THE WHO’S LEAD SINGER RELEASES A SPECIAL-EDITION CHAMPAGNE TIMED JUST RIGHT FOR DECEMBER 31

BY TIA KIM

To celebrate The Who’s 50th anniversary in 2016 and the conclusion of an associated North American tour (though the band was actually formed in 1964), lead singer Roger Daltrey teamed with beverage marketer Eminent Life and Champagne Charles Orban to produce a special edition bubbly.

The limited release, which carries The Who’s red, black, and blue bulls eye logo as well as Daltrey’s signature, was made by the Orban family, which has been growing grapes on the left bank of the Marne (in Troissy, specifically) since 1770, and making wine under its own name since the 1950s. A blend of Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, and Pinot Meunier, it sports a remarkably creamy texture with fine, lively bubbles—its flavor a dance of subtle notes of pine nuts, honey, and a whisper of tobacco. It is a 90-point recipient from Wine Spectator, and was also given a Seal of Approval by The Tasting Panel at the Japan Wine Challenge.

“I took my inspiration for the bottle from the Tommy album cover, which is a favorite of mine,” Daltrey explained in a statement, “…the album that cemented our legacy.”

Eminent Life, which, as its Founder and CEO, J. J. Jacober detailed, “celebrates excellence in music and the arts by creating limited-edition drinks combining sound and taste, tunes and terroir…beautiful things from human culture.” The company has worked with actor Gérard Depardieu to produce the French red wine C’est Mon Panache 2005, Bergerac, and with the band UB40 for its UB40 Red Red Wine Bordeaux Supérieur.

Daltrey bottles were still available at press time for $117. A matching pewter ice bucket (seen here), made by jewellers L’Orfèvrerie d’Anjou, can be had for $800. A percentage of revenue goes to Teen Cancer America, the charity that Daltrey co-founded with fellow band member, Pete Townshend, with a mission “to be a change agent improving the lives of young people with cancer, their families, and the hospitals and healthcare professionals who care for them.”

Champagne Charles Orban, Cuvée Roger Daltrey
eminent-life.com/cuveerogerdaltrey