SINGAPORE. To mark its 150th anniversary, the House of Camus has released the fifth edition of its Masterpiece Collection – the Camus Cuvée 5.150 – commemorating the five generations of the Camus family.
Released in a limited edition of 1492 numbered decanters, the Cuvée 5.150 comes in a Baccarat crystal decanter. It made its premiere at Singapore Changi Airport on 11 January with a price tag of S$6,866 (US$5,600), making DFS the first retailer in Asia Pacific to launch the product.
To celebrate the launch and the house’s 150th year, DFS organised an exclusive dinner last month for members of the DFS Platinum Services Club (PSC), the travel retailer’s invitation-only customer loyalty programme.
The private dinner took place at Au Petit Salut in Dempsey Hill and hosted 15 PSC members and their guests, along with representatives from DFS, Camus and The Moodie Report. Camus Global Brand Ambassador Frédéric Dezauzier was also on hand to take guests on a special tasting of the Camus Cuvée 5.150.
“DFS and Camus have a very long history,” said Camus Wines & Spirits Commercial Director Asia-Pacific Anne Blois. “Fifty-two years ago in Hong Kong, Michel Camus, the third generation of the House, forged a very special partnership with DFS to distribute Camus Cognac in all DFS stores in the Asian region.”
Cuvée 5.150 is a blend of five ancestral cognacs, each chosen for its character to symbolise the distinguishing mark left by the successive generations of the family at the head of the House. Cyril Camus, the fifth generation and current President of the company, described it as “a tribute to how each generation has built on the skills of the previous one and breathed new life into lasting traditions”.
In alignment with this concept, Au Petit Salut’s Chef Paul Longworth created a customised five-course menu, with each course inspired by a particular head of the Camus family: Jean-Baptiste Camus, Edmond & Gaston Camus, Michel Camus, Jean-Paul Camus, and Cyril Camus.
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Camus Global Brand Ambassador Frédéric Dezauzier (right) leads the tasting of the Cuvée 5.150 alongside emcee Denise Keller |
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(Left) Camus Wines & Spirits Commercial Director Asia-Pacific Anne Blois highlights the 52-year partnership between DFS and Camus Wines & Spirits; (Right) Frédéric Dezauzier with The Moodie Report’s Melody Ng | |
The making of Cuvée 5.150
To create the Cuvée 5.150, Camus has chosen five very rare eaux-de-vie from five different growths – Grande and Petite Champagne, Borderies, Fins Bois and Bons Bois. Blended together these eaux-de-vie form a completely new Cognac, the house said.
The strong character and temperament of Jean-Baptiste Camus (1835-1901) is represented by the eau-de-vie from the Bons Bois growth chosen for its “noble structure”, the company said. Jean-Baptiste opted for independence by founding his own house so that he could set his own standards of quality according to his personal perception of taste.
When Gaston Camus (1865-1945) took over from his father to manage the company alongside his brother Edmond, the pair started selling Camus Cognac in glass bottles to preserve its quality – soon after Camus became the official supplier to the Imperial Court of Russia. Homage to this era is paid by the Fins Bois within the Cuvée 5.150, delivering its “smooth and keen character”, said Camus.
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The Cuvée 5.150 is the fifth edition of the Camus Masterpiece Collection commemorating the five generations of the Camus family |
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“When you taste an exceptional cognac, you are left with a lasting memory in your heart, as if sculpted by emotion. This is precisely what we were thinking of when we blended the Cuvée 5.150: the strength of the memory that it will leave behind”“ |
Cyril Camus President Camus Wines & Spirits |
The House of Camus is led into its third generation by Michel Camus (1911-1985) as the time came for expansion. The length of the Petite Champagne eaux-de-vie is said to be a tribute to Michel Camus.
Under the guidance of Jean-Paul Camus (1945-), the House acquired new vineyards within the Borderies growth – the birthplace of the Camus family. The typical body and persistence of eaux-de-vie from the Borderies area is a reminder of this time, the brand owner added.
With Cyril Camus (1971-) as President, the Camus House is now setting new standards. In honour of this fifth chapter in the Camus story, the finesse of the Grande Champagne area was chosen to bring “an upward, clear and distinct movement” to the Cuvée 5.150 blend, the House said.
Tasting notes
On the nose, there is initially a subtle aroma of vanilla, enhanced by green wood and spice. This evolves towards more exotic notes, before the appearance of hints of candied lemon and rancio.
The palate starts with vanilla notes that become gradually creamier and milkier; ripe fruit, especially apricot and pear are next revealed and alternate with exotic fruit (mango, passion fruit) and a light touch of sweet almond. At the finish, which is long and soft, the palate is left with a memory of dried fruits whereby the rancio develops into a fruity, delicately oaked and persistent taste by retro-olfaction.
The decanter
When the Camus House celebrated its 100th anniversary, French sculptor Serge Mansau created the Jubilee decanter to commemorate the event. Since then, each of the decanters in the Masterpiece Collection has been inspired by the same outline as this work of art: an asymmetrical crystal decanter crowned by a dramatic stopper, sculpted from a block of black lacquered crystal.
The Cuvée 5.150 decanter is designed by Baccarat to be reminiscent of a precious stone with clear-cut lines and rounded and delicate edges.
The decanter lies inside a bright black-lacquered wooden case inset with a brushed steel metal plaque. In the centre, sculpted into the lid of the case like a stamp, the emblematic clover leaf of the Camus brand allows a little of the amber-coloured cognac inside the case to be seen.
Among the 1492 numbered decanters that Camus will release for this Cuvée 5.150, the first 150 decanters will be individually numbered 001/150/1492. With each of the first 150 decanters of Cuvée 5.150, an individually numbered 100ml – which may be engraved with the name of the owner if desired – contains the last sample taken by the Cellar Master just before the decanters were filled.
| https://youtube.com/watch?v=ZUrSvXrCYPw |
Click to view the YouTube video of the making of Camus Cuvée 5.150 |
Other 150th anniversary year highlights
Besides the unveiling of Cuvée 5.150, Camus is also marking its 150th year with the introduction of a new logo featuring a streamlined version of its iconic cloverleaf.
Camus is launching a renewed website (www.camus.fr) and YouTube channel (www.youtube.com/user/camuscognaccorner) to share brand insight and product exclusives. Its Facebook page (www.facebook.com/Camus.Cognac) features a competition starting in March encouraging fans and followers to share pictures on their ‘Finer things in life’, Camus’ mission.
On the occasion of the 150th celebrations, Ch̢teau du Plessis Рthe Camus family home in Cognac Рwill also see the launch of the new Elegance range with its premium packaging and redesigned bottles.
A commemorative book published by Editions de La Martinière and a documentary film will also be released.
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Château du Plessis, the Camus family home in Cognac, will launch the new Elegance range with its premium packaging and redesigned bottles |
