Hennessy has unveiled a limited-edition collection created with contemporary artist Yan Pei-Ming to honour the Lunar New Year.

Inspired by the palette of cognac tones, the artist is exhibiting a monumental composition that pays tribute to the diversity of the Chinese Zodiac bestiary and celebrates the power of culture.

2023, the Year of the Rabbit, begins on an auspicious note with the first collaboration between Hennessy and Yan Pei-Ming. The expressionist artist has put brush to canvas for a monumental painting entitled The Great Race, featuring the rabbit, surrounded by all the other animals of the Chinese Zodiac in dynamic movement, evoking freedom and unity in diversity. The true subject of the painting, which measures an imposing 6 x 3.5 meters, is light, explains Yan Pei-Ming: “When you hold a bottle of cognac up to sunlight, its hues and transparency vary so much. I wanted to portray cognac — but it’s light that is really the color of this painting.” The striking palette in the artist’s remarkable composition immediately evokes the amber and mahogany tones of Hennessy X.O.

The exceptional painting has inspired a limited-edition collection of Hennessy V.S.O.P, Hennessy X.O and Hennessy Paradis cognacs to welcome the Lunar New Year. The centerpiece of the collection is a one-liter Hennessy Paradis decanter, a jewel of artisanal savoir-faire created in collaboration with Maison Bernardaud. Each decanter is handcrafted in the workshop in world-renowned Limoges porcelain. The decanter has been produced in an exclusive series of 888 decanters, each housed in a precious wooden case. For the Chinese-born artist, now naturalized French, visiting Hennessy in Cognac was a revelatory experience, from the architecture of the renovated ancient buildings to the aromas of cognac and the nuanced hues of the Chai des Fondateurs tasting room. All these myriad details found an expression in this luminous collaboration.

HENNESSY V.S.O.P x YAN PEI-MING

Hennessy V.S.O.P is a balanced cognac, expressing 200 years of Hennessy’s know-how. The fruit of nature’s uncertainties, this unique blend has tamed the elements to craft and embody the original concept of cognac. The emotion awakened by the pleasure of tasting it continually reveals new facets of its personality.

The savoir-faire of the Maison Hennessy is fully expressed in this balanced cognac: the selection of eaux-de-vie, aging and assemblage. A cognac of remarkable consistency and vitality, Hennessy V.S.O.P conveys all of the savoir-faire of the Hennessy master blenders who have ensured the continued success of this harmonious assemblage for 200 years.

HENNESSY X.O x YAN PEI-MING

In 1870, Maurice Hennessy, a 4th-generation member of the Hennessy family, asked the Master Blender Emile Fillioux, a descendant of the Hennessy Master Blender Jean Fillioux, to create a special cognac for his family and friends, using long-aged eaux-de-vie to perfect the blend. They called it “X.O” for “Extra Old”, the original, and a legend was born. Hennessy X.O attained international renown and contributed to the development of the category XO which is a gauge of uncompromising quality. Thanks to 150 years of meticulous know-how, Hennessy X.O remains as inspiring today as it was the day Hennessy first shared it with his inner circle. The powerful and balanced structure of Hennessy X.O carries the promise of an extremely long finish, with each drop an invitation to embark on a journey of the senses through seven tasting notes.

HENNESSY PARADIS x YAN PEI-MING

Created by Maurice Fillioux in 1979, the cognac Hennessy Paradis is known for its voluptuous and harmonious aroma.

It consists of eaux-de-vie, which are a reflection of the personality of such a delightful cognac: supple, light and round.

They are blended into an excellent cognac defined by its graceful, silky character, highlighting its finely nuanced and harmoniously balanced aromatic qualities.

Its superb display of coppery gold colours is an indication of the many years it has spent ageing in old casks.