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The French cognac house “Rémy Martin”, along with “Martell” and “Hennessy”, belongs to the oldest and most famous producers of “living water”. Three hundred years of tradition and the luxurious taste of alcohol make the brand not only recognizable, but truly exceptional.
In terms of sales and popularity, the legendary manufacturer ranks second in the world, only slightly behind Hennessy.
As for the characteristics of drinks, many tasters rate Rémy Martin cognacs above the copies of the main competitor. VSOP products brought the greatest fame to the House. Every third bottle of this category sold in the world is cognac from Remy Martin. It is probably not for nothing that the brand’s drinks were so highly valued at the French royal court.
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The story of Remy Martin
Before taking the first steps in the cognac field, the founder of the House was successfully engaged in winemaking. In 1724, a young entrepreneur, Remy Martin from the Cognac region, turned his life around by selling spirits under his own name. This event marked the beginning of a great brand.
The talented winemaker’s drinks were so good that in 1738 the French king Louis XV granted him the exclusive right to plant new vines in recognition of the superiority of fine products.
In 1830, the first instance of the “Grande Champagne” category was created. The name of the subregion is deliberately included in the names of such drinks to confirm their exclusive qualities, since Grande Champagne grapes are considered the best for creating cognacs.
The business started by Remy Martin was passed down from fathers to sons for several generations. By the beginning of the XNUMXth century, production volumes increased significantly, the supply of drinks outside Europe was organized – to the USA and Asia.
The most famous representative of the family after the founder was Paul-Emile Remy Martin, who in 1870 designed the original centaur logo. The choice of the emblem was not accidental: a descendant of Remy, an avid astronomer, took as a basis the image of his own zodiac sign – Sagittarius.
In 1924, Andre Renaud, the first cellar master, appeared at the Cognac House, who later began to manage the company. A couple of years later, in 1927, the famous Rémy Martin Fine Champagne Cognac VSOP was created.
The drink was a blend of cognac spirits from the Petite and Grande Champagne regions. A cognac of this quality was an immediate success, which is still considered the leader in the VSOP category to this day.
After 20 years, the company’s management decided to produce exclusively cognacs from blends of Petit Champagne and Grand Champagne.
In the second half of the 1972th century, the company actively introduced new technologies, which was facilitated by the new cellar master Andre Giraud. Work was also carried out to expand sales markets and establish contacts with local winegrowers. In XNUMX, a unique black “frozen” bottle was created for the main “pearl” from the Remy Martin collection – VSOP cognac.
In the early 2000s, Pierrette Trichet was appointed “mistress” of the cellar, who became the first woman to hold such a position. She passed on the subtleties of craftsmanship to her follower, who grew up in the Cognac region, Baptiste Loiseau. At that time he was only 34 years old.
The secrets of creating drinks Remy Martin
To obtain cognacs of exclusive quality, it is not enough just to follow the traditional recipe. Real cognac is born from a combination of many factors, among which the professionalism and experience of the craftsmen is important. The manufacturing process includes:
Raw material preparation
The best fruits of Ugni Blanc and Folle Blanche are harvested in the cru regions: Grand Champagne and Petit Champagne. Their territory is covered with chalky soil, which reflects sunlight and allows the berries to ripen to the maximum degree of aroma.
In order to obtain the required amount of raw materials, Remy Martin took care of establishing long-term partnerships with suppliers back in the 60s. For these purposes, a special alliance “Fine Champagne” was created, which includes about 1000 winegrowers. Employees of the company constantly advise them and share their experience gained over 3 centuries.
Harvested in late September / early October, when the heat subsides, then pressed and left to ferment for 5-7 days. The result is a dry, acidic white wine containing between 7 and 9% alcohol, ideal for distillation.
Distillation
This stage is carried out in October-March. Remy Martin distills wines with lees (residual yeast) in small copper pot stills. The distillation is carried out twice, separating the very “heart” of the product.
The whole process takes about 24 hours. In this way, pure, transparent spirits of maximum depth and aroma are obtained, with a constant taste, balanced composition, great aging potential and about 70% alcohol. It takes about 12 kg of grapes to create one liter of “water of life”.
Selection of alcohols
From the samples provided by thousands of winegrowers, the specialists of “Remy Martin” select the best: elegant, rich, with outstanding characteristics that can continue the corporate identity.
The tasting lasts throughout the winter: a special commission meets several times a week to taste 20-30 copies of “living water” in one session.
Exposure
Limousin oak barrels are used to mature the spirits. They have optimal air exchange characteristics, contribute to the development of aromas, give drinks a rich vanilla taste.
The age of the trees used for the manufacture of barrels is at least 100 years, and the wood is “rested” for 2-3 years to eliminate uninteresting tannins. The selection of oak containers is carried out by specially trained people in cooperation with the cellar master.
Cognacs “Remy Martin” are aged longer than the time required by law to reach their full potential.
Temperature and humidity vary from cellar to cellar, allowing for unique tastes. Also, as alcohols mature, kegs are often replaced with older, age-appropriate drinks.
It is noteworthy that about 8 thousand bottles of cognac evaporate daily in the cellars of Remy Martin. These losses are called the “angel’s share”.
Creating a blend
This work is done exclusively by the cellar master, the only person able to recreate the blends for each product in the collection. To understand the level of professionalism, it is enough to note that some Remy Martin blends include more than 1000 spirits.
The uniqueness of the bouquets of the great Cognac House is confirmed not only by the love of consumers, but also by law.
The Fine Champagne cognac, made exclusively from the “living water” of Grand Champagne and Petit Champagne (the share of the former is at least 50%), is the only blend protected by “AOC” (“Special Growing Area”: the highest category of the French classification).
what should be real cognac
Types of cognacs from Remy Martin
The main line of “Rémy Martin” includes 5 drinks:
VS Superior
Lively, fragrant cognac with pronounced fruity notes was created in 2007 by Pierrette Trichet. 100% grapes from the Petit Champagne region.
The aroma is dominated by floral shades interspersed with apples, peaches, vanilla and fresh mint.
Taste: Bold, balanced, fruity, with light oak tones and a rounded aftertaste.
Drink neat, on ice or as part of long drinks with ginger ale.
VSOP
Iconic Fine Champagne cognac: daring, elegant, multi-layered, with a silky texture and a rounded aftertaste. The symbol of the art of blending masters “Remy Martin”.
The first version was created in 1927. In 2010, he won a gold medal at the Spirits Business Cognac Masters competition in the UK.
The aroma is dominated by notes of vanilla, complemented by accents of ripe apricot, baked apple and flowers.
Taste: powerful, harmonious, with rounded notes of ripe fruit and a subtle sound of licorice. In terms of tasting, the drink is universal: you can drink solo, with ice, in cocktails, with ginger ale.
XO
Luxurious cognac with a velvety texture, created in 1981 by André Giraud, is a blend of 400 different spirits of Grand Champagne and Petit Champagne. Winner of 2 gold awards at international competitions in the USA and Great Britain.
The fragrance surprises with a richness of fruity and floral notes, dominated by late summer fruits and jasmine.
Taste: multi-layered, refined, slowly opening, with accents of juicy plums, candied oranges, hazelnuts and cinnamon.
It is better to enjoy this unique cognac in its pure form, drinking it at room temperature or with ice.
Carte Blanche to Baptiste Loiseau
Smooth, harmonious, deep cognac, embodying the spirit of the Remy Martin House, was created by the youngest cellar master, Baptiste Loiseau. The blend, aged for 27 years, was bottled at a natural strength of 41.1%.
The aroma contains delicate notes of plum, gingerbread and cloves.
On the palate, shades of sweet spices, cinnamon and honey are intertwined. Good in its purest form.
Diamond Centaur
Magnificent soft cognac Fine Champagne with a satiny texture and a long aftertaste was created by Pierrette Trichet in 2010. “Jewel” in the collection of the House, winner of two gold medals “International Wine and Spirit Competition”.
The aroma combines delicate floral notes of honeysuckle and iris with subtle accents of hazelnuts and dried figs.
The taste strikes with an explosion of many shades, in which the tones of candied fruits sound the brightest. Tasting is recommended in its pure form.
Cellar N° 16
For Duty Free stores, the company produces exclusive cognacs Cellar N° 16 with intense vanilla notes and Cellar N° 28 with accents of dried fruit and honey.
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Relevance: 22.03.2019
Tags: Brandy and Cognac, Cognac Brands