Left to right: Alexandre Cattier, Chef David Siena, Jean-Jacques Cattier and Koh Chin Liang

Champagne Cattier has appointed Bottles & Bottles as exclusive distributor in Singapore and celebrated their new partnership at a lunch at the Chef’s Table in the Capella Hotel Singapore.

The French, family owned Cattier brand, with almost 400 years of history in grape growing and wine making, is one of the world’s most renowned champagne houses. It produces approximately 700,000 bottles a year and is looking to grow in Asia. Alexandre Cattier, CEO and Jean-Jacques Cattier, Chairman of the Supervisory Board were present along with Koh Chin Liang, Managing Director of Bottles & Bottles to launch the partnership.

Mr Koh Chin Liang, a 30-year veteran in the wine trade, founded Bottles & Bottles in 2004. There are currently seven outlets in Singapore, with an eighth planned in Jewel at Changi Airport. Mr Koh explained: “With the steady growth in champagne consumption in Singapore, coupled with Singaporeans’ increasingly discerning palates for elegant wines, we are confident that many will be delighted by the premium quality of Champagne Cattier’s products.”

We were fortunate to sample six of the eight excellent champagnes available in Singapore; including the exceptional Clos du Moulin Rose. The organoleptic properties defined in the tasting notes are “bright salmon robe, silky and fine nose with aromas of flowers, dried orange, raspberry and fig.” The champagnes were paired with a superb meal prepared by Chef David Siena and his staff who have an eye for detail and perfection along with David’s sense of flair and showmanship.

The champagnes are contemporary, innovative and exclusive (but definitely affordable ranging from S$58-S$123) and divided into three categories:

Cuvee Tradition - with refinement and generosity

Cuvee Premier Cru – refinement and elegance

Cuvee Prestige: Clos du Moulin Premier Cru MV – the ultimate balance between complexity, finesse and generosity.

The Cattier family are totally unpretentious, are concerned about sustainability and have gender equality in the management team. Alexandre now runs the business with his father Jean Jacques as an advisor. Over lunch I had a long, lovely chat with 75-year-old Jean-Jacques, who has a Diploma in Oenology. We talked on such diverse topics as the family history, changes in technology, his wife’s love of cats, travel and a few snippets such as that horse drawn ploughs are still used on the premium 2.2 hectare of the vineyard to “respect the land” and that their cellars are the deepest in Champagne at 30 metres, to allow the wines to age at a perfect temperature. They extend over a length of one kilometre and have a storage capacity of five million bottles.

Mike Smith (left) with Jean-Jacques

A thoroughly enjoyable, informative lunch and copious amounts of champagne were appreciated by all.

 Bottles & Bottles - https://www.bottlesandbottles.com.sg

Champagne Cattier - https://www.cattier.com

Capella Hotel - https://www.capellahotels.com/en/capella-singapore