Boat International US Edition — December 2017

BOAT LIFE

WWW.BOATINTERNATIONAL.COM

PHOTOGRAPH: GRAEME MONTGOMERY

DECEMBER 2017

It’s Christmas so why not give (or crack

open) something special to drink – and

to celebrate, suggests Malachy Duffy

Make merry

Now is the time for indulgences, the season to purchase things that you

might not consider at other periods of the year. Not just for yourself, of

course, but for those you particularly like and love.

So here are a couple of choice bottles that I think would add considerably

to your own festivities, and that would show a chosen few the special

regard and affection in which you hold them. These are not necessarily

the most expensive bottles in their respective categories. Some are far

costlier, but their price generally has more to do with the packaging than

the contents – like a diamond-studded bottle of limoncello, or a platinum-

clad bottle of tequila. I commend these for the products themselves.

Well, I just lied – a little. One of the great names in single malt Scotch,

Macallan, has a superb rare whisky, a 57-year-old, which is part of a series

of single malts that it has released in custom designed Lalique decanters.

However, you will find the whisky itself sublime, with its appearance of

aged cherry, its nose of currant, dried plum, a touch of sandalwood and a

hint of peat, and a gratifying palate of peat, dark caramel and chocolate

and a sliver of dried fruit.

Champagne is a necessity for the holidays. And I can think of no better

bottle than the 2002 Krug Clos du Mesnil Brut Blanc de Blancs. Made from

the grapes of a single vineyard, this is a stunning offering from a

champagne house that never fails to impress. And the 2002 is exceptional.

Complex, lively, engaging, it draws you in with aromas of citrus, a dash

of pepper and the hint of toasted brioche that I so love in a fine

champagne. The crisp refined palate echoes the citrus of the nose with a

taste of white peach and apricot.

Les Ateliers Courbet is known

for finding the ultimate

handmade luxury home items.

When the design gallery

opens a Miami outpost this

month, founder Melanie

Courbet will have an eye to

the specific needs of her

yacht-owning clientele.

Partnering with Laure

Hériard Dubreuil of multi-

brand fashion house The

Webster, Les Ateliers Courbet

will be bringing its wares to

Hériard Dubreuil’s art deco

South Beach location. Among

the yacht-oriented pieces on

offer will be a series of service

sets from the Wiener Silber

Manufactur, designed by

Spanish-born Tómas Alonso

(above). The tea set (below) is

elegantly fluted in homage to

the Wiener Werkstätte, but its

early modernist appeal hides

its functional genius. Each

piece seems to hover above

the wave-like ripples on the

tray, but in fact is designed to

fit in seamless slots, making

the set resistant

to turbulence.

$16,000,

ateliercourbet.com

Classic design pieces fit for

a life at sea are sailing into

Miami, says Mieke ten Have

SILVER SERVICE

From left: the

Macallan 57 in

Lalique, $98,000,

pstreetwines.com;

2002 Krug Clos du

Mesnil Brut Blanc de

Blancs, $900,

klwines.com

KEEP

IT COOL

WITH A CHIC

CHAMPAGNE

BUCKET

boatint.com/

champagne-

buckets

56