Quoi de neuf - French shopping in February 2020
New products, designs and gift ideas from around France: Valentine's gift ideas
Spirit of romance
For lovers of fine wines and spirits comes a luxurious combination.
French oak barrels first used to age Grand Cru Classé Margaux for 18 months crossed the Atlantic to hold a fine, extra-aged, 10-year-old rum for 10 months.
This marriage of Château Marquis de Terme 2006 (supple, elegant with hints of fresh fruit, 71% Cab. Sauv., 22% Merlot, 7% Petit Verdot) and Habitation Saint-Etienne, Martinique rum is fine gift idea.
€200.
www.chateau-marquis-de-terme.com
Raise a glass to love
Lucien Collard is a young Champagne house launched three years ago in Bouzy, offering four vintages: an extra-brut, a brut nature, a 2009 vintage and a rosé.
It is the latter – the cuvée rosé, a special blend champagne made from Bouzy Rouge – which sets our heart a-racing for Valentine’s Day, especially as it is available in a coffret with two beautiful flutes.
Available from the domaine, or via Les Grappes.
www.lesgrappes.com
Accessories for him and her
Based at a Var workshop that was launched in 2017, Pierre Paul Jacques is a small business (the craftsmen are actually called Bernie and Vincent) that designs and manufactures jewellery by hand, using distinguished materials such as ‘925 silver’ and a wide range of fine stones including mother of pearl, malachite, labradorite and onyx.
Their extensive range of trinkets – all of which combine quality with affordability – caters for both men and women, and features timelessly elegant leather and stone bracelets (items shown, €55 and €75), necklaces and rings (Eros ring shown, bottom, costs €139).
The founders are committed to the home-made ethos: “Among our commitments, Made in France is a priority, allowing us to control the production chain and ensure irreproachable quality.”
Explore their website to find a colour and style to suit your Valentine – gift cards available.
https://pierrepauljacques.com
Heady scent of power
What could be more loving than to treat the ‘Little Emperor’ in your life to a fine bottle of the same cologne created for and worn by Napoléon?
Reconstituted according to the original artisanal formula used by Ali, the Emperor’s faithful servant, each batch made of Napoleon 1st’s Eau de Cologne is authenticated by the Osmothèque of Versailles – where, since 1990, they have been dedicated to the memory of the greatest perfumes and scents in history.
An elegant and light scent priced €78 for 125ml.
www.napoleon-cologne.fr/en/
Tonics for body and soul
Created in 2000 in Bellegarde in the Gard, Altearah is a brand of organic aromatic cosmetics that produces a range of wellness and body care products.
The oils and perfumes are based on a unique concept using ‘colour emotions’ and the beneficial ingredients of essential oils.
Ideal for a Valentines are its new boxsets: ‘Wellbeing Zen’ contains a bottle of turquoise ‘Serenity’ care perfume and blue ‘Peace’ skin care oil, created with calm and tranquillity in mind; and ‘Total Wellbeing’ has blue indigo ‘Clarity’ perfume and white ‘Purity’ skin care oil to ‘cleanse and purify body and mind’.
Both cost €65.90.
www.altearah.com/en
Say it with chocolat
High-end chocolatier Neuville has just the treats to melt the heart of your Valentine.
Their heart-shaped mendiant – a 160g piece of dark or milk chocolate, encrusted with crunchy almonds, melting pistachios, delicate hazelnuts and tangy raisins – costs €14.90 for 165g while its rose version made using chocolate made from pink pods grown in the Ivory Coast and Ecuador, costs €8.90 for a 70g bag.
Their coffret coeur box of mixed chocolates costs €13.90 for 138g.
www.chocolat-deneuville.com
