Louis XIII Cognac: The world’s most expensive liqueur, Louis XIII is a peerless blend of up to 1,200 varieties of eau de vie, including some from the brand’s oldest casks. It’s created by four generations of cellar masters over 100 years.
It’s a spirit that must be tasted and monitored throughout its entire life cycle to ensure it maintains its quality.
Louis is an extremely complex process, according to Baptiste Loiseau, current cellar master.
Origins
Table of Contents
LOUIS XIII Cognac represents an ancient savoir-faire, which has been well preserved by the generations of Cellar Master since it’s inception.
Using up to 1,200 grapes grown exclusively in the prestigious Grande Champagne region, each eau-de-vie is slowly matured inside aged Limousin oak casks.
Its history and taste are enriched by the tiercons or centuries-old casks that hold Louis XIII’s eaux de-vie.
They were transported on horse-drawn coaches to three sets. The tiercons, made of Limousin oak, are a unique composition that preserves the ideal tannins and porosity for ageing our eaux-devie.
The book contains a song about cognac, performed by its most passionate and earliest devotees.
This book contains letters and diaries of two avid travelers on the America-bound cruiser Normandie in 1935.
It also includes the itinerary of King George VI (and Queen Elizabeth) on their trip to Versailles in 1938.
Finally, it provides the first-hand account from a young millionaire, who requested that the Orient-Express make a stop on his 1928 trip to Constantinople so the brandy could remain on the ground.
Distillation
Cognac, a refined and complex spirit, takes years to create its distinctive character. This is a result of the combination of terroir, distillation practices and aging requirements.
The wine used for Louis XIII is distilled twice and then aged in French oak barrels for decades. It is crafted from grapes that are sourced from the Grande Champagne region of France.
This grape produces a complex, smooth flavor that has notes of tobacco, leather and dried fruits. This is a spirit that has been enjoyed by connoisseurs for centuries.
When the eau-de-vie is made, it is distilled twice over a flame in small pot stills that are shaped like swan’s necks.
This process separates the liquid into “the head” and the “tail,” which are considered imperfect and set aside. The middle part, called the heart, is what eventually becomes cognac.
Ageing
Louis XIII Cognac is aged in hundreds of different barrels, which gives it a complex flavor and mellow smoothness.
This cognac is among the most exclusive and expensive in the world. Bottles regularly sell for thousands of dollars.
The delicate interaction between air, time and wood is what ages Cognac.
Louis XIII Cognac is made up of eaux-de-vie carefully chosen and mixed together, before being aged in oak barrels for many decades.
Louis XIII Cognac has two types of oak to age its eau-de–vie: Pedunculate (Quercus Robur), and Sessile (Quercus Petraea). These oak types will produce different amounts of tannins as they age.
The Cellar Master then mixes the eaux de-vie together to make Louis XIII. After the mix has aged for 20-40 years, it is returned to oak barrels.
Tasting
A cognac tasting is an intimate experience, with each taste varying due to a myriad of factors, from the time of day and temperature to the food you’ve just eaten.
This is an unusual opportunity to witness a process that’s fundamentally a science.
Each decanter contains a blend of approximately 1,200 Grande Champagne eaux-de–vie, sourced from France’s region of Cognac.
The fiery, colourless liquid is then poured into century-old Limousin oak casks to mature over the years.
Over the years, Remy Martin Cellar Masters from generations past have kept the best eau-deevie aside and combined their creative intuition with craftsmanship to make a blend that is consistent over time.
It is an amazing combination of aromas and flavors that evoke honey, myrrh and dried roses as well as plums, leather and cigar boxes.
Tasting Louis XIII is an almost ritualistic experience that harkens back to the moment it was first served at the Universal Exhibition in Paris in 1874.
This is also an excellent reminder of the many generations of Remy Martin Cellar Master Remy Martin Cellar Makers who dedicated their lives crafting it.
Read More:
