Louis XIII Cognac — An Innovative Spirit
The finest things in life are worth waiting for, and Louis XIII takes this sentiment to the extreme. With its visionary ideas and artistic collaborations, the legendary cognac house is raising a toast to the next 100 years. Over the past year, planning for the future has become ever-more challenging, so it’s reassuring to find companies that are still thinking well ahead—in one rare case, up to a century in advance. This confidence comes from firm foundations. Louis XIII Cognac traces its roots to 1874 when this legendary spirit was first created by Paul-Émile Rémy Martin. Since then, the brand has mastered the art of combining tradition with visionary innovation and creative collaboration. All three are honored in many and varied ways—not just in the making of the spirit itself, but also in the company’s commitment to the customer experience and its evolution as a brand.
Centuries of collaboration
To become a Louis XIII cellar master is to understand the true meaning of collaboration and patience. The current cellar master, Baptiste Loiseau, draws on knowledge handed down by generations of Louis XIII experts. He also has the privilege of working with the finest eaux-de-vie that his predecessors laid down decades ago; just as he is now setting aside the very best eaux-de-vie produced by today’s Grande Champagne winegrowers and distillers for the benefit of his own successors. As such, Loiseau is a link in an extraordinary chain of partnerships that reaches back nearly 130 years to the beginnings of the brand, and extends a century ahead to the cognac experts of the future.
Tasting notes
Some partnerships, however, have a more immediate effect. Louis XIII Cognac was named in honor of King Louis XIII of France—a composer and patron of music—and this musical heritage was recently celebrated with a unique blend of creative inspiration and innovative technology. Last year, a pair of exclusively choreographed robotic arms were used to toast together two Louis XIII Cognac glasses. They did this with such precision that they created a perfect G-sharp note. This inspired a musical composition titled One Note Prelude, written by Paris-based Israeli pianist Yaron Herman using only this note. “The symphony has a complex simplicity. It’s just one note, but with many dimensions – and many revelations. The idea that one note, like one drop of Louis XIII, can evolve over time and reveal itself was something that I found fascinating” says Yaron Herman.
The art of visionary thinking
Taking artistic innovation and its legacy a step further, Louis XIII has also created a movie and a song that no person today will likely ever be able to appreciate. Just like its finest eaux-de-vie, both creations have been “locked away” for 100 years for future generations to discover. The movie, made in 2015, portrays how the world might look in a century, and is secured in a safe that will automatically unlock in November 2115. This was followed by a song in 2017, created to reflect our responsibility to the planet. The only thing that can destroy the recording is if the safe it is in becomes submerged in water. If, as scientists project, global sea levels continue to rise due to climate change, and we do nothing to prevent this, the song will be lost forever. This inspired creative venture is just one more reflection of the spirit of Louis XIII; always thinking ahead.
