In 1836, Nicolas Perrier-Jouët, the founder of the Champagne brand, negotiates the amicable resolution of a financial disagreement with his historic English partner.
- Handwritten letter from Pierre-Nicolas Perrier to Paul Clossmann.
- Two pages.
- In French.
- 22 cm x 26.7 cm.
- Epernay, on July 19, 1836.
- Good condition of conservation.
- Unique piece.
Excerpts
(…) If I were in your position, I would not have condemned without hearing it. Your opinions prove to me that you have already decided that I am wrong.
(…) What is difficult for me is to see the difference in Mrs. Mathieu’s behavior since her husband’s death. On June 28, she wrote (…) that she thanked me deeply for my loyalty and generosity to her and her husband. Since her husband’s death, I have not received a single letter, as is the tradition to inform a foreigner of someone’s death. Without you, I would still be waiting for Mr. Mathieu’s health to improve.
(…) What increases my surprise, reading your letter, is Madame Mathieu's idea of resolving our disagreements in court. (…) If I have other sacrifices to grant to Madame Mathieu, they cannot be forced, they must be of my own free will.
(…) The results of the accounts only show debts that Mrs Mathieu must pay.
(…) I am convinced that you are as surprised as I am sorry to see that Madame Mathieu did not make the effort to write me a letter; a sincere explanation would probably have done more than all the courts in the world would have done, because courts judge, and good relations reconcile.
Perrierjouet
According to Perrier-Jouët itself, which we contacted, « this letter is related to the death and irregularities found in the accounts of the first importer of the Perrier-Jouët house in England, James Mathieu. Pierre Nicolas Perrier and James Mathieu signed a trade treaty in 1832. Everything went well until 1835-1836 when irregularities appeared in Mr. Mathieu's accounts, without much detail or explanation. James Mathieu, ill with tuberculosis, died at the end of 1835, or at the beginning of 1836, and the contract was terminated with his widow in 1836. »
In this letter, Perrier-Jouët tries to resolve his disagreement with his debt-ridden widow Mathieu by contacting a wine merchant named Clossman, who was in charge of managing the widow's business and will. Clossman came from a German family from the town of Manheim, which had made its fortune in wine and racehorses in the Bordeaux region in the 18th century.
Here we can appreciate the disappointment of the founder of the Champagne brand and his desire to resolve the disagreement amicably with the person responsible for its success in its first export market, England (from 1811), a few months before entering the North American market for the first time (1837).
