Veuve Clicquot and Jacquemus collab brings a luxury touch to Mother’s Day in Auckland

A premium Mother’s Day offering is coming to Auckland fine-dining stalwart Paris Butter in celebration of an iconic French pairing.

With Mother’s Day just around the corner, many of us will be preparing to gather the usual suspects: fresh flowers, boxed chocolates, a greeting card, and perhaps a bottle of her preferred bubbly. But if you’re after a gift with a little more je ne sais quoi this year, then look no further.

This April, premier champagne house Veuve Clicquot is bringing its highly anticipated collaboration with leading French designer, Simon Porte Jacquemus, to Aotearoa. This special partnership bridged the worlds of champagne and couture last year with the release of a limited-edition 2018 vintage of the maison’s prestige cuvée, La Grande Dame: a bottle as unique as Madame Clicquot’s legendary vision.

To mark the local debut of this exciting collaboration, Paris Butter – a stalwart of Auckland’s fine-dining scene – will host an exclusive, bookable Mother’s Day celebration. On May 10, guests will commemorate the occasion in style with a curated four-course lunch, with each mother taking home a complimentary bouquet. As the only venue in Aotearoa to offer the limited-edition La Grande Dame 2018, you may also add a bottle to your booking for the ultimate indulgence.

This is a rare opportunity to not only treat your mother to a premium outing but celebrate a luxury collaboration never-before-seen in Aotearoa.

What makes the Veuve Clicquot and Jacquemus limited-edition La Grande Dame 2018 so special?

At its core, the partnership between Veuve Clicquot and Simon Porte Jacquemus is a tribute to women. The legacy of Madame Clicquot, who began helming the house in 1805 and became one of the first modern businesswomen, deeply resonates with Jacquemus, whose own work is inspired by and dedicated to the memory of his late mother.

“La Grande Dame 2018 is the outcome of simple materials, meaningful gestures, and strong women’s stories, yet it is ultimately a celebration of and for optimistic and memorable moments,” he says.

First released in 2025, La Grande Dame 2018 – the 25th vintage of the cuvée – honours Madame Clicquot’s groundbreaking vision ‘L’Art du Pinot Noir’, with a blend that features 90% Pinot Noir, her favourite grape variety.

“Our black grapes give the finest white wines,” she once wrote.

‘L’Art du Pinot Noir’ is Madame Clicquot’s philosophy that Pinot Noir is the only grape capable of expressing the complexity of the champagne terroir. For over 200 years, the maison has mastered this delicate grape variety – now its signature – to create wines of unparalleled finesse.

Following in Madame Clicquot’s footsteps, today’s Cellar Master has finetuned the balance between selected Pinot Noirs to achieve La Grande Dame’s unique oenological signature.

Naturally, everything about the design and presentation of La Grande Dame 2018 – from the gift box to the wrapping – has been carefully considered, nothing an afterthought.

Both Jacquemus and Veuve Clicquot are ardent appreciators of the sun: the maison’s iconic shade of yellow, introduced in 1977, evokes warmth and joy, while Jacquemus is continually influenced by the brightly lit landscapes of his hometown in southern France. Vibrant yellow accents adorn the white gift box, which is sheathed in a “toile du Marais” fabric with sun rays and a ribbon alternating the Veuve Clicquot logo and Jacquemus’s signature. On the bottle itself, Jacquemus’s penmanship and the handwritten La Grande Dame logo are printed on an irregularly edged yellow label embossed with sun rays.

The bottle is also swathed in white linen, a poetic nod to family heirlooms being sun-dried and starched with Marseille soap, and the traditional methods used to keep champagne cool during balmy Mediterranean summers.

“It is a great honour for Veuve Clicquot to partner with such an inspiring designer as Simon Porte Jacquemus,” says Jean-Marc Gallot, CEO of Veuve Clicquot.

A special celebration

To commemorate the collaboration’s arrival in Aotearoa, Normanby Fine Wines is hosting a special tasting of a curated selection of La Grande Dame vintages. Whether you’re an oenophile or more casual wine appreciator, this is a unique opportunity to explore the evolution of this prestige cuvée.

Hosted by Normanby’s Director of Wine, Liz Wheadon, on May 14, during this intimate celebration the Jacquemus Limited Edition bottle will be displayed: touching on its design, and how it reflects the spirit of La Grande Dame today.

The limited-edition La Grande Dame 2018 x Simon Porte Jacquemus release is available exclusively at Normanby Fine Wines in New Zealand (Auckland and its new Wellington store), with nationwide shipping available.

The exclusive Mother’s Day celebration at Paris Butter ($220pp) is available to book here.

The tasting with Normanby Fine Wines ($98pp) at Webb’s Auction House is available to book here.