Since 1842, when the 270-year-old house of Moët & Chandon began maintaining records, it has produced only 70 vintage Champagnes, each one representing an exemplary harvest. But the two latest releases—Moët & Chandon Grand Vintage 2004 Brut ($60) and Grand Vintage 2004 Rosé ($68)—may be the most spectacular yet. That is partially because, unlike past Grand Vintages, most of which have been aged for up to six years, the 2004 vintages have spent seven years on the lees, allowing one more year to further d…

Known for its seating, case goods, lighting, outdoor furniture, and other home furnishings that put a modern twist on traditional Italian designs, Fendi Casa is thinking outside the showroom by furnishing model or for-sale units at premier real estate developments. In New York, the private residences at 400 Fifth Avenue (www.400fifthavenue.com) feature the brand’s leather sofas and chairs, lacquer furniture, rugs, and chandeliers in the development’s 3,590-square-foot penthouse, which is priced at about $18 mi…

Top designers are bringing high style to some of Los Angeles’s newest residential buildings.
BEVERLY WEST
The Project: Thirty-five units spread out over 22 floors overlooking the Los Angeles Country Club. Completed in 2012, the building has units still available for sale. The homes range from 1,700 square feet to 8,215 square feet, and each has a dedicated elevator that opens directly into the residence. Design options include Portuguese limestone floors, European wide-plank floors, Spanish sandstone, and I…

Since 1842, when the 270-year-old house of Moët & Chandon began maintaining records, it has produced only 70 vintage Champagnes, each one representing an exemplary harvest. But the two latest releases—Moët & Chandon Grand Vintage 2004 Brut ($60) and Grand Vintage 2004 Rosé ($68)—may be the most spectacular yet. That is partially because, unlike past Grand Vintages, most of which have been aged for up to six years, the 2004 vintages have spent seven years on the lees, allowing one more year to further d…

La Mille Miglia, whose name translates from Italian as “1,000 Miles,” is one of Italy’s most celebrated road rallies. Held 24 times from 1927 to 1957, the Mille (as it is more affectionately known) was a flat-out race from Brescia to Rome and back that was forced to stop due to the perilous nature of high-speed driving on open roads—over 50 people lost their lives to the rally. But the Mille was also a place where legends where born; Sir Stirling Moss set a course record in 1955, achieving victory in an amazin…

Following a four-week refurbishment, Restaurant Gordon Ramsay in London will not only feature fresh interiors; it will feature a fresh culinary presence, with Clare Smyth as the new head chef. Ramsay’s naming Smyth to lead his namesake restaurant—which was also his first solo venture, and is a 12-time recipient of three Michelin stars—is a testament to his trust in her.
Smyth, who has worked with Ramsay for more than 10 years and previously cooked at Alain Ducasse’s Le Louis XV in Monte Carlo, has put her sta…

Influenced by everything from chinoiserie and art deco to the Bauhaus and African tribal works, the American designer Karl Springer (1931–1991) was known for his furniture and accessories in a range of materials, such as shagreen, lacquered parchment, inlaid-wood veneer, exotic woods, metals, and granite. The furniture company Matthews & Parker has just revived Springer’s Freeform table, a timeless design Springer conceived in the 1970s. Shown here in polished stainless steel with black glass tops and rece…

Since its launch in 2001, Time & Place has been providing short-term luxury-home rentals with five-star concierge service. The company has spent more than a decade developing its portfolio of design-worthy properties in destinations such as Palm Springs, Calif.; Nantucket, Mass.; and Marbella, Spain. Now, on the heels of the company’s recent acquisition by Club Holdings (the parent company of the destination club the Quintess Collection), Time & Place plans to add additional vacation properties to its …

Panama’s Pearl Islands have long held hidden treasures. The archipelago of some 39 islands and 100 islets, located about 56 miles off the coast of Panama City, has yielded some of the world’s most precious pearls, including La Pelegrina, a 111-grain silver pearl coveted by 19th-century Russian royalty, and La Peregrina, a pear-shaped specimen that made its way through a long line of kings and queens before settling around the neck of Elizabeth Taylor. The region’s latest gem, however, is an island itself—a 3,7…

Ferrari has entered the hybrid arena at full throttle. LaFerrari (www.ferrari.com), which was unveiled at the Geneva Motor Show in March, is powered by a 6.3-liter, 789 hp V-12 engine and an electric motor that produces an additional 161 hp. That is a total of 950 hp for a car that is said to weigh less than 2,800 pounds. LaFerrari has a top speed of more than 217 mph. On the company’s test track, this successor to the Enzo posted the fastest lap time of any Ferrari road car ever. Ferrari plans to build only 4…