Sommaire pour December 2016 de Robb Report

The top was down on the Porsche 718 Boxster S (porsche.com), allowing the hot Texas wind to blast against my face as I took a series of sweeping turns on Lime Creek Road. I was threading through rows of scrub brush along the shore of Lake Travis, about an hour’s drive northwest of Austin, in the high-powered version of the mid-engine roadster. Along with the base model Boxster and its hardtop siblings, the Cayman and Cayman S, the Boxster S has received a major overhaul for the 2017 model year. Most notable is the new, smaller engine. The cars also have the new 718 designation, which references the Le Mans– and Targo Florio–winning racecar that Porsche built from 1957 to 1962. The Boxster and Cayman are nearly identical except, of…

• RETRO AND RECENT designs influenced the look of the Volvo S90. The concave front grille, for example, is based on the grille of the brand’s P1800, a two-seat, rear-wheel-drive roadster produced from 1961 to 1973. Other design elements derive directly from the XC Coupe, the concept car Volvo unveiled at the 2013 Frankfurt auto show. These include a roofline that slopes like a coupe’s, a large rear window, and what Volvo calls the “final cut” on the rear side windows. It’s a bend near the bottom of the C pillar that evokes BMW’s Hofmeister kink. “We look back, but then we aim forward,” says Tisha Johnson, a senior designer at Volvo. The S90’s platform (called Scalable Product Architecture, or SPA) enabled designers to give the S90 “more luxurious proportions,”…

“Don’t touch this lever. It’s dangerous. Keep your hands on your harness. Pull this in case of an emergency, and your seat will eject” My mind raced as I climbed into an Aero L-39 Albatros and listened to a mechanic calmly give last-minute instructions about riding in the military training jet. It was a sunny fall day at San Diego’s Brown Field Municipal Airport, just a few miles from the Mexican border, and I was one of 32 guests who had gathered for a Breitling Experience (breitling.com), a daylong invitation-only event at which the aviation-focused Swiss watch brand hosts local and international VIP customers and retailers. Breitling holds several Experiences a year, in different regions of the country. Guests can participate in a variety of aviation-related activities, including skydiving; flights…

• DUBBED “a real sports car” by its creators, the Mercedes-Benz Style Edition Garia Golf Car (arealsportscar.com) could one day become a country-club staple. But for now it’s just a show cart—“an especially attractive possibility of what future golf carts in the luxury segment might look like” says Michael Minielly, a public-relations manager for Mercedes-Benz. The cart represents a collaboration between Mercedes-Benz (mbusa.com) and the Danish golf-cart manufacturer Garia (garia.com). It debuted this summer at the British Open at Royal Troon in Scotland and later appeared at Monterey Car Week and the Monaco Yacht Show. The vehicle’s genesis came in 2013, when Mercedes-Benz asked golfers and auto enthusiasts around the world to submit their ideas for what a Mercedes-Benz golf cart should look like and what features it should include.…

• FOR MANY OF US, the most unbearable fate is to be forgotten. For a bottle of fine wine, however, few destinies afford a more favorable outcome than to remain undisturbed in their place of birth. Approximately 600 bottles enjoyed this idyllic repose for nearly a century in the labyrinthine caves of Champagne Bollinger (champagne-bollinger.com) in Aÿ, France—until 2010, when workers discovered them in a gallery concealed behind deep stacks of empty bottles. “None of the family or the shareholders knew about these wines” says Jérôme Philipon, the firm’s president. “They were probably closed up between the wars, and 53 of them were coded CB 14.” Archival research revealed that, remarkably, this cryptic code referred to the 1830 vintage, the house’s first; the most recent bottlings were labeled 1921. “During…

Destination dining has taken a turn toward the urban, emerging in distinctly tight districts of revitalization within major hubs, from Brooklyn’s Williamsburg neighborhood to Downtown Los Angeles. To get a taste of one of the newest and most surprising rising culinary precincts, head to Chicago, where the West Loop’s stretches of once-gritty avenues are now lined with a buffet of elite chef restaurants. Historically home to the city’s meatpacking operations and industrial warehouses, the West Loop was a wasteland when Paul Kahan opened his pioneering Blackbird restaurant in 1997. Condos, boutiques, and galleries slowly followed, along with a conga line of master chefs and wunderkinder claiming every free warehouse space and turning the quarter into a barometer of culinary trends. The result is a gourmand’s marathon, from Bill Kim’s Asian…

ASCENDANCE WILL OFFER QUITE A FEW SPLASHY AMENITIES. The Gift A 364-foot superefficient superyacht that was designed by Andy Waugh Yacht Design and will be built by Nobiskrug. starting at $225 million The International Business Timesreported last year that the owner of a superyacht spends an average of $400,000 a year on fuel, and that a yacht as large as 230 feet burns more than 130 gallons of diesel per hour. In response to such monetary and environmental costs, designers and builders have dabbled in lower-guilt, more fuel-efficient yachting in recent years by creating vessels that feature hybrid propulsion systems or lightweight hulls. The plans for Ascendance, a new 364-foot concept from London-based Andy Waugh Yacht Design, call for both. According to Andy Waugh, Ascendance will be 25…

“WHEN I DESIGN LIKE THIS, NO TWO DESIGNS, LIKE NO TWO STONES, ARE ALIKE, AND THAT’S WHAT MAKES IT . . . FULFILLING FOR ME.” —DAVID YURMAN —The Gift— A cushion-cut, violet-blue tanzanite weighing 52 carats. Consultation with David Yurman and his son Evan, a chief design director, in New York City, where they and the recipient will collaborate on a custom design for the stone. Lunch with the Yurmans and a private tour of the atelier and archives. starting at $50,000 After more than 35 years designing jewelry, David Yurman is still enthused when he discovers a fabulous new gemstone, and that was indeed the case when he laid eyes on this gift’s 52-carat tanzanite, which he bought from a private dealer. “I fell in love with its vibrancy…

EXCURSIONS MIGHT INCLUDE HUNTING FOR MORELS AND WILD SORREL. The Gift A 5-day apprenticeship for two at the Michelin three-star Restaurant at Meadowood with chefs Christopher Kostow and Cameron Rahtz. $85,000 An apprenticeship with Christopher Kostow—a recipient of three Michelin stars at the Restaurant at Meadowood in Napa Valley—is one of the most coveted culinary positions in the country. For the first time, the celebrated chef is offering one couple just such an opportunity with this Ultimate Gift for the ultimate gourmands. The gift will span 5 days of gastronomic exploration, during which the two apprentices will experience the spectrum of the Restaurant’s and Kostow’s visions of what a three-star eatery delivers—from the harvesting of fresh ingredients to their transformation into plated artistry. The recipients will spend 1 day in…

The Gift A larger-than-life outdoor steel chess set custom made by the Scottish sculptor Andy Scott. starting at $3.5 million Andy Scott’s outdoor sculptures are no garden-variety creations. The Scottish artist specializes in oversize equine statues, from an 18-foot-tall Irish cob in London to a pair of horse heads outside of Glasgow that tower more than 9 stories high. For this gift, Scott will draw from his 30-year career to create a larger-than-life horse-themed chess set comprising 32 of his exquisite sculptures. A dramatic addition to any lawn, the chess set—whose pieces will each stand 8 to 12 feet tall—will be developed exclusively for the recipient of the gift. “I imagine every piece represented by a different breed,” Scott says. “Some folks may own a horse which they hold dear…

Dave “The Man” Scott is the consummate iron man. The 62-year-old athlete is a six-time Ironman World Championship winner, the first Ironman Hall of Fame inductee, and now, for one ambitious Robb Report reader, a personal coach. For 5 days at Hawaii’s Four Seasons Resort Hualalai, Scott will prepare this gift’s recipient for the triathlon of his or her choice. Drawing from his own success at Kona’s legendary Ironman World Championship, he will guide his new protégé on daily training experiences that may include cycling amid lava fields, swimming in the Kailua Bay, and running segments of the official Ironman course. The package (priced at $61,900) also includes detailed video analysis of the recipient’s swim stroke, running gait, and cycling form, as well as such downtime perks as daily sports…

THE LAND’S END TRIAL, AN ANNUAL MOTORSPORTS EVENT IN ENGLAND, HAS BEEN RUN SINCE 1908. Morgan West, the Southern California Morgan Motor Company dealership and a champion of the 107-year-old British marque, commissioned the factory to create a limited-edition 3 Wheeler called the Land’s End Trials Special ($72,000, subject to change based on the exchange rate). Morgan is building only five examples, and the first is being reserved for a Robb Report reader. The Land’s End Trial, an annual motorsports event in England involving motorcycles and three-and four-wheeled automobiles, has been run since 1908. Morgan Motor Company founder H. F. S. Morgan himself participated in the trial in 1910, presumably piloting one of his three-wheelers along the 526-mile round-trip route between London and Land’s End, on the southwest tip of…

The G erman hi-fi brand Burmester has released its first all-in-one home-music system: the Burmester Phase 3 ($40,000). It features the company’s new 161 receiver, which combines a preamplifier, a 120-watt power amplifier, and a music server in a single component. The Phase 3 also includes a pair of Burmester’s new B15 loudspeakers. The receiver and speakers are available only in this system. The 161 is based on Burmester’s 151 MusicCenter and is the ultimate modern hi-fi hub. It has a CD drive for playing discs and ripping music to the 2-terabyte onboard hard drive. It offers easy streaming from home computer networks, digital devices, and online music services. Its reference-grade digital-to-analog converter can process resolutions as high as 24 bits/192 kHz. And it’s equipped with a slew of digital…

 IN THE LATE 1920s, Parisian trunk maker Louis Vuitton introduced the maison’s first-ever perfumes. Among the exclusive debuts was a trio of unisex scents—Je, Tu, and Ilwhose bottles were designed to be stacked up in the style of steamer trunks and stored together in a cylindrical box. By 1946 the house had given its name to a total of six unique fragrances, but the formulas for the proprietary blends were tragically lost in a factory fire some years later. Since then, Louis Vuitton has remained absent from the realm of perfumery—until now. LOUIS VUITTON HAS REMAINED ABSENT FROM THE REALM OF PERFUMERY—UNTIL NOW. The 162-year-old house recently launched Les Parfums Louis Vuitton, a collection of seven travel-inspired floral attars by in-house master perfumer Jacques Cavallier Belletrud. As a thoughtful nod…

MANY AN INFAMOUS FETE has been thrown in the neighborhoods near the Viceroy L’Ermitage Beverly Hills. A short distance from both Holmby Hills (home of the Playboy Mansion) and the Sunset Strip (Chateau Marmont, the Viper Room, the “Riot Hyatt” of rock-and-roll notoriety), the beloved hotel on Burton Way has long represented a quieter side of the Hollywood scene, a residential-like retreat where creative types retired to contemplate the next script over cocktails at the Writer’s Bar. And yet, if not as boisterously as its neighbors, L’Ermitage knows how to party. Earlier this year, the 116-room hotel topped off a 10-month renovation by unveiling a new Presidential Suite built explicitly for soirees. Robb Report enjoyed an exclusive first look at the 3,700-square-foot space, which, in addition to a master-bedroom complex,…

ON THE MENU: Lynch’s signature butter soup with poached shellfish is topped with honey foam and a scoop of caviar. CAVIAR OF CHOICE: Snake River Royal white-sturgeon caviar sustainably farmed in Idaho ($95 for 1 ounce, brownetrading.com). LYNCH SAYS: “The Royal white is a little brinier, a tad smaller than osetra—which we use in our caviar service—and you can eat a lot of it. It’s also not as fatty, but it’s delicious. I had 2 ounces of it last week to celebrate with a friend—we ate it on a baguette with fresh butter from Diane St. Clair and loads of caviar. The next day I had it with an omelet. . . . The butter soup is really just sweet butter and shellfish—lobster, scallops, crab, pieces of shrimp, mussels. So…

“THE B7 IS COMPARABLE TO THE TRACK-TUNED VARIANTS OF OTHER LUXURY BRANDS’ FLAGSHIP SEDANS. AND IT’S MORE EXCLUSIVE THAN THOSE MODELS.” I FLUNG THE BMW Alpina B7 xDrive out of the pits and into turn 3 at the Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca, catapulting it forward with a seamless surge of acceleration. After lifting my foot from the throttle so that the car could apex the turn, I relaunched it into a tire-scrubbing tear. I’ve accumulated countless laps at Laguna Seca over the years, so I’m familiar with these turns, but this experience was different from previous ones because I was driving a nearly 2.5-ton luxury sedan. Such a vehicle should feel out of place on a racetrack, but this latest generation of the Alpina B7 proved perfectly suited to the…

Piero Lissoni has designed everything from luxury resorts and superyachts to coffeemakers and toy cars. Now the Italian architect is trying his hand at American living with his first full-scale U.S. project, the Ritz-Carlton Residences, Miami Beach (theresidencesmiami beach.com). Set to open next year on more than 7 waterfront acres between Mid-Beach’s western bayside and Surprise Lake, Lissoni’s project departs from the high-rise mania that has taken hold in Miami Beach. Instead, the architect has created an unimposing collection of contemporary mid-rise structures; the 111 condo-style residences and 15 freestanding villas offer two to four bedrooms and are priced from $2 million to over $40 million. Light was the overarching inspiration for the interiors, with floor-to-ceiling windows, screens, and louvers fostering a dramatic play of light and shadow. Bespoke kitchens…

1 Reaching speeds of up to 202 mph, Bentley’s (bentley motors.com) new 626 hp Flying Spur W12 S is the luxury marque’s fastest four-door to date. The souped-up sedan (from $244,600) arrives this month with stylistic muscle to match, including quilted-leather upholstery accented in a choice of 17 colors. —VIJU MATHEW 2 I’m a lover of all things polo, so naturally I’m ponying up for the St. Regis World Snow Polo Championship in Aspen (stregisaspen.com). Beginning December 15, the 4-day tournament offers equine excitement that can be enjoyed from cozy spectator tents, hot toddy in hand. —CAROLYN MEERS 3 The socialite Betsy Bloomingdale amassed a fabulous collection of jewels, many of which will be on sale this month at Christie’s Magnificent Jewels sale (christies.com). The December 7 auction promises the…

Working alongside Angela Camurati, the production director for Vhernier(646.343.9551, vhernier.com), a team of artisans experimented with titanium for nearly 3 years to forge the Italian company’s newest jewelry designs. Their collaboration has yielded, among other eye-catching innovations, the brand’s limited-edition Blue Velvet series (starting at $2,300 for earrings), including the necklace and bracelet shown above. Both feature blued titanium and diamonds, and the necklace showcases as its dramatic centerpiece a 31-carat tanzanite. The painstakingly handmade pieces—a departure from Vhernier’s renowned gold designs—are available for purchase at the brand’s Madison Avenue shop, one of its two New York City boutiques that opened earlier this year to offer fresh concepts. “We want to create something that stimulates people” says Camurati, who more than 30 years ago established Vhernier’s contemporary and sculpturesque style…

• PORSCHE HAS a long relationship with the boxer-4 engine, a 4-cylinder power plant whose pistons are set horizontally instead of vertically like those of an inline engine or diagonally like those of a V-8. Also known as a flat 4, it’s called a boxer because its pistons move in and out like the fists of a quick-jabbing fighter. In 1950 the brand launched its first production car, the 356, and it was equipped with a boxer 4 based on the one Porsche had designed for Volkswagen during the 1930s. The 550 Spyder, which Porsche built from 1953 to 1956, featured a lightweight body and a 110 hp boxer 4. The car was dubbed the “giant killer” on the racetrack because it bested Jaguars and Aston Martins that were powered…

Unlike the shadow vessels of old that were repurposed commercial supply ships, the 55-foot Arcadia Yachts Sherpa (arcadiayachts -sherpa.com/welcome) was conceived from the ground up and designed to be flexible. Depending on its layout and furnishings, the Sherpa can serve as a superyacht’s shadow boat for toting tenders and toys, a support vessel for an oceanfront villa, a fishing boat, a party boat with all that deck space, or a family-style cruiser with plenty of space for sunning. Named for the Nepalese people who are often hired to guide and support mountain climbers in the Himalayas, the Sherpa is available in two superstructure configurations: an open deck, which is suited to carrying gear and other utilitarian purposes, and a saloon deck, which features a glass-enclosed living space on the main…

Electric bikes certainly are not new. In the late 1890s, at least three inventors drew up plans and applied for patents. But their machines couldn’t compete with the automobiles that arrived on the scene at about the same time, and so electric bikes never caught on. But now they have: An estimated 35 million will be sold worldwide by the end of this year. Their popularity shouldn’t be a surprise. They can offer all the health and environmental benefits of a standard bicycle, but if you don’t want to break a sweat when riding one, you don’t have to. Here, we spotlight three top new models that show the range of designs and possibilities for electric bicycles. Budnitz Model E Power Source: Rear-hub 250-watt electric motor and 30-volt lithium-ion battery,…

• DESCRIBING THE DESIGN of the new 11 Ravens Avettore table-tennis table (11ravens.com), Bernard Semerdjian says, “The curve of the legs looks like the wings of a jet airplane. It looks like it’s going fast just sitting there” Semerdjian is the design director for 11 Ravens, which offers a variety of stylish game tables. He’s been with the company since its founding 5 years ago in Los Angeles and says that he and his coworkers are avid table-tennis players. “We play it every day” he says, “which made us think, what if we inject some art into this and bring it to the next level?” The Avettore’s prices range from $26,000 for a basic model in solid maple or oak to $48,000 for a limited-edition Aereo made of Lucite and…

Vienna’s Heurigen are wine taverns located near the city’s vineyards. Mayer am Pfarrplatz (pfarrplatz.at), a beer-garden-style Heurigen at the end of a streetcar line in Heiligenstadt, serves its respected wines as well as excellent schnitzel. Weingut & Heuriger Christ (weingut-christ.at)is a contemporary rendition, serving Christ’s red, white, rosé, and sparkling wines with Austrian dishes. Further into the hills, Mayer am Nussberg (mayeram nussberg.at) and Wieninger am Nussberg (wieninger-am-nussberg.at) are seasonal versions of Heurigencalled Buschenschänken. Both are located in the famed Nussberg vineyard, with views stretching to Vienna and beyond, and serve well-made charcuterie and picnic fare along with the newly released wines. In the city proper, Buschenschank in Residence by Jutta Ambrositsch (jutta -ambrositsch.at) offers a hip take on the pastoral experience on weekends from February through June.…

Mount Cinnamon Resort • Opened in 2007, this collection of 23 villas and suites includes a private beach club and spa. Thirty-two additional suites are currently under construction. mountcinnamon grenadahotel.com Port Louis • De Savary calls this maritime village in St. George’s “the Portofino of the Caribbean.” Though he sold the Port Louis marina to the yacht company Camper & Nicholsons in early 2009, he is still actively involved in the area’s development, including the rebuilding of the Islander Hotel, where he stayed on his first visit to Grenada. portlouis grenada.com Tufton Hall • Rivers, waterfalls, and swimming holes dot this historic plantation property high in the rain forest, where de Savary plans to open a safari-style resort in the coming years. tufton  hallingrenada.com…

The 17th annual Safaricom Marathon takes place on June 24 and promises the same thrills—world-famous athletes, big game, and all—as last year. If you think you’re ready to battle never-ending hills, scorching temperatures, and choking altitudes, all in the name of helping Kenya’s communities and wildlife, then it’s time to check in with Scott Dunn USA (scottdunn.com). The travel company is Tusk’s official partner and the best outfitter to ensure you’ll stay in one of the area’s top three accommodations. Lewa House This seven-cottage hilltop lodge offers some of Lewa’s best wildlife sightings right outside its doors. Glimpse endangered black rhinoceroses and Grevy’s zebras at the watering hole just beyond the camp’s swimming pool, or venture out for safaris on foot or horseback. lewahouse.com Sirikoi Set in a secluded grove,…

THOUGH COLLECTORS MAY COVET IT, THE BULLET CAN SERVE AS A CAPABLE DAILY DRIVER. The Gift A limited-edition Bristol Bullet speedster. $300,000 To celebrate its 70th anniversary next year, the boutique British automaker Bristol Cars will begin deliveries of the Bullet, a stunning, retro-looking roadster. (Bristol calls it a speedster.) The company is going to build only 70 examples. This is the first vehicle Bristol has produced since the British holding company Kamkorp rescued it from insolvency in 2011. Kamkorp also owns Frazer-Nash Research, a British business that develops and builds electric and hybrid power trains. Different incarnations of Frazer-Nash Research and Bristol Cars were previously linked: In 1945 the Bristol Aeroplane Company built its first car, the 400, in collaboration with BMW and Frazer-Nash, which at the time was…

THE GUEST JUDGES WILL ENJOY THE THRILL OF DRIVING SEDANS,SPORTS CARS, AND SUVS ON THE SCENIC BACKCOUNTRY ROADS OF NAPA VALLEY. The Gift A private judging session for 24 people at Robb Report’s 16th annual Car of the Year event. Accommodations at Meadowood Napa Valley for 4 days and 3 nights. A welcome dinner hosted by chef Thomas Keller at the French Laundry. A guided tasting of rare Balvenie single-malt whiskies, including a rare bottle for the recipient to keep. $899,000 If you and your friends have ever wanted to spend a day driving the world’s best new cars, this is your chance to do so. Robb Report is offering one reader and 23 of his or her guests the chance to serve as judges for next fall’s Car of…

The Gift Three days enjoying an authentic Florentine gentleman’s lifestyle with Stefano Ricci as your host. A fitting with Stefano Ricci’s master tailor for a bespoke wardrobe of five custom-made looks: a suit, a tuxedo, a sporting outfit from the designer’s Campagna line, outerwear, and a casual ensemble, each completed with shirts, neckties, and footwear. An exclusive viewing of Stefano Ricci’s rare vintage-Ferrari collection. An overnight stay, with an option to join a boar or pheasant hunt, at the Ricci family’s private Tuscan hunting lodge. starting at $100,000 Born and raised in Florence, Stefano Ricci epitomizes the spirit of a true Renaissance man with his love of art, culture, craft, and, of course, fine wines and food. So it’s not surprising that when Ricci established his luxury lifestyle brand more…

“FOR ME, IT’S A PROCESS OF MAKING ORDER OUT OF CHAOS.” —TRENT PRESZLER “Some people say that when you build a canoe, you’re planning your escape,” says Trent Preszler, the owner of Preszler Woodshop in Long Island, NY. “But for me, it’s a process of making order out of chaos” For this gift, Preszler is inviting one Robb Report reader to participate in that process, collaborating with him on a custom canoe at his woodshop, which is housed in a converted 1820s barn. Preszler, who is also the CEO of Long Island’s Bedell Cellars winery, founded Preszler Woodshop 2 years ago after discovering his late father’s tool collection. He typically builds just two canoes a year, as the process that he uses to construct each hull takes about 6 months…

“WE WANTED TO COME UP WITH ONE THAT . . . WOULD ACTUALLY BE BUILT.” —HENRIK FISKER Henrik Fisker is no stranger to superyachts. The automotive designer regularly spends time in the Mediterranean aboard vessels owned by friends and business acquaintances. But he hadn’t designed a yacht in more than two decades, not since he was a student at the Art Center College of Design in Pasadena, Calif. Nevertheless, when Fisker casually mentioned his interest in styling a yacht with Benetti, the Italian shipyard immediately agreed to the project. The objective, says Fisker, was to create a yacht that was as functional as it was forward in its design. “As with the car industry, many amazing concepts never actually materialize” he says, “so we wanted to come up with one…

“THE CONCEPT BEHIND THIS HUMIDOR IS TIME FLIES—AND REMINDS US THAT WE NEED TO ENJOY LIFE WHILE WE CAN.” —FRÉDÉRIC SAINT ROMAIN, 2SAINTS Cigar smoking can stimulate contemplation, fostering multiple thoughts that interlock like the gears of a mechanical watch. This notion was the inspiration for Think ($26,000), a limited edition of eight humidors produced just outside Paris by the humidor manufacturer Elie Bleu and designed by the accessories brand 2Saints (2Saints.paris). They worked in conjunction with Maison Tournaire and the Solyfonte art foundry, both of which are known for their expertise in making gold and silver jewelry. A total of 35 artisans worked on the humidors over a 6-month period, cutting, sanding, adjusting, lacquering, casting, polishing, and inspecting each one multiple times. Elie Bleu crafted them using a veneer…

THE CARPET WAS PART OF A COLLECTION ASSEMBLED BY A FAMILY OF ART COLLECTORS AND LIKELY TOOK A TEAM OF 10 ARTISANS 5 YEARS TO WEAVE BY HAND. Coveted for their intricate floral designs, Laver Kirman Persian rugs are some of the most sought-after carpets by collectors and design lovers alike. For the holidays, the Claremont Rug Company is making the rare mid-19th-century example shown here available as part of a gift package ($800,000) exclusively for a Robb Report reader. The carpet was part of a 175-piece collection assembled over five generations by a family of art collectors and likely took a team of 10 artisans 5 years to weave by hand. The art-level design was made using natural dyes, which, along with the rug’s colossal spread (it is larger…

IF GOOD THINGS come in small packages, then the works of Eduard Ter-Ghazaryan Jr. are downright amazing. The 38-year-old micro-miniaturist, whose late grandfather and namesake founded the niche art form, creates sculptures and portraits that are so small they fit in the eyes of needles and are invisible to the naked eye. The Armenian artist painstakingly executes his pieces—recent works include a 1-millimeter portrait he presented to Pope Francis—from materials such as amber, marble, gold, and wood using homemade engraving tools, one of which has a diamond edge only 1 percent the thickness of a human hair. As an exclusive offer for Robb Report’s Ultimate Gift Guide, Ter-Ghazaryan plans to create for one recipient the world’s smallest family portrait. The artist will meet with the recipient and his or her…

It looks more like a 911, particularly at the haunches and at the rear, where it has the same LED tail-lamp slats as the sports car. THE PORSCHE PANAMERA didn’t shock brand loyalists when it debuted in 2009. After all, the full-size sedan followed the Cayenne SUV bombshell by 7 years, allowing ample time for purists to come to terms with the idea of a four-door from Zuffenhausen. So the mixed reception that greeted the Panamera had little to do with its straying too far from the brand’s sports-car core. Instead, Porsche fans and others were disappointed with the car’s appearance, specifically its bulbous tail end. One of the more generous criticisms compared the Panamera to a crouching hippo; another said it could pass as the offspring of a Porsche…

ON THE MENU: Tusk, who always features caviar on his tasting menu, is currently serving it as a first course with fromage-blanc mousse, cold avocado sauce, and a scattering of coriander blossoms. Yes, that is a sturgeon decorating the plate. CAVIAR OF CHOICE: Caviar Galilee Prime osetra farmed in Israel ($150 for 1.06 ounces, brownetrading.com). TUSK SAYS: “This caviar has a buttery finish that I like with the cool, creamy avocado. We’ve also used Sterling caviar and Tsar Nicoulai [both from California], if one is tasting better at a particular moment. We taste them each time they arrive. . . . Using avocado is part of going toward a more vegetable-focused menu. It’s a nice surprise, too—there’s a lot more to creating dishes with caviar than blinis and so forth.…

ON A RECENT Saturday at Barneys New York, jeweler Sharon Khazzam presented trays of colorful loose stones that looked like candy, from bubble-gum-pink sapphires to chocolate-brown diamonds. Captivated by the breadth of gems, clients were invited to select stones and consult with the designer on a personalized piece of jewelry. It’s part of the new Signature by Sharon Khazzam experience (516.570.2663, sharon khazzam.com) that is being offered at select Barneys department stores. “It’s exciting to have a dialogue with the clients and collaborate on something so personal,” says Khazzam, who notes that shoppers are enjoying discovering new stones. At a similar event held at Barneys in Beverly Hills, a woman “fell in love” with a pair of large carved amber stones that Khazzam set alongside brown diamonds in drop earrings.…

The Hamptons—specifically, Montauk, N.Y., at the tip of Long Island’s South Fork—was the setting for a late-summer test-drive of the Volvo S90(volvocars.com), the Swedish brand’s new flagship sedan. It replaces the S80, which had been in production since 1998. The S90 is an elegant vehicle—the test car was painted a gray that the brand calls Mussel Blue Metallic—that blended with the area’s sprawling summer estates and tony beachside resorts. Safety remains at the forefront of Volvo engineering. The company has set a goal, targeted for the year 2020, of preventing any driver or passenger of a new Volvo from suffering a serious or fatal injury in a crash. To that end, the S90 comes standard with several advanced safety features, including Pilot Assist, which automatically steers the car, accelerates it,…

The Arcadia Yachts Sherpa is unusual in that it can be configured to serve as a leisure boat or a support vessel for a larger yacht, but the latter concept—a purpose-built shadow yacht—is not new. This type of vessel first came on the scene in the mid-2000s, when companies such as Shadow Marine converted commercial ships into tagalongs for yachts whose owners wanted to bring more toys, supplies, and crew. Once yacht builders saw a market for such vessels, they began designing and producing them with an emphasis on aesthetics and efficiency. Here we spotlight launches that illustrate the evolution of the shadow yacht. 2005 A converted supply vessel for offshore oil platforms, Shadow Marine’s Paladin Shadow is one of the first shadow yachts. The 170-footer features a hangar for…

• LIKE ALL of the brand’s irons, the new PXG 0311XF models (pxg.com) are triple forged and feature an ultrathin face and an internal cavity filled with a thermoplastic elastomer. Compared to other irons, this design increases the speed and distance of the ball, according to PXG. However, the XF irons also feature a longer blade, a wider sole, and a slightly larger overall profile, all of which increase the size of the sweet spot on the clubface. These are game-improvement irons—XF stands for “xtreme forgiveness”—but they don’t appear drastically different from the brand’s other series, including the 0311T PGA Tour–class irons that debuted last fall. So with the addition of the XF series ($350 per club for the chrome version), you can now discreetly mix and match PXG clubs…

• THE AGE-OLD dilemma of at-home, by-the-glass drinking may finally be solved. A new wine appliance called Plum (plum.wine) aims to up the ante of needle preservation with an automatic system that controls temperature and prevents oxygen exposure during storage. Created by David Koretz, a wine-loving inventor and technology CEO, the countertop device features an internal camera that scans the label of an inserted bottle and, using proprietary technology, detects the wine’s vintage, varietal, region, winery, and ideal serving conditions. Once the wine reaches peak drinking temperature, Plum alerts the user and, upon the push of a button, uses its own patent-pending needle system to pierce the top—whether a traditional cork or a metal screw cap—and pressurize the bottle. Wine is served in any increment via dual pouring spouts (one…

THE PARK HYATT VIENNA (park.hyatt.com) transformed a monumental bank building on Am Hof Square into an elegant modern hotel. In March the hotel became even more enticing with the new Bank Brasserie & Bar. The wine list offers a long, liquid tour of Austria, with sharp selections ranging from the Wachau’s ultraluxurious F.X. Pichler 2012 Riesling “Unendlich” Smaragd to Burgenland’s biodynamic Heinrich 2011 Blaufränkisch Alter Berg.…

IT IS ANOTHER bluebird day in British Columbia’s Kuldo Valley as the Astar B2 helicopter soars over oceans of evergreens and glistening glaciers. I have come to this powdery Valhalla to explore the 3,677-square-mile domain of Skeena Heliskiing, an adventure outfitter with exclusive rights to the remote valley. Soon enough, I am swooshing down runs with adrenaline-inducing names like Eye of the Tiger, plunging off mountaintop ridges, cruising twisty rollers, and navigating tight tree lines. By day’s end—when we retire to Skeena’s new BaseCamp (skeenaheliskiing.com)—my fellow skiers and I have completed no fewer than 20 runs in 8 hours of sunlight. Accessible by a short chopper ride from Skeena’s luxurious Bear Claw Lodge, Base Camp is a unique concept among Canadian heli-skiing operations. Composed of arctic-inspired tents, the camp is…

The Gift An Aerion AS2 supersonic private jet with customizable cabin features. starting at $120 million There’s nothing new about supersonic flight. Military aircraft exceed the speed of sound every day, and until 2003, civilian passengers could travel on the Concorde fleet. But building a next-generation transport jet to replace the Concorde has proven a frustrating quest, thanks to the high price of fuel, the astronomical cost of bringing a new aircraft design from drawing board to market, and the noise restrictions that forbid supersonic flight over the United States, Europe, and other parts of the world. These factors don’t favor a positive cost-benefit analysis. Nevertheless, the Aerion Corporation is determined to build the first supersonic business jet. The Nevada-based company has patented a wing design that promises top-of-class efficiencies.…

The Gift A private charter of Belmond’s new 40-passenger Grand Hibernian train for a weeklong golf journey through Ireland. $316,000 Every night aboard the new Belmond Grand Hibernian, old Ireland comes alive. As the 40-passenger train’s elegant midnight-blue carriages sweep past blanket bogs and ancient castles, inside the bar car is brimming with the authentic craic of the Emerald Isle. “We have traditional music—like you would find in a pub” says J. P. Kavanagh, the train’s general manager. “Sometimes there’s a harpist, sometimes a traditional storyteller weaving tales about old Irish myths like selkies and river monsters. And every night there’s Irish whiskey” For the recipient of this gift, the Grand Hibernian—which made its inaugural journey as Ireland’s first luxury train in August—is sure to inspire many new Irish tales.…

The Gift The seventh of 10 Lister Knobbly Stirling Moss Edition racecars. Full access to the factory in Cambridge, England, during the car’s build process. A full day of Lister Knobbly driver training by the legendary racecar driver and former Top Gear presenter Tiff Needell. Dinner with Stirling Moss at the Savoy in London. Paid entry in the Stirling Moss Trophy Series with a full racing-spares package and setup by the racecar preparer CKL Developments. $649,000 The Lister Knobbly racers of the 1950s hold a special place in motorsports history because of their rarity and beauty and because of the men who drove them. Drivers included Stirling Moss, who piloted a special ultralightweight magnesium-bodied version to victory at Silverstone in 1958. Overall, the magnesium Knobbly won 13 of the 14…

MAKING THIS GIFT EVEN MORE MAGICAL IS A WORLD-CLASS ART COLLECTION CREATED EXCLUSIVELY FOR THE PENTHOUSE’S NEW OWNER. The Gift The two-story, 14,000-square-foot duplex penthouse residence at the Faena Hotel Miami Beach. A specially curated art collection, including a series of commissioned murals by the Argentine artist Juan Gatti. An in-residence welcome asado hosted by chef Francis Mallmann. starting at $60 million For his six-block Faena District in downtown Miami, the Argentine developer Alan Faena aimed to create, as he has described it, “a new paradigm of the Miami lifestyle, one where design, refined hospitality, and culture converge” To bring this vision to life, he enlisted the help of a global brain trust of creatives, from architects Norman Foster and Rem Koolhaas to noted Hollywood filmmaker Baz Luhrmann, who helped…

Motorcycle owners like to talk about the feeling of freedom that comes from riding their bikes. Alan Stulberg and Stefan Hertel, the cofounders of Revival Cycles in Austin, Texas, derive that sensation from designing and building custom projects such as the one offered for this gift (starting at $50,000). “Once we have control of the entire build, all the options open up, and we can come up with more interesting ways to blend the form and function,” says Hertel. “When we are building a full custom bike, we don’t have to be limited by what is in front of us; we can focus on what the bike should be.” That’s what they did with the Henne Revival BMW Landspeeder, a recent build shown here. The Revival team begins with an…

DE BEERS DIAMOND JEWELLERS debeers.com | 800.929.0889 The home of diamonds since 1888, De Beers creates wondrous jewels with peerlessly beautiful diamonds to celebrate all of life’s events. The diamond expert for over 125 years, De Beers Diamond Jewellers was born from a legacy that embodies the timeless mystique of diamonds. This rich heritage is brought to life today through unique, individually selected diamonds and the brand’s iconic Talisman Collection. Discover the new flagship at 716 Madison Avenue or visit debeers.com to find a location near you. METAPHORA WINES metaphorawines.com | 707.963.3737 Metaphora is Napa Valley’s rising star and is an expression of uncompromised winemaking. Rich and explosive on the palate, Metaphora is a large-scaled and well-integrated Cabernet Sauvignon that possesses formidable concentration and pure power. Just awarded the 50…

 IS IT JUST a merry coincidence that holiday is a seven-letter word, made for a bingo? The Scrabble lover will especially appreciate such serendipity when the word is laid across the surface of this exceptional leather set ($11,950), handcrafted in Italy. The set is part of Asprey’s selection of premium versions of classic board games, creations that date back to the 1920s. THE SET IS PART OF ASPREY’S SELECTION OF PREMIUM VERSIONS OF CLASSIC BOARD GAMES. The board’s squares are individually wrapped in Italian lambskin with gray for blank squares, a festive red and green for double-letter and double-word scores, white to denote triple-letter spaces, and black for triple-word squares. The case, topped by a tidy handle, is crafted in a sturdy English saddle leather meant to withstand time’s ravages…

TREKKING UP A STEEP HILL in the Cinque Terre National Park along Italy’s Ligurian coast one warm summer day, I am desperately trying to stay cool and keep up with my guide, Anna Zegna. The oppressive heat doesn’t seem to faze the charismatic president of Fondazione Zegna, a humanitarian organization she and her fashion-business family established in 2000. She seems perfectly comfortable in a stylish chambray shirt and trousers. Heat or no heat, she will hike in style. Her fashion sense comes as no surprise: She is the granddaughter of Ermenegildo Zegna, who more than a century ago founded the eponymous sartorial empire that now thrives on a global scale but retains a small-town mind-set. The Milan-based company earned more than $1.3 billion worldwide in 2015 but has remained devoted…

TERRANEA RESORT   terranea.com | 888.991.7087 Overlooking the vast blue Pacific Ocean, Terranea Resort is the perfect Los Angeles retreat, brimming with breathless beauty and endless discovery. This season, Terranea encourages guests to enjoy the magical spirit of the holidays with elf tuck-ins, postcards to the North Pole, gingerbread sand castles, New Year’s festivities, and more. Celebrate the holidays and start your own tradition at L.A.’s only oceanfront resort with fun-filled activities and dining for all. GIA   gia.edu/retailer-lookup Shopping for a diamond? Be sure you look for diamonds with the Gemological Institute of America grading reports. GIA's Retailer Lookup helps you find retailers who sell GIA-graded diamonds or have GIA-trained sales staff on site. PADRÓN CIGARS   padron.com | 800.453.5635 The Dámaso line of cigars offers a complex mild…