Never have we needed more of a reason to celebrate. As the end of the year rolls around once again, planning for fêtes gets underway and the advent of family gatherings draw near, we dare to plan suitably festive events to see the year out in style. Whether that’s an intimate party made up of just immediate family and your nearest and dearest, or a more extravagant soiree to mark the occasion and look back on the year, and forward to the next. For such occasions, champagne is the ultimate festive accessory – and the special occasion limited-edition bottles that look good as well as offer the ultimate in drinking enjoyment do double duty as decor and thoughtful gifting. 

The classic festive accessory 

Trio of Moët Impérial, Impérial Nectar, Impérial Rosé

The annual limited edition gift bottles and boxes by Moët & Chandon are always awaited with anticipation. Fun, festive, and iconic, Impérial is also the house’s signature champagne, created in 1869 to embody a seductive palate and elegant maturity. Always in style, it’s a timeless classic, made continuously modern with its annual limited-edition incarnations. This season, a fresh and much-needed uplifting take on these stalwarts of the champagne house will adorn a lunch table, outdoor picnic or sundowner session with optimism and whimsy. 

Available from: Moët Impérial R595; Moët Impérial Nectar R695; Moët Impérial Rosé R795

The nostalgic memory maker 

Veuve Clicquot Yellow Label Radiating Retro

We’re all feeling a little nostalgic these days, prompting the occasional wistful look back to more carefree times. And like many excellent designs of the present, the Veuve Clicquot Radiating Retro special edition pays homage to the past with a sophisticated, geometric design. Inspired by wallpaper of the 1960s, it offers a dose of vintage chic with its on-trend nod to the era. But while it’s designed in celebration of the past, it’ll be best put to toasting to the future. Fun, irreverent, with a dose of good old-fashioned fun, it’ll pair well with your 60s (and 70s, 80s, 90s and noughties) playlists. 

Available from R649

The sustainable centrepiece

Ruinart Blanc de Blanc

Ruinart’s move to replace gift boxes with a chic recyclable ‘Second Skin’ made from pulped paper (a process that reflects two years of research and development alongside English paper manufacturer James Cropper and Italian packaging specialists Pusterla 1880) has resulted in a case that mimics the curves of the bottle, while protecting it from light and moisture. Sculptural and minimal, it’s also luxurious – the surface evokes the walls of the Crayères de Reims, the ancient chalk quarries and natural wine cellars where Maison Ruinart champagnes age. In addition, new packaging is extraordinarily eco-friendly – with a carbon footprint reduced by 60%. If you’re looking for an eco-friendly festive centrepiece, this is it.

Available from R1195.

The cork-popping pièce de résistance

Dom Pérignon Lady Gaga Limited Edition Blanc 2010 Vintage

Dom Perignon’s mission to create harmony that inspires emotion is the perfect complement to Lady Gaga’s musical style. And like Gaga, the pursuit of perfection involves honing a craft (or vintage) over time – patience resulting in the perfect symphony. The unique conditions offered by 2020’s harvest culminated in a wine with a full, ample presence whose character unfolds, generous and firm – before tautening around vibrant, spicy notes and a salty finish. The special Dom Pérignon Lady Gaga Limited Edition Blanc 2010 Vintage embodies principles upheld by both the music icon and the Maison – creative freedom in the form of self-knowledge, hard work, reinvention and inspiration. This magnificent intersection between art and lifestyle epitomises the champagne house’s sense of luxury and prestige, and serves as a perfectly fitting accoutrement to a special occasion. Choose this statement bottle to pop at midnight and see the new year in.  

Available from R3295