Laurent-Perrier’s Grand Siècle Champagne is much like the Hermès Birkin bag; both are enduring French luxury items that prize craftsmanship, elegance and restraint. Neither a Birkin nor Grand Siècle is manufactured in a conventional sense. Both are individually handmade with extraordinary attention to detail. Much like Hermès, Laurent-Perrier eschews manufacturing efficiencies in favor of painstakingly handmade quality and slow luxury, where patience is part of the product itself. Both brands are the product of generations of family expertise and control, famously private and obsessed with quality. Both are defined by decades of family-run stewardship—Hermès was founded in 1837, Laurent-Perrier founded in 1812. And, most importantly, both are luxury pioneers.

Grand Siècle is a multi-vintage prestige cuvée that blends specific wines from three different years to deliver what the house considers a “perfect year.” The entire harvest is done by hand rather than machine. Indeed, the importance of time is a constant refrain for each brand. A single Birkin bag takes 20+ hours to create, while a single bottle of Grand Siècle must age for ten years before release, and the magnum format ages even longer at 15 years.

How a Luxury Champagne is Made

Even the quality of the harvest process plays a critical role. “Harvest in Champagne is always a delicate time,” explains Monica Dumas, historian for Laurent-Perrier, “It is above all a time for diligence. It must be done attentively and with precision, for a whole year’s work is at stake. Thousands of people set to work in the vines to pick the ripe grape clusters with the utmost care. Around 120,000 seasonal workers, in teams of 4 per hectare, are brought in. They each have a very specific role to play, whether as a picker, porter, loader or forklift truck operator for example. A successful harvest depends on all of them working harmoniously together.”

Luxury Pioneers

Both brands are venerated pioneers as well. Hermès was one of the first brands to adopt and utilize the zipper while Laurent-Perrier became an early adopter of zero dosage (no sugar) and the first house to introduce a rosé from maceration (known as saignée-style rosé). Laurent-Perrier was also among the first to pivot to 100% stainless steel vinification for purity and freshness.

The single major difference between the two is that Laurent-Perrier’s Grand Siècle is available for purchase across the globe, while a Birkin bag is famously difficult to acquire and highly allocated. Indeed, that’s the beauty of Champagne—it is truly one of the world’s most exclusive exceptional, yet available luxuries.

What Does Grand Siècle Taste Like

The newest release is Laurent-Perrier Grand Siècle Iteration No. 27: Think finesse and texture on the palate with notes of pear, lavender, candied lemon and buttery pie crust. Genuinely marvelous. Harmony, balance, and structure come together in a rich, expressive bubbly. If you see an older vintage, buy it as this expression becomes even more intriguing and decadent over time. $274.99 average online.

Champagne is indeed one of the world’s most accessible luxury items. The finest ones are made with intensity, care and precision to ensure your total enjoyment. A Birkin starts at around $9,000, and while one cannot easily go out and purchase a Birkin, one can, at this very moment, go out and find a bottle of Laurent-Perrier’s Champagne for around $275—indeed, one of the world’s premier luxuries within reach.