Two Champagne Houses Unveil Designer-Dressed Bottlings

Two Champagne houses are dressing up their wines in time for the holidays. Both Pommery and Lanson unveiled special "haute couture" bottlings of their Champagnes that feature the work of two well-known fashion designers.

Lanson is offering a special edition of its Brut Champagne Noble CuvHe 1988 clothed by Paco Rabanne. The Spanish designer -- known for creating clothes from unusual materials, such as fluorescent leather, ostrich feathers, aluminum and paper -- outfitted the bottles with a silver-mesh dress, reminiscent of chain-mail armor.

The Lanson Noble CuvHe 1988 retails for $720 with the metal covering, which will be available in two colors: silver and gold. The company did not reveal exactly how many cases will be brought into the United States, but said it would be available the first week of December.

Pommery has been commissioning designers to create satchels for its special bottlings every year since 1996. This year, the house teamed with French designer Thierry Mugler to wrap up magnums of its Non-Vintage Brut Champagne Apanage.

The Mugler wrap is a cylindrical blue-and-silver case that completely encloses the bottle and unzips in a spiral pattern; the designer's signature stars are on the zipper. A spokeswoman for Pommery said the case could also serve as a make-up bag. The Pommery Brut Apanage special edition retails for $300, with 300 bottles imported into the United States, available Nov. 1.

Check out recent ratings of Lanson and Pommery.

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