When Arthur de Villepin and Thibault Pontallier met in Hong Kong and conceived the idea a few years ago, their “bottom line” was to combine the absolute best of both art and wine. For the founders of Pont des Arts, the company is much more than a business venture. It is a constant search for beauty, pleasure, and quality.
“Beauty” refers to pièces de résistance of Zao Wou-ki, the late Franco-Chinese grand master of our time. His works are widely recognised as a bridge between Chinese and European aesthetics, wherein modern Western abstraction is enriched by ancient Chinese sensibility.
Pont des Arts co-founder Arthur de Villepin is a lifelong art lover and collector, and is in charge of the artistic side of the company. (He also hails from a prominent political family – his father was Prime Minister from 2005 to 2007, and grandfather was senator from 1986 to 2004).
Arthur and his expert art team spent countless hours matching Zao’s masterpieces with wines.
“The painting can be seen as the alter ego of the wine; you can compare and contrast the differences of the Rive Gauche and the Rive Droite by the paintings”, he explains.
Meanwhile, “quality” refers to nothing less than superb, specially crafted French wines. Thibault Pontallier and his father – the legendary French winemaker Paul Pontallier – spent two years alongside other wine experts from Burgundy and Bordeaux, to taste, blend, and create the first limited collection of six wines from Burgundy and Bordeaux. As Arthur points out, “the wines themselves are works of art, married to Zao’s and our notion of art”.
Pouilly-Fuissé 2010
From the leading appellation of Mâconnais, this alluringly aromatic, rich, and crisp white Burgundy bears testimony to Pouilly-Fuissé’s stature. Naturally delicate and elegant, this wine is well-defined in structure, complex in body, and long in finish.
Untitled 2007
Watercolour on Paper, 66x102cm,
Private Collection
In one of his last watercolours, Zao significantly changed his modus operandi from enclosing himself in a studio to outdoors. The fact that he directly painted onto the picture demonstrates his decision to immerse in nature.
Côte de Nuits-Villages 2010
Renowned worldwide for its exceptional terroir, Côte de Nuits is widely considered the spiritual home of Pinot Noir. Its highly fragrant bouquet being supported by a charming balance of red fruits and warm spices, this wine is powerful, complex, and delightfully elegant.
Untitled
Sacré Cœur Church – Paris 1948
Oil on Canvas, 50x73cm,
Private Collection
Probably completed in 1948 upon his arrival in Paris, this work is perhaps Zao’s manifesto – oil paint, Western theme of church, stylisation of trees, and the fully saturated wide coloured area.
Nuits-Saint-Georges Réserve Spéciale 2010
A combination of precious gems, this wine delivers lovely aromas of cherry, strawberry and blackcurrant. Given time, notes of leather, truffle, fur, and game will emerge. Powerful yet elegant, fresh but full-bodied, this well-built wine has a deliciously rounded and lingering finish.
Le Vent Pousse la Mer
Triptych, 2004
Oil on Canvas, 195x390cm,
Private Collection
Prior to completion, Zao spent three weeks contemplating where to paint the boat. He had previously drawn sketches on paper, after researching into history of ancient Chinese painting. Small it may be, this boat represents the first voluntary return to figurative art since 1954.
Bordeaux Sauvignon Blanc 2010
Sourced from best terroirs of Bordeaux, this wine reveals exotic aromas of lime and grapefruit, delivering a wonderful richness and perfect balance. The relatively high acidity of 2010 vintage provides a lovely freshness, hence immediately attractive.
Untitled
Saint-Tropez 2007
Watercolour on Paper, 66×101.5cm,
Private Collection
Changing his modus operandi, Zao established a direct link with nature as the main source of inspiration. A remarkably liberated composition, Zao wandered from all rules, keeping but the sole pleasure of painting, while colours resound with one another.
Bordeaux Rive Droite 2010
The quintessence of Saint-Émilion and its satellites, this fresh, well-balanced, and very generous wine offers beautiful aromas of strawberry and dried plum. A vieilles vignes (30+ years old vines) gem no less.
18.12.59, 1959
Oil on Canvas, 162x130cm,
Private Collection
1959 was the year of full abstraction. Beyond a strict representation of the world, objects disappeared while tempestuous huge masses confrontws each other. Gradually, a new style emerged but palpable tensions still ran through it.
Bordeaux Rive Gauche 2010
This exceptionally elegant wine is sourced from the finest terroirs of the Haut-Médoc area (Pauillac, Margaux, and Saint-Julien). Matching its extremely fragrant bouquet are beautiful aromas of dried cherries, wild berries, and vanilla, subtly delivering a delightful combination of soft tannins and powerful character.
Terre Rouge 2005
Oil on Canvas, 130x195cm,
Private Collection
Streaked with a powerful nervous oblique, a visual thunder clap saturated with bright blues. The composition of colours evidenced Zao’s freedom – at 85 years of age, he appeared liberated from the weight of traditions, yet always looking for new territories to explore.
Zao Wou-ki
– a tribute
13 February 1921, Beijing (China)
– 9 April 2013, Nyon (Switzerland)
Born into a literati family whose history can be traced back to the Song Dynasty, Zao was immersed in painting since the age of 10, and produced his first oil on canvas at 15. Settling in Montparnasse, Paris, in 1948, his first personal exhibition was held in 1949, followed by numerous others around the globe during his prolific career. Zao was the preeminent painter of our time, reconciliating ancient Chinese symbolism and modern Western abstraction. Naturalised as a French citizen in 1964, he was elected as member of Académie des Beaux-Arts in 2002, and elevated to the rank of Grand Chevalier de la Légion d’Honneur by President Jacques Chirac in 2006, amongst other honours.
“A master and a cultural symbol… His art combines a feeling of space and power of gesture.”
Le Monde (France) 09/04/2013
“Zao Wou-Ki was regarded as an artist who combined Chinese and European influences in a unique manner”
Die Zeit (Germany) 10/04/2013
“Zao… combined ornate traditional Chinese landscape painting with the freer language of European abstraction…”
The Daily Telegraph (UK) 16/04/2013
Pont des Arts i Arthur de Villepin, Esq. Founder & CEO
www.pontdesarts-wine.com
+852 3460 3122