Drinking time

You never forget the first time you taste Louis XIII," promises Ludovic du Plessis, executive director of Louis XIII de Remy Martin. A century in the making, drinking Louis XIII de Remy Martin is akin to drinking time, he philosophises over a cross-continental Skype conversation. "Please close your eyes," he says, beginning his instructions on how to enjoy this luxurious drink. The first mahogany drop must touch the lips, preparing the palate for the explosion of flavours to follow. The next drop titillates the palate, which sets off a wave of sensations. But the experience begins with the rush of aromas that hit the nose even when the narrow-mouthed crystal glass is still at a distance.

Every time you go back for a whiff, the cognac opens up as the aroma acquires a different note. Hints of honey layer the introduction while jasmine, mushroom, candied ginger, lavender, and spicy cinnamon join the chorus. "The first time I drank it, I thought it was very smooth, like a wine with real body, but not heavy. Ethereal, in the air, something you try to catch. When you're drinking it, drink it drop by drop-never forgetting that you're drinking time," he emphasises. It takes four generations of cellar masters over 100 years to create the amber, golden-brown cognac that goes into the beautifully crafted Baccarat crystal decanters.

The highly skilled cellar masters can nose the different eaux de vie distilled from grapes grown in the chalky soils of Grande Champagne and know just how well they will age, adding to the blend once every 20 years. At inception, the cognac is said to have lavender and floral notes. It is incredible how those fresh aromas are still around 100 years down the line. A visit to the dank, dark cellars reveals cobwebs and fungus all around; some of the eaux de vie over 200 years old still lies safely jailed. Even in the warmth of summer, the barrels remain extremely cool in the depths of the cave-like home for the ageing cognac.

Although Remy Martin is tight-lipped about how many barrels of Louis XIII are produced every year, there is no doubt that it is extremely exclusive. It is believed that less than 1,000 people have had the privilege of tasting the drink at the home of Remy Martin in Cognac, France, since the inception of Louis XIII in 1874. "When the Remy Martin family decided that some of eaux de vie would age well because of its complexity, it was at a time when cognac was only sold young," said du Plessis. It was 1774, barely 50 years after the company had been launched. A hundred years later, the first Louis XIII was bottled, named after King Louis XIII, the monarch who had protected Cognac's heartlands. His fleur-de-lis finds pride of place on the decanters too.

The Louis XIII has been travelling ever since its origin. "By 1876 it had reached USA, then China and in 1881, the first bottle of Louis XIII had come to Indian shores. It has graced the tables of royals across the planet and has been part of the best travelling experiences, from the Orient Express to the Concorde," says du Plessis. L'Odysee d'un Roi (Journey of a King) is the brand's way of paying tribute to its travels. They asked three luxury houses, Hermes, Puiforcat and Saint Louis to create three masterpieces that were auctioned in New York, Hong Kong and London.

"The benefits will go to the Film Foundation, an organistion to whom tradition, heritage, preservation means as much as it does to us. We're both looking at the future, seeding trees for the next 100 years," explains du Plessis. Director Martin Scorcese has also been doing everything possible to preserve films for future generations through the Film Foundation. As far as Louis XIII is concerned, du Plessis promises that it will continue to rule 100 years from now. "The Louis XIII you're drinking today will stay the same even then. The cellar masters will continue to use the same methods to offer the same experiences," says du Plessis.