The House of Rémy Martin celebrates its 300th anniversary in 2024. The brand has become synonymous with luxury and its Cognacs have received broad cultural recognition, appearing in films, such as American Psycho, and literature, including The Great Gatsby. Rémy Martin Louis XIII, the flagship Cognac – enjoying its 150th birthday this year – exemplifies the company’s iconic status in the world of spirits.
If you’re lucky enough to experience Rémy Martin Louis XIII (prices start at just over £3,000 for a 70cl bottle), you’ll first notice its regal amber hue. As you bring the glass towards your nose, intoxicating aromas begin to unfold: almond, allspice, orange peel, clementine, prune, medjool date, baked pear, vanilla bean, cocoa, dried chamomile, jasmine, leather and earth. There’s a pristine balance on the nose – the alcohol remarkably subdued given its 40% ABV – and the palate exhibits poised, briny intensity and a lingering, sophisticated spice. As it evolves in the glass, it gains texture and silkiness, as fruitier notes emerge like mandarin, melon, dried mango, pineapple and papaya, adding a tropical layer.
Paul-Émile Rémy Martin discovered that eaux-de-vie produced from grapes grown on the chalky soils of Grande Champagne produced better Cognac
To achieve this character, the Cognac is matured for between 40 to 100 years in unique, handmade barrels called tierçons – made only of wood from the Limousin forest – of up to 580l, filled with eaux-de-vie distilled from Ugni Blanc grapes grown in Grande Champagne, Cognac’s Premier Cru appellation. Crucially, these barrels are allowed to mature in very different micro-environments, stored in cellars across the estate with different levels of humidity. The final blend, which is currently overseen by Baptiste Loiseau, cellar master since 2014 and the youngest in the house’s history, remains constant through time, despite an annually shifting terroir.
The origins of Rémy Martin Louis XIII
Rémy Martin Louis XIII Cognac was created in 1874 by Paul-Émile Rémy Martin, who emphasised the superior quality of the Grande Champagne appellation in Cognac. He discovered that eaux-de-vie produced from grapes grown on these chalky soils yielded better Cognac and labelled this selection Grande Champagne, Très Vieille, Age Inconnu, indicating it was very old with an unknown age. Eaux-de-vie produced from Grande Champagne vines would not achieve the ideal aroma profile, complexity, balance and opulence without extensive ageing.
The estate was founded by Rémy Martin in 1724 following some tough decades in which frost ravaged many vineyards and trade had been limited. After making Cognac in order to purchase more land for winemaking, he identified eaux-de-vie’s potential to gain finesse and elegance with the passage of time. As a result, Cognac became the only region in the world with such a singular focus on the production of spirits from wine. This commitment led to the dual expertise of the region’s growers and pot still artisans; Louis XIII is an example of what can be achieved with this combination of craftsmanship and heritage.
What goes into making Rémy Martin Louis XIII?
The first essential step in producing Louis XIII Cognac is the selection of the best grapes. As Baptiste Loiseau – who was a winemaker prior to joining Rémy Martin – remarks, ‘the vision of Pierrette Trichet [the previous cellarmaster] was: “OK, we know a lot about ageing, about stock, we know about distillation but now it has to go beyond.”’ Understanding the quality of the fruit and how to manage it during production is key, he explains: ‘First you have to understand what is in the wine and in the grapes, and once you have understood the way to manage your quality of grapes and wine, you are much more confident in the aromas you will find in the eaux-de-vie and in the final product.’
The balance between sugar and acidity in wine for distillation differs from that in still wine because it relies on natural acidity to preserve the wine without using sulphur, which can give ‘off’ flavours to the distilled spirit. Achieving this balance involves maintaining higher acidity to inhibit bacterial growth and controlling sugar levels to avoid excessive alcohol concentration during distillation.
In August, ripeness control begins with grape sampling to assess sugar levels, acidity and overall quality. That process determines the start of the harvest, which usually lasts three weeks. Following this, two to three weeks are dedicated to tasting and analysing micro-distillates from each tank to categorise the wine and prioritise distillation. Distillation starts in late October and continues until mid-March, involving daily blind tastings of over 1,000 samples to select and advise growers. By April, after inventorying and assessing the eaux-de-vie, the cellar master plans the recipes for the upcoming year, marking a crucial period for future production.
Rémy Martin grows, selects, and distils some eaux-de-vie itself, which it combines with eaux-de-vie from 800 other contracted growers. The selection of eaux-de-vie that have the ageing potential to be part of Louis XIII represents less than 0.5 % of all the Cognac eaux-de-vie produced in one year. The selection process starts with blind tastings of unaged eaux-de-vie, with the team choosing a selection of samples for ageing. The cellar master determines the precise proportions for blending, starting with small test batches to ensure quality. This process involves comparing the new blend with previous years to maintain consistency, with only five experts involved in this part of the process. The selected eaux-de-vie are aged for decades, monitored annually and blended to achieve a consistent final product.
Unlike wine tasting, where palate evaluation is key, eau-de-vie evaluation focuses on aromatics
‘I can’t say at the very beginning of the tasting how long they will be aged but it’s a question of decades,’ says Loiseau. ‘It really depends on the way it will evolve, the kind of cask we will use and finally the aromatic profile that is linked to the vintage itself.’
When tasting unaged eaux-de-vie, the focus is primarily on nosing rather than tasting due to the high alcohol content. Unlike wine tasting, where palate evaluation is key, eau-de-vie evaluation focuses on aromatics.
How did the design come about?
The legendary design of the Louis XIII bottle is inspired by a 16th-century flask found on the site of the Battle of Jarnac, located just a 20-minute drive from Cognac. It features intricate spiked detailing and fleur-de-lis decorations. Made from fine Baccarat crystal and individually numbered, each bottle is hand-blown by master craftsmen and topped with a crystal stopper. Louis XIII is produced in five sizes but the bottle design remains the same: a 5cl miniature is available, along with the classic 70cl and a magnum (1.5l). There are 200 jeroboams (3l) and 50 mathusalem (6l) produced each year.
Rémy Martin Louis XIII today
Rémy Martin adopted sustainable practices around 20 years ago, leading to the achievement of an HEV certification (the highest level in a governmental scheme to recognise the environmental performance of farmers) in 2012, the first in Cognac. Currently, 60% of the estate’s hectares are certified, with plans to reach 100% by 2028. Beyond certifications, Rémy Martin promotes biodiversity and traditional agricultural methods, aiming to revive historical practices in the region.
The primary focus for Louis XIII will be maintaining consistency but thanks to his sensitivity to the specifics of terroir and ageing conditions, it is possible we can expect another rare cask from Loiseau, following his first special edition Rare Cask 42.1 in March 2023. It is packaged in a black crystal decanter and was selected for its untypically floral nose and exotic palate. ‘You never know when you’ll find a rare cask,’ Loiseau says. ‘It’s a cask that is so singular and rare that it has to be highlighted on its own.’
