One-of-a-Kind D'USSÉ® Bottle Featuring Rare Grande Champagne Cognac and Signature from Shawn "JAY-Z" Carter is Unveiled

MIAMI, Feb. 25, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- The Shawn Carter Foundation is proud to debut "Bottle No. 1" of the new D'USSÉ 1969 Anniversaire Limited Edition at Sotheby's, the world's largest, most trusted and dynamic marketplace for art and luxury.

The auction will reveal the first bottle of D'USSÉ's small collection of ultra-rare Grande Champagne Cognac from a single barrel, which has aged for decades at one of the oldest and most storied Cognac houses in France—the Château de Cognac. All 285 bottles in the covetable collection are numbered with an inscription on the topper to showcase their place in the batch, and feature a 12-cut crystal diamond decanter design encased in a luxurious leather box adorned with opulent accents. With an estimated value of $25,000-75,000, the donated 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.

Under the tutelage of the senior-most cellar master working today, Maître de Chai Michel Casavecchia, the distinctive liquid has at long last matured harmoniously to reach wholeness, and can never be replicated once emptied from the barrel. Carter first tasted the unique Cognac many years ago and found it so remarkable that he noted it must be carefully saved for a momentous occasion. After D'USSÉ surprised him with the first ever bottle in celebration of his 50th birthday, Carter is finally presenting the collection to the world in partnership with the Shawn Carter Foundation and Sotheby's for the first—and only—time in history.

"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," shared Carter. "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 begins at sothebys.com starting March 1, 2021 at 9am ET. The highest bid will be awarded and announced at the Sotheby's Finest & Rarest Spirits sale on Saturday, March 13, 2021 at 9am ET. All proceeds will benefit the Shawn Carter Foundation to directly support the professional development and entrepreneurship workshops designed for college alumni. Starting early May, the remaining bottles in the collection will retail for a suggested retail price of $10,000 in key cities across the country.

"It's been an honor to watch this exquisite liquid mature at the historic Château de Cognac," says Casavecchia. "Now bright gold with shiny reflections, the Cognac in each bottle of the 1969 Anniversaire Limited Edition has rich aromas of fresh walnut, hazelnut, and candied apple, and a flavor profile that reveals an incomparable potency—woody at the start, with a long finish of stewed fruits, a touch of leather, and cigar box. It's with immense privilege that we welcome this collection to the D'USSÉ family."

The D'USSÉ 1969 Anniversaire Limited Edition collection encapsulates the essence of D'USSÉ Cognac: rich in heritage, complete in flavor, and made at the highest quality.

For more information about the auction for Bottle No. 1, please visit www.sothebys.com/en/digital-catalogues/rare-whisky-cognac-live-the-macallan-anecdotes-of-ages-the-bo-johnston-collection?locale=en. For more information about the Shawn Carter Foundation please visit www.shawncartersf.com/. For more information about D'USSÉ, please visit www.DUSSE.com. For any questions, please contact [email protected].

About the Shawn Carter Foundation:
The Shawn Carter Foundation (SCF) was founded as a public charity in 2003 by Gloria Carter and her son, Shawn "JAY-Z" Carter.  The mission of the Shawn Carter Foundation is to help individuals facing socio-economic hardships further their education at postsecondary institutions.  In doing so, the goal is to significantly increase the educational, social and economic prospects of traditionally underserved students so they can fulfill their dreams and become positive contributors to the global community.  Since the Foundation's inception, over $17MM have supported initiatives to empower young adults and communities in need through the Foundation's following programs: Scholarship Fund, College Prep and Exposure, International Exposure, Professional Development, Wealth Management, Scholar Support and Community & Goodwill Programs.

About Sotheby's Wine
Established in 1744, Sotheby's is the world's premier destination for art and luxury. Synonymous with innovation, Sotheby's promotes access, connoisseurship and preservation of fine art and rare objects through auctions, private sales and retail locations. Our trusted global marketplace is supported by a network of specialists spanning 40 countries and 50 categories, which include Contemporary Art, Modern and Impressionist Art, Jewelry, Watches, and Wine and Spirits, among many others.

Sotheby's Wine's annual worldwide auction sales of wine and spirits totaled an outstanding $92 million in 2020, with over 15,000 lots sold across 41 sales – a nearly 50% increase in the number of auctions held in 2019. Over $60 million of wine and spirits were sold to online bidders in 2020 versus $28 million in 2019, with 85% of all lots offered finding online buyers. Demonstrating continued strength in Asia, Sotheby's led the market in the region for the third consecutive year, with over 70% of the total bid amount in all Wine and Spirits sales attributed to collectors in Asia.

Sotheby's Wine's has had the privilege of auctioning numerous record-breaking wines and spirits in recent years, with 2020 alone witnessing new world auction records for any bottle of Japanese whisky, any bottle of whisky produced by the Dalmore Distillery, as well as any bottle of Cognac. Sotheby's Wine currently holds the world records for any whisky collection ever sold at auction, any private wine collection ever sold at auction, the most expensive bottle of wine ever sold at auction and the most expensive bottle of spirits ever sold at auction.

In addition to auction, Sotheby's Wine launched a retail business in 2010. With a retail store located in Sotheby's New York headquarters and e-commerce at www.sothebyswine.com, Sotheby's Wine offers a carefully curated selection of wines from the world's most prestigious producers and important regions. Expertly assembled by our experienced specialists, the selection is built upon lasting relationships with winemakers from across the globe, with bottles that are ready for immediate consumption, in addition to investment-worthy wines from highly sought-after vintages. A second retail location opened in Sotheby's Hong Kong galleries in 2014.

About D'USSÉ:
D'USSÉ [dew-say] is a bold new expression of Cognac that dares the palate like never before. Born from the prestigious Chateau de Cognac, France, D'USSÉ blends over 200 years of tradition with the inspiration of a passionate Cellar Master who set out to create his own legacy. The D'USSÉ Cognac range consists of VSOP (Very Superior Old Pale) and XO (Extra Old) qualities.

For more information please visit www.DUSSE.com

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©2021 D'USSE IS A TRADEMARK. COGNAC – 40% ALC. BY VOL.

SOURCE Shawn Carter Foundation

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