Hardy Cognac and Lalique have created a film promoting a collaborative product launched earlier this year; Hardy’s Le Printemps carafe.

 

In June this year, crystal maker Lalique created a bottle for Hardy Cognac, inspired by a fragrance flacon. “Its lines are feminine and its spectacular sculpted stopper with almond-green tints is reminiscent of some of the creations by René Lalique in the early 20th century,” says Hardy Cognac.

 

The Printemps carafe contains a blend of small batches of Grande Champagne, carefully partitioned off by Armand Hardy at the end of the Second World War. Just 400 bottles of the Printemps series are set to be released.

 

Hardy Cognac says that the film (displayed below) “shows the extreme complexity of production of this very unique decanter which needs more than 40 different operations before being ready to be married with an exceptional cognac.” The recommended retail price is €12,500.

 

 

Hardy says it is targeting Paris, Moscow, St Petersburg, Amsterdam, London and Frankfurt airports ‘in a first step’.

 

The carafe will come in two formats, 70 and 75 cl, in order to meet the requirements of all markets, with the USA and China at the forefront.

 

The House of Hardy was founded by English gentleman Anthony Hardy in 1863. Anthony Hardy ran a wine and spirits business in London prior to settling in the Charente, where he set up as a distiller and wine broker.

 

“Hardy fell in love with this corner of France, changing his first name from Anthony to Antoine and adopting the rooster as his coat of arms — the same rooster that still appears on every bottle and decanter, the symbol and emblem of the Hardy Cognac brand,” says the brand.