Our Stories

Brand New: Our Relaunch Evening at Hôtel de Crillon, Paris

Wednesday 19th July 2017, Château de Pommard started a new chapter of it’s 300 years of history. This is the evening when we presented our brand new brand. Fundamentally revisited. The moment when the new generation of guardians of Pommard, Famille Carabello-Baum, proudly unveiled new a shape and a new philosophy to the greatest tastemakers of France and the wine world.


Shaking Things Up:  Turning the wine world on its head, our new bottles make heads’ spin

The location could not have been more perfect or appropriate.

The event began at 7pm and was hosted at Paris’ Hôtel de Crillon, a historic luxury and landmark hotel in the heart of the nation’s capital. The building has enjoyed a gorgeous renovation, and reopened two weeks ago after a four-year €200 million ($222 million) refurbishment.

Naturally, it seemed the ideal scene to host our brand relaunch. With both Château de Pommard and Hotel de Crillon – founded only 30 years apart (1726 and 1758 respectively), and both currently enjoying successfully renovations and relaunches in July 2017.

Hôtel de Crillon: First opened in 1758, the luxury hotel has just reopened after four years of renovation

To mark the occasion, we invited more than 60 influential voices in the French wine industry. They were invited to the Crillon and renew their affection for Château de Pommard. While here, our exulted guests felt the sweet curves of our new bottle, breathed in the new super elegant labels… They engaged with fascinating presentations about our new Wine Experiences by winemaker Emmanuel Sala and propriétaire Michael Baum. They could also indulged in the seductive chanteusery of Nouvelle Star singer Mélanie June who performed two 45-minute sets. Of course, our VIPs also had the chance to savor a selection of exclusive Family and Clos wines we brought with us to show off and serve.


Raison d’être: Hôtel de Crillon’s Terrace had an amazing view of Place de la Concorde

Suffice to say, the brand relaunch event was a success.

Excellent conversations, positive feedback, nods of approval all-round. Making new friends helped us all wake up with smiles today… so thank you to everyone who came. Thank you for your support and kind words.


Nouvelle Star: TV’s singing sensation Mélanie June, accompanied by her band

The brand relaunch was something we thought about for a long time.

The evolution was put in motion two years ago when Famille Carabello-Baum purchased the winery. The family sought to evolve the typical Burgundy branding concept and collaborated with Eric Chalvin, founder of Delenvie, based in Annecy-le-Vieux, for the bottle design, as well as Paris-based Appartement 103, on the labels and packaging elements. The family’s goal was simple: to reimagine Burgundy for the 21st century.


Rooms With A View: We organized the relaunch across four newly renovated rooms: Salon des Aigles, Salon Marie Antoinette, Salon des Batailles and the awe-inspiring vistas of the Terrace

  
Team Château: Michael Baum, CEO; Charlotte Fougere Tampereau, Business Development Director 

“Our vision is to resonate with a new generation of wine lovers who are drawn to the convivial Burgundy lifestyle and seek a harmonious relationship with nature, all within a brand they can trust and deeply engage with.”
Michael Baum, CEO of Famille-Carabello-Baum


Expert Opinions: Philippe Faure-Brac was awarded the honor of Best Sommelier of the World 1992

For the new bottle design, Delenvie were tasked to create something fresh but familiar. “Our mission was to explore how could we bring the traditional Burgundy bottle into modernity while retaining the classic feeling,” Chalvin explains. “Building the new brand from the inside out, starting with the bottle, enabled us to rethink everything. The new bottle is avant-garde, which perfectly expresses this momentous evolution of Château de Pommard.”


Swirling the Night Away: A selection of Family and Clos wines were served and savored throughout the evening

The bottle’s new shape, has shoulders positioned higher on the body and taper to the base of the bottle revealing more sleek contours and curves. We also removed the traditional lip at top of the bottle so the neck now flows upward and outward, further enhancing the modern elegance of the shoulders.

  
On Display: The brand relaunch hosted more than 60 wine industry connoisseurs and just as many bottles

“What’s impressive about the new Château de Pommard brand is its sensitivity to the modern consumer. Those who care equally about beauty and originality as they do about nature and sustainability. The new bottle is stunning, but the focus on natural practices and pure expression of terroir is the most important.”
Gérard Margeon, Head Sommelier and Executive Wine Director at Alain Ducasse’s restaurants


VIP Indeed: Our honored guest, Gérard Margeon, Executive Wine Director at Alain Ducasse’s restaurants


Showing Off: Mélanie June and her band try to tune a bottle of Clos Marey-Monge 2013

In tandem with developing the new bottle, Famille Carabello-Baum also set out to revolutionize the Burgundy wine label. For two years, the team undertook extensive trials and design approaches to find the perfect solution. “The first priority was to build an inspiring brand philosophy. We wanted it to resonate with the new wine consumer and guide all our packaging strategy.” explains Julien Zylbermann, founder of Appartement 103. “When we first began working together, we immediately understood that Château de Pommard had everything in its roots to become a world-class luxury brand. It has an incredible heritage and savoir faire, producing some of the most exquisite wines in the world. It is a brand that has a very direct relationship with its customers. The new bottle and packaging embrace that intimacy in a modern way that captures the passion of Burgundy winemaking.”


Special Guests: Seika Hosokawa, left, sommelier at Hotel Royal Monceau; Philippe Séré and Kaori Yamazaki from Ambassade de Bourgogne

Alongside the new brand, new website, new bottle, new labels and new state of mind, the team of Château de Pommard has also looked outward. We carefully considered the desires and expectations of guests and visitors.

Since late 2016, the team also developed six new Wine Experiences, each one offering a refreshing perspective on the region. Conceived in collaboration with our very own sommeliers and Wine & Spirit Education Trust professionals, these immersive Wine Experiences are built to satisfy novices, intermediates and seasoned wine enthusiasts and offer educational insights into the revered world of Burgundy’s terroir, as well as the Château’s conversion to biodynamic winemaking.

Since their launch in April 2017, the Wine Experiences have proved incredibly popular. It validates the family’s belief that there is much more they can do to fully realize the awesome potential of this sacred geography.


On the Roof: A view equally as good as the wine. Hôtel de Crillon’s Terrace hosts a sight to behold

“Built within a unique wine destination, the newly branded wine experiences of the Château de Pommard allow novice visitors and seasoned enthusiasts alike to (re)discover wine education in a prestigious Château. Part of the UNESCO effort to promote the Climats of Burgundy, the renewal of Château de Pommard is a major new asset for France to attract wine travelers from all over the world.”
Martin Lhuillier, Head of Wine Tourism at Atout France, the French National Tourism Development Agency

All three of the family’s Clos Marey-Monge wines (Vivant Micault, Clos Marey-Monge Monopole and Simone) and all of the Family wines, produced within the Côte de Nuits and Côte de Beaune, are available in the new bottle and branding, starting with the treasured 2014 vintage.

Only one question remains: Where do we go next?

For more information about Château de Pommard’s relaunch, head on over to Our Stories at www.chateaudepommard.com

For more information about Hôtel de Crillon, check out https://www.rosewoodhotels.com/en/hotel-de-crillon