its neck that has been signed by owner Jay-Z himself.

“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,” Shawn “Jay-Z” Carter shared in a press release. “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.”

Under the care of cellar master Maître de Chai Michel Casavecchia, when Carter first tasted the unique Cognac, he found it so exquisite that it “must be carefully saved for a momentous occasion.” And as it turned out, it was. D'ussé surprised Carter with his first ever bottle in celebration of his 50th birthday—and this bottle under the hammer will be the only time it will be available to the public.

“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,” Carter added.

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