My LA CLAYE LA CLASSIQUE 1938: opening as an elegant act
There are tools you buy because they solve a problem. And there are tools you buy because they express an attitude. My LA CLAYE LA CLASSIQUE 1938 belongs to the second category, and by now I open practically every bottle with it.
One thing up front, since the name often gets misfiled: a Claye is not a saber and has nothing to do with sabrage. It's actually the opposite: a Champagne key (clef à champagne), used to open the bottle in a controlled, quiet way, with both feet planted right on the table.
A forgotten object from Champagne
The Claye is a historic tool from Champagne that had fallen into obscurity for decades. The brand LA CLAYE tells its origin story through a family heirloom: an old Claye that sat in the drawer of great-grandmother Raymonde, who once used it with remarkable ease. From that discovery came the idea to reissue the object as a modern piece of French craftsmanship.
The model name LA CLASSIQUE 1938 references the tool's first documented mention, in 1938. Today, LA CLAYE is the exclusive maker of the modern Claye, produced in France, drawing on knife making, jewelry craftsmanship, and fine leatherwork. The brand itself calls the object a "Bijou de table," a table jewel. After half a year of use, I can say: that's less exaggerated than it sounds.
How the Claye works
The principle is leverage instead of force. The Claye grips the cork, the Muselet is loosened, and the lever lets you turn the cork out millimeter by millimeter, while your thumb secures it the entire time.
The real highlight is the Perfect Serve: the bottle stays standing on the table, label facing the guest. No twisting around, no bottleneck tucked under the arm, no hand on the rim of the glass. And you decide for yourself how the bottle opens:
- The sigh: controlled and almost silent, just a faint hiss escapes. The most elegant form, and the gentlest on the mousse
- À la volée: with the classic pop, when the moment calls for it
The fact that your hand never touches the bottleneck is a nice hygiene side benefit, especially when opening for guests. And with magnums, which are hard to turn by hand alone, the lever goes from nice-to-have to real advantage.
My copy: LA CLASSIQUE 1938 with embossing
My LA CLASSIQUE 1938 came with a leather sleeve embossed with "The Champagne Guy." This personalization turns the tool into a personal piece: the sleeve sits next to the glasses at every tasting, and the embossing has become something like my calling card at the table.
I captured the unboxing in a reel, including the first moment of awe at the craftsmanship:
Watch the unboxing reel on Instagram →
First use
I broke in the Claye with the Milieu Naturel from Dérot-Delugny, a Brut Nature made from 100% Meunier. The pairing was unintentionally fitting: a purist, honest Champagne, opened with a tool that radiates exactly that same calm. It worked right away, and yes, it almost looked like I knew what I was doing.
the_champagne.guy Manchmal ist das Öffnen fast genauso spannend wie das Trinken. Endlich kam mein @laclaye – LA CLASSIQUE 1938 zum ersten Einsatz – das kleine französische Gadget, das die Flasche so elegant öffnet, dass man fast das Plopp vermisst. #perfectserve 😄 Hat erstaunlich gut funktioniert – und ja, sah fast so aus, als würde ich wissen, was ich tue. Geöffnet wurde der Milieu Naturel – Blanc de Noirs von @derotdelugny . Eine Cuvée, die genau hält, was der Name verspricht - natürlich, ehrlich, geerdet. 100 % Pinot Meunier, spontanvergoren, unfiltriert, keine Schönung, keine Dosage. Im Glas zeigt er sich zartgolden, mit einer feinen Perlage und einem Duft, der an reife Birne, Apfel, leichtes Brioche und frische Nüsse erinnert. Am Gaumen trocken, straff und pur – aber mit dieser schönen, cremigen Textur, die das Ganze wieder abrundet. Champagne-Facts 🥂 100 % Pinot Meunier 📍 Crouttes-sur-Marne · Vallée de la Marne 🪵 Ausbau teils im Holz, teils im Edelstahl 🍬 Dosage: 0 g/l (Brut Nature) 🌿 Spontangärung · keine Schönung oder Filtration 🕰 Reifung: mind. 30 Monate auf der Hefe Ein ehrlicher Blanc de Noirs, der zeigt, dass weniger manchmal mehr ist – und dass auch beim Öffnen die Details zählen. #TheChampagneGuy @riedel_official @grad.dk @jchlp #DerotDelugny #MilieuNaturel #BlancdeNoirs #PinotMeunier #ValléedelaMarne #GrowerChampagne #BrutNature #ChampagneMoment #ChampagneLife #ChampagneVibes #ChampagneTasting #TheChampagneGuyMoments
Auf Instagram weiterlesen →Why the Claye fits my philosophy
Regular readers here know my basic stance: Champagne deserves respect and the right ritual. That's why #saynotoflutes when it comes to glassware, and that's why the Claye when it comes to opening. The controlled sigh instead of the pop isn't about showing off, it's actually the opposite: it keeps the carbonation in the wine instead of in the air, and it directs attention to what ends up in the glass.
Since that first use, the Claye has been with me at almost every one of my tastings. It has turned opening the bottle from an afterthought into part of the ritual.
The model lineup
LA CLAYE offers the Claye in several lines: LA CLASSIQUE 1938 (the icon, my model), LA CLASSY, LA COLLECTOR, LA CARD, and LA CUSTOM for bespoke pieces. Personalizations like my embossing go through the brand's Sur-Mesure options.
More on the history and the object directly at LA CLAYE.
The Claye isn't a gadget you use twice and then forget. It's the rare tool that permanently changes an everyday hand movement.