LVMH-owned cognac brand Hennessy has unveiled a decanter designed by Canadian-born architect Frank Gehry to celebrate Hennessy X.O’s 150th anniversary.
The decanter, which display’s Gehry’s signature sculptural style, is a study in gold and glass. It is enveloped by a “crinkled sleeve” of bronze dipped in 24-carat gold that is said to evoke the movement of water reflecting light. Continuing on this same theme, a fractured glass glorifier encases the decanter. Among the elements that inspired Gehry’s design is the X.O blend itself and the Charente river than runs through the Hennessy estate.
"I used this crumpling effect of the material to give a feeling of movement," Gehry commented. "The materials I've chosen catch the light and make this a beautiful object on its own, but then one realizes it is a bottle of Hennessy X.O."
The coffret houses the decanter and glorifier, as well a fusil (the pipette used by cellar masters to extract cognac from the bottle) made of brass and gold. The coffret is crafted from compressed cardboard in a nod to the corrugated cardboard furniture the architect designed in the 1970s.
Just 150 of the decanters were produced. Gehry has also designed a limited-edition Hennessy X.O bottle, which is set for wider release and will be rolled out worldwide. Hennessy’s iconic carafe, with its shape inspired by an upturned bunch of grapes, was first created in 1947.
