Hennessy Paradis Cognac by Zhang Enli

The story of Hennessy Paradis Cognac by Zhang Engli

For the curation of Hennessy Paradis Cognac by Zhang Enli, the premium French porcelain company Bernardaud collaborated with Hennessy Paradis on a craft, limited-edition porcelain decanter, detailed by Zhang Enli.

Produced in collaboration with the French heritage house Bernardaud and hand-decorated in the porcelain maker’s atelier in Limoges, the one-liter Hennessy Paradis carafe exists in a limited, numbered edition of only 555 one-litre carafes. It is presented in a beautifully crafted wooden box that is intended to enjoy a second life as a decorative object in the home.

For the first time, special editions of Hennessy X.O and Hennessy V.S.O.P inspired by Zhang Enli’s “Poetry and Wine Welcome the Tiger” will be accompanied by a collector’s edition of Hennessy Paradis, also inspired by this artwork for Chinese New Year.

For this design, Enli created an abstract representation of the tiger with striking sweeps of cobalt, gold, scarlet, tangerine and sunshine-yellow against the luxury white porcelain. His vibrant artwork, ‘Poetry and Wine Welcome the Tiger’ celebrates the poetry, optimism, and vitality of the Chinese New Year.“The artwork is about spirit and sense over appearances; about the force of transformation, even in the tiniest details,” Enli says.

Favouring abstraction over figurative representation, the artist conjures the tiger — an ancestral symbol of power, success, and confidence — with dynamic lines and vibrant colour.“While this painting may be different from traditional tiger-themed paintings, my hope is that people will intuitively recall the animal’s beauty and vitality.”

For the Year of the Tiger, he also chose to pay tribute to the peaceful beauty of the Charente River in Cognac, using it as a metaphor for transformation and the passage of time.“The Charente River left a profound impression on me,” the artist recalls after his visit to Cognac.

A yellow and gold palette channels empowerment and refinement, with crystalline amber tones recalling the depth of Hennessy’s Cognac blends.“Yellow and gold represent a certain level of refinement: the amber hues they create when mixed together make the tiger figure transparent in this painting, akin to the crystalline beauty of jade. The red brings out the festive atmosphere of the Chinese New Year”.

Paradis Limited Editions

The Paradis Cognac has been reinvented on a number of occasions. In 1979, Cognac master Maurice Fillioux assembled a symphony of flavors from his grandfather’s collection in the 19th century to create the Hennessy Paradis Extra. It arrives in a full-bodied 70cl decanter which has become synonymous with the Hennessy Paradis line of Cognacs. There is the Hennessy Paradis Impérial, which is best known for its stunning crystal decanter designed by Stephanie Balini. The selection of eaux-de-vie was curated by the seventh Cognac Master, Yann Fillioux for the 2011 release. There is also the Hennessy Paradis Horus, released in 2012. This decanter oozes decadence; designed by Italian Ferruccio Laviani, it is in the shape of a golden flame and is gilded with a gold plate of 18 carats.

How to serve

Hennessy Paradis For the ultimate degustation, it should be served in a glass tumbler over ice, or at -15ºC which is also known as ‘givré’. If you are somebody who enjoys a distilled beverage, this is a great option as the cold temperature reveals a unique bouquet of aromas and tastes, and is recommended to be enjoyed at dessert time.