Celebrating Remy Martin’s 300th anniversary with a limited Coupe by cellar master Baptise Loiseau
The Coupe series is a beautiful concept of perpetuity, linking the past to the future and one cellar master to the next. The 290th Coupe was created by his predecessor and mentor, Pierrette Trichet. She was the first female cellar master in Cognac, and the special edition also marked the year she retired and passed on the baton to Loiseau.
Which brings me back to the notes. Loiseau mentioned that Remy Martin holds 150,000 barrels of eaux-de-vie spread across 30 ageing cellars in Merpins, Cognac. But how does one person remember the aroma profile of each eau-de-vie and create a memorable cognac?
The notes for every barrel are categorised and coded, he explained, but on a human level, it’s a memory game. “I was trained by Pierrette to make a parallel between the code and the aroma.” Throughout our conversation, he paid tribute to his mentor, crediting her for teaching him everything he knows, and even shared how he cajoled her back to the cellars to create the 300 Coupe. “She did the 290th, so she’s a part of it,” he insisted.
Beyond the memory recall, he prefers to write. “I have a small black notebook in which I put my notes,” he said simply before adding layers of artistry. “I like the sensation of writing. When I want to go back to the emotion I had while creating, I go back and see what I wrote at the time. Sometimes, it is precise and other times, it’s just my emotions preserved in the moment.”
It was the perfect pause to sniff and sip the 300th Coupe. Like autumn leaves illuminated by the sun’s rays, the amber-toned liquid is warm and inviting. The nose leads with candied fruit, orange peel, honeyed nuts, sandalwood, and cinnamon spice. On the palate, it is structured and elongated with elegance, silky texture, and a long, warming finish.
