A unique spirit where each bottle is literally more than 100 years in the making, Louis XIII is the jewel in the crown of the Rémy Martin cognac universe and a legacy that the family behind the brand does not take for granted. It takes a certain kind of person to work with passion and commitment on a project that they may never see to its complete fruition. Such is the role of the cellarmaster who works on each carafe of precious Louis XIII cognac by Rémy Cointreau, creating blends of eaux de vie that are likely to be much older than the cellarmaster him or herself.
“It takes a century and four generations of cellar masters to create that carafe. As a family, we do not take being custodians of such a precious brand for granted,” says Marie–Amélie de Leusse, chairperson of Rémy Cointreau and great-granddaughter of one of the founders of the business. She recently visited South Africa and spoke to YourLuxury Africa about being the custodian of the cognac brand that defies time.
“I was about 20 years old when I tasted Louis XIII for the first time; my friends could not believe it. I was an only child growing up and there simply had not been an occasion to open a precious bottle of Louis XIII for three people,” recollects Marie–Amélie. So, one night, she enjoyed her first taste of Louis XIII with friends in Paris. “It was beautiful, incredible, and everything – and more – than I thought it would be. My memory is of the feeling, not the specific taste. It was so smooth, warming, soft,” she recalls.
The nostalgia around Louis XIII is something that is quite important to all in Marie–Amélie’s family, and seven of them are currently working in the business. “My cousins and I all have the common goal of caretaking this business for future generations.” She believes they’ve been handed a treasure that has withstood the passage of time for generations before them, and theirs is the duty to continue the traditions for future generations. “In the case of Louis XIII, it really does take generations to make this product. It does not happen overnight; not even in one lifetime. Our cellarmaster now is working with eaux de vie that he is satisfied will be for Louis XIII in the future, but he will probably never see them bottled. And he has bottled some eaux de vie that were way older than him. We are the custodians of time.”
Marie–Amélie says this sense of responsibility does not only extend to her family, but to anyone who works for Rémy Cointreau. She says there are families who have worked for the company much longer than she has, and they do not hesitate to remind her of the traditions that need to be observed. Rémy Martin and Louis XIII have only ever had four cellarmasters – and when these individuals leave, they select their own successor to whom they hand over the reins.
Louis XIII is now 150 years old, and Marie–Amélie is confident it will still be around in another 150 years. “After all, some of the eaux de vie are already there and waiting. We have the vision to take it forward.”
And the fact that a younger generation is now starting to take an interest in the world of cognac bodes extremely well for this luxurious spirit, notes Marie–Amélie. Cognac is so much more versatile than what people traditionally think, and younger people are less afraid to break the rules when it comes to enjoying something often perceived as untouchable. “They want to play with [the drink] and enjoy it. That is interesting for us because we believe one of the beauties of cognac is the fact that there are a lot of different facets that shine through because so many eaux de vies get assembled into the final product. So, each time you drink it, there is something different to discover.”
She said the launch of The Drop – a micro bottle containing 10ml of Louis XIII cognac – was a move to accommodate a younger market and offer them the opportunity to “play” with the luxury spirit and to enjoy it on the move. “Louis XIII is all about creating moments. So as long as we continue to do this, we are going in the right direction.”
