Rapper Jay-Z will auction his ‘one-of-a-kind’ signed 1969 bottle of D’Ussé Cognac at Sotheby’s next month to raise money for the Shawn Carter Foundation
Expected to sell for up to US$75,000, the bottle is number one of a limited-edition series created in celebration of Carter’s 50th birthday on 4 December 2019. 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.
The liquid comes from one of the oldest Cognac houses in France, Château de Cognac. It was bottled from a rare single barrel and was matured for decades in a 200-year-old cellar.
Carter said: “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 honour it by doing something that would celebrate its singularity. Once that barrel is emptied, there’s no way the liquid can be recreated.
“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.”
The bottle is also the only one in the collection to feature Jay-Z’s signature and the first to be made available to the public as part of Sotheby’s first dedicated live spirits auction in New York.
Jonny Fowle, Sotheby’s spirits specialist, said: “We have seen an increasing rise in demand for Cognac in recent years, from the oldest and most valuable vintage Cognac sold at auction to ultra-premium brands.
“We are delighted to support the Shawn Carter Foundation with the sale of this highly special bottle of D’Ussé Cognac. As we have recently expanded our sales of spirits, there is no better time to offer this special lot in New York.”
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.
For more information about the auction, go to sothebys.com