Marquis De Montesquiou Hosts Historic Armagnac Dinner

Eminent Armagnac House Presents a Rare Tasting Experience

NEW YORK, May 18 /PRNewswire/ -- On May 1, 2009 La Maison Montesquiou held an
historic dinner at Thomas Keller's Michelin-starred Per Se showcasing a range
of extremely rare and aged Armagnacs.

Hosted by Jean-Francois Collobert, International Director of Pernod, the
evening was one of special significance for the illustrious Maison
Montesquiou. "We wanted to offer an extraordinary tasting experience," said
Collobert. "To that end, we organized the first Armagnac-only pairing dinner
ever hosted by an Armagnac house. It was designed to take our guests on an
epicurean journey through history, utilizing the medium of the most
exceptional Armagnacs possessed by La Maison Montesquiou, and the foundation
of Marquis de Montesquiou which has been a purveyor of Armagnac for over five
centuries."

Led by Andreas Larsson, a talented sommelier named best Sommelier of the World
2007 by the Association de la Sommellerie Internationale, the seven-course
menu paired Montesquiou vintages from 1967 to 1865, with dishes using specific
flavor profiles to illustrate tasting highlights in each vintage. The most
prestigious of the collection, Marquis de Montesquiou 1865, was auctioned
earlier, marking an auction record as the most expensive bottle of Armagnac
sold by Christie's North America. Four bottles of Montesquiou 1865 were
released for auction to benefit GoodPlanet, a non-profit organization
dedicated to raising public awareness of environmental protection.

The Montesquiou family has been a pioneer in the long history of Armagnac
since 1431. Its oldest members, the Counts of Fezensac, served under Clovis,
King of the Franks in the year 480. At the top of the list of its most
esteemed members is Count d'Artagnan, musketeer under King Louis XIII and the
hero of Alexandre Dumas' famous novel "The Three Musketeers." The history of
the Montesquiou family and Armagnac is closely linked, and for centuries
Marquis de Montesquiou Armagnacs have represented one of the oldest brandies
in the world.

Marquis de Montesquiou will launch a full line of prestigious Armagnac
vintages, spanning 1893 to 1989, later this year through selective
distribution in the U.S., the UK, Russia and European duty free stores. These
extraordinary Armagnacs are presented in collector's boxes, featuring a solid
silver signature created by renowned Parisian jeweler, Arthus-Bertrand.

Marquis de Montesquiou Armagnacs are a part of Pernod International's
prestigious brand portfolio, which includes Pernod, Pernod aux plantes
d'Absinthe Superieure, Soho, Cafe de Paris and Suze.

SOURCE Pernod International

Sara Bigelow, Pernod International, +1-212-229-2294, sbigelow@ttc-pr.com