I've Tasted Hundreds of Cognacs. This Rare New Bottle Is the Best This Year
Among mere mortals, Louis XIII is often heralded as the first name in ultra-luxury cognac. The Rémy Martin brand's flagship bottle contains an ethereal blend of French brandies, a portion of which were distilled over a century ago. It comes housed in an iconic crystal decanter, a fixture along top shelves since 1874.
But 130 years later, the iconic cognac house introduced something aimed way higher than that: Rare Cask, a release fit for superheroes. It’s so elusive an expression of Louis XIII that, two decades later, we’re just getting to know the third installment in the series. We scored a precious pour of Rare Cask 42.1, which wears a jaw-dropping price tag of $59,000 per bottle.
All cognac destined to be released under the Louis XIII label spends time maturing in tierçons. These historic 500-liter vessels were handcrafted using wide-grain oak from the Limousin forests of Southwestern France.
Carefully stewarded from one generation to the next, it's the task of any Rémy Martin cellar master to consolidate into these barrels only the most aromatically significant eaux-de-vies. Patiently-aged liquids from these various tierçons are then meticulously blended, resulting in the distinctive-yet-consistent marriage that is Louis XIII.
But once in a blue moon—without any advanced warning—a unicorn can emerge: a single tierçon gives birth to an unrivaled confluence of bouquet, body, and flavor. Such an auspicious moment arrived last year for Baptiste Louiseau.
Though he'd only been cellar master since 2014, his entire career had prepared him for that sip. A sample from the cask in question revealed richness and intensity unlike anything he'd ever known. He feared that these qualities could be drowned out in any blended form.
“The singularity of a Rare Cask rests on a miracle given by nature,” Louiseau says. “But the know-how that is necessary to its creation was born from a transmission of an art, from generation to generation, where each cellar master perpetuates the gestures of his predecessors.”
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Louiseau is just the fifth person to attain the title since 1924. The eaux-de-vie under his charge today was sculpted primarily by those who came before. So, he had more than his own legacy to protect when deeming it fit for consumption as a Rare Cask release.
"To discover Rare Cask 42.1, I listened to my instincts and favored emotion to science. I call upon my memories,” he says.
Allowing the cognac to rest in a snifter for several minutes slowly reveals the brilliance of his resolve. There's an immediate florality to the copper-toned liquid. It's awash in rose petal and gardenia. Lychee and earthy fruit flavors anchor its palate, which is balanced out by a blast of savory spice and a long-lasted velvety texture.
Leather and rancio tonalities, typical of extra-aged cognacs, are missing here. But it flexes heft and depth, which demand ample time to open and unwind at room temperature. Despite its spicy nature, its ABV—a figure which doubles for the name of any specific Rare Cask release—is an approachable 42.1 percent.
In total, Louiseau’s magical tierçon contained enough juice to fill just 775 black crystal decanters. Each one is handcrafted by Baccaratthe, the world’s preeminent crystal house. Rare Cask 42.1 is the first edition to be accompanied by a bespoke serving pipette and black quatrefoil stemware. Just as the signature Louis XIII design, the pear-shopped bottle is inspired by an authentic drinking flask recovered from a 16th century battlefield in Jarnac, France.
Everything about the liquid and its presentation exists as catnip for collectors. Especially those that have a spare $60,000 in their budget. But as Remy Martin’s cellar master makes abundantly clear: this may be the only Rare Cask he ever encounters. In turn, we may never see another release of Rare Cask for as long as we live.