Tastemakers behind world’s most expensive Champagne continue to break boundaries, introducing another supremely-luxe bottle of bubbly in the U.S.

The Ultra-luxury wine and spirits purveyor Prodiguer Brands, which privately develops and markets many of the world’s finest, award-winning wines and spirits, has just its newest offering, Champagne Maurice Vendôme, which is now exclusively available in the United States marketplace. This latest offering, one that I have personally had the extreme fortune of sipping and savoring, furthers the company’s extraordinary and revered portfolio of premium ultra-grade adult beverage brands specifically tailored for the global luxury market to meet evolving consumer desires and tastes. 

Credit Prodiguer Brands

About this new release Prodiguer Brands’ Managing Partner and Sommelier, Noel Shu, remarked, “This rare Grand Cru Réserve Blanc de Blancs champagne represents over 100 years of combined experience, expertise and leadership by our team and the Maurice Vendôme wine grower. Housed within the beautiful village of Oger in the Côte des Blancs region, Champagne Maurice Vendôme has ancestral ties dating back to the French Revolution. It’s an exquisite champagne that benefits from Oger’s rich soils that provide the perfect setting for luxury winemaking.”

Vetting Maurice Vendôme
Using 100% rated rare Grand Cru grapes and a limited annual production, Maurice Vendôme offers an exquisite experience of luxurious quality and exclusivity. “The caliber and excellence of this rare Grand Cru Réserve Blanc de Blancs champagne is uncompromised, further entrenching Maurice Vendôme as ‘a timeless luxury’,” says Prodiguer Brands’ Founder, Shammi Shinh.

The art of Champagne is usually created with the combination of three different types of grapes—Chardonnay, Pinot Meunier and Pinot Noir. However, Champagne Maurice Vendôme uses exclusively 100% Chardonnay to create a unique Blanc de Blancs luxury cuvée. Prodiguer reports that each Chardonnay grape is delicately handpicked from only the finest vineyards in Champagne country and then pressed to release their first juice, premiér taille.

For your edification and enticement, here are the official tasting notes for the venerable Maurice Vendôme Champagne:

• Colour: Straw yellow appearance
• Nose: Intense white fruits, sweet on the nose, slightly floral
• Palate: Creamy smooth refreshing palate, full delicate flavor
• Finish: Charming fresh finish
• Premiér taille of 100% Grand Cru Chardonnay
• Hand-picked, sorted and pressed within 24 hours
• Liqueur de dosage: Chardonnay wine with melted cane sugar at 12 g/liter, this champagne then rests for a further four months after disgorgement, resulting in a luxury aroma, taste, body, and finish
• Formats: 75cl ($190-210) and Magnum 1.51 ($389-$450) – larger sizes by special order

Prodiguer Brands is far from a one hit wonder but rather is a revered industry veteran with a prestigious pedigree.  Indeed, Shinh and the company gained much notoriety for developing and facilitating the record-breaking sale of the most expensive single bottle of Champagne in the world—a limited edition bottle that sold for a staggering $1.8 million in 2013.

Beyond Bubbles: JULIET Vodka an “Immaculate” Elixir
Also in the Prodiguer Brands’ preeminent portfolio is JULIET Immaculate Vodka, which is the world’s first “Immaculate”-graded vodka—ranking it above other premium, super-premium and even ultra-premium brands. Notably, this “Immaculate” rank was actually incepted by Prodiguer Brands, itself, as was required to aptly classify this caliber of vodka, and is a grade now recognized and accepted by industry professionals worldwide.

Upon its official launch in Monte Carlo, Monaco in 2014 during the prestigious, Formula One Grand Prix weekend at the exclusive Ermanno Palace Penthouse, this luxury vodka subsequently appeared at a multitude of A-list events in key regions around the world, including New York City, Barcelona, Paris, Sweden and London. At that time, the brand released a range of Collector’s Edition bottles featuring artwork from renowned New York City based artist, Sue Tsai, based around the F1 and the Brazil World Cup 2014.

“Prodiguer Brands expressly separated JULIET from competitors by creating a vodka using a boutique production process to ensure the highest quality vodka that boasts seven distinct unique selling propositions,” notes Shu, who continued on to describe each. “For one, the vodka weighs in at 43% alcohol volume (is 86 proof), and is only distilled a single time. As the vodka is handcrafted in small batches and great care is taken to prevent impurities from entering at any point in the process, the result is an impeccably pure vodka that does not need to be distilled multiple times. In addition, the vodka is gluten free as, by using high quality sugar beet that the brand ferments in-house, gluten is avoided entirely. The sweetness of the sugar beet also levels out the strong 43% alcohol volume, leaving pleasant smooth vanilla notes. Moreover, the vodka does not require any additional filtration as it is purified in copper pot stills during the distillation process and, packaging-wise, it uses wood top natural corks and tin foil capsules to exemplify the brand’s approach to using natural, non-toxic and renewable materials.” For inquiring minds, JULIET Immaculate Vodka is 100% British, created at its own dedicated distillery based in the South of England, United Kingdom.

A Shu-In
As captivating as all of these spirits certainly are, spokesperson Noel Shu is a fascinating subject unto himself. This internationally-regarded sommelier turned Managing Partner for the ultra-luxe, award-winning wine and spirts purveyor Prodiguer Brands, is a self-made millionaire since his early 20s. With impeccable panache and style, the entrepreneurial-minded Shu has already accomplished more than many do in an entire lifetime. For example, has personally designed and sold extraordinary multi-million dollar timepieces and necklaces to China’s elite through his ancillary, highly successful luxury jewelry business.  As a globally-minded business practitioner, Shu understands commerce on both sides of the Pacific and brings that expertise to bear with his various ventures, including the highly anticipated upcoming release of “Regale Ruby”—an exclusive wine brand expressly developed for the Chinese marketplace, which will be exported to the region in early 2016.  Also an author, another upcoming release for Shu is his buzz-worthy book, “China Through a Glass of Wine.” As if all of this would not keep him busy enough, despite his busy schedule Shu is also currently pursuing an Ivy League Master’s degree at Columbia University.

As for Prodiguer Brands, itself, this collective of masterful minds is behind a multitude of sumptuous and sophisticated wines and spirits. The company is led by Shammi Shinh, a luxury industry authority whose credentials include commissions by the likes of Christian Louboutin and Philipp Plein to help the brands captivate the affluent marketplace.  Recently Shinh and Shu revealed that Prodiguer Brands will soon boast yet another rollout. Namely, in 2016 the company will be releasing what is purported to be one of the world’s finest rosé offerings in the U.S. market: the highly anticipated SIA Rosé.

Notably, Shinh is also a member of The Billionaires Club—a responsive community of engaged, pre-qualified “members” with distinct tastes and interests, from exotic cars, private jets, and uber-extravagant bottles of champagne to the latest residential real estate developments and other ventures. The Club currently boasts more than 2 million Instagram followers.

Even amid the anticipation of the Prodiguer Brands launch activity up ahead, fortunately we can all kick back right now with a baroque bottle of Maurice Vendôme—one of the world’s finest Champagnes that’s sure to impress even the most persnickety palate.

***Some or all of the accommodations(s), experience(s), item(s) and/or service(s) detailed above may have been provided at no cost and/or arranged to accommodate this review, but all opinions expressed are entirely those of Merilee Kern and have not been influenced in any way as per the disclosure policy on our “Legal” page***