A ROYAL DRINK INDEED
"Une Celebration du Moment"
by Alain Gayot

With three centuries of Cognac making under its belt, the Rémy Martin family certainly has perfected the art, and nowhere is this more clear than with its top-of-the-line offering, Louis XIII de Rémy Martin.

“Louis XIII is not a Cognac,” they say at Rémy. “Put simply, it’s a moment.” Why is it a moment? Figure this: each bottle is a blend of 1,200 Cognacs, ranging from 40 to 100 years old, across three generations of Cellar Masters, resulting from the combined labor of 10,000 people.

Luxury meets Exotica: A Moray Eel Guards a Bottle of Louis XIII de Rémy Martin.

The philosophy of Cognac is terroir. According to Rémy Martin's philosophy, if you start with fine grapes from the best vineyards, sift through the proper and best eaux de vie, and then blend them artfully, you will get a fine Cognac.

When introduced to America in 1878, Rémy Martin—and Cognacs in general—had been reserved for gentlemen clubs. In the past decade, however, inadvertent promotion by hip hop artists (such as Busta Rhymes’ song “Pass the Courvoisier”) has boosted U.S. Cognac sales, shifting the popularity of the drink from the elite to the hip hop crowd. Rapper Jay-Z’s New York sports bar, The 40/40 Club even includes a “Rémy Lounge,” in salute to his favorite brand.

The packaging of Louis XIII shares almost as much history as the Cognac itself. The idea for the glass came from an old bottle found by Emile Rémy Martin on a Jarnac battlefield. Since then, the carafe has evolved into its distinguished shape, manufactured by Baccarat since 1936. A solid gold collar encases the neck, which is adorned by a signature fleur-de-lys crystal stopper. Its Baroque-style glass and design may have been the inspiration for the name Louis XIII, a French king who ruled during the Baroque era. It is also noted that the Rémy Martin family had close connections with King Louis XIII, which serves as another explanation for the Cognac's name. Also of note: the exquisite red box that the bottle comes in is the first new design in 25 years.

As for taste, this Cognac boasts only the finest flavors. You are greeted by a noble deep amber color. On the nose there are aromas of delicate flowers, rich fruits and intense spices. On the palate, Louis XIII takes you on a world journey: to China with flavors of lychee and ginger, to Cuba with cigars and cigar box, and Central America with cinnamon.

The retail price is $1,500 per 750 ml bottle. If that is a home bar budget-buster, a 50ml ‘Petit Louis’ bottle can be had for $400, but may leave you wanting more. If you splurge on the 1.75 L magnum for $3,000, you’ll impress your friends and get extra cognac for the price of two bottles.

Remy Martin also produces V.S.O.P., XO and Extra, along with market-specific products, such as 1738 for the U.S. For more information, visit www.remy.com.

Louis XIII Black Pearl Limited Edition Black Pearl is a limited edition cognac from Rémy Martin's stock of Louis XIII. Only one tiercon (a type of oak barrel) will be used, meaning only 786 bottles are available for purchase. The custom decanter, hand-crafted by artisans at Baccarat, is black crystal with platinum accents. The Louis XIII cognac inside contains a blend of more than 1,200 lots up to 100 years old. Purchase will be by invitation (initially at least) at a price of $8,000. After two months on the market, Rémy Martin reports all the bottles have been sold.

(Updated: 09/26/07 NJ)