Cover The Louis XIII Rare Cask 42.1 (Photo: James Bort)
The Louis XIII Rare Cask 42.1 (Photo: James Bort)
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The Louis XIII Rare Cask 42.1 is an exquisite cognac enveloped in a gorgeous Baccarat black crystal decanter
Ten years since the release of the second iteration of the ultra-prestigious Louis XIII Rare Cask 42.6, cellar master Baptiste Loiseau proudly presented the latest Rare Cask 42.1 in a global launch event.
Taking place in Venice, Italy, the launch saw personalities from 22 countries across the globe in attendance. Comprising private clients, trade partners, influencers, and media representatives, the house of Louis XIII cognac pulled out all the stops for the grand launch.
Themed 'Care for Wonders', Venice was the choice location due to its rich heritage and artistic beauty, which remains an inspiration for creative minds—drawing parallels to the luxurious Louis XIII cognac. The previous Rare Cask 43.8 and Rare Cask 42.6 were launched in Guilin caves, China and Udaipur, India respectively for similar reasons.
The idea is to discover the wonders of the beautiful locations alongside the luxurious liquid within the Rare Casks.
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Baptiste Loiseau, cellar master for Louis XIII
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On the itinerary for our first full day in Venice was a tour, which had us wandering around the city and discovering its wonders. Guests were separated into 12 groups and set out with tour guides who gave us brief histories of the locations and monuments we passed. Then, there were more in-depth visits to four locations that are in line with the values of the brand: Marciana National Library (knowledge and expertise); Tragicomica—a mask maker (mystery and expression of character); Gianni Basso Stampatore—a multi-generational letterpress shop and museum (tradition); and the Bucintoro Rowing Society—which builds gondolas (craftsmanship) plus its treatment and care for wood, also seen with Louis XIII tierçons which are centenarian oak wood used to age the eaux-de-vie.
In the evening, there was a gala dinner, where we would finally discover the star of the event–the Louis XIII Rare Cask 42.1.
An opulent dinner, presided by Marie-Amelie de Leusse, chairman of the board of directors at Rémy Cointreau—the French spirits group in charge of the prestigious cognac—and Jean-Philippe Hecquet, CEO of Rémy Martin and Louis XIII, took place at the Scuola Grande di Santa Maria della Misericordia, a restored landmark that was erected back in 1310.
A three-course meal prepared by chefs Chiara Pavan and Francesco Brutto of one-Michelin-starred Venetian restaurant Venissa, which also has a Michelin Green Star for its food sustainability practices, featured a number of black-coloured elements—alluding to the surprise reveal of the Baccarat black crystal Rare Cask decanter.
Guests were truly in for a treat after the dessert, as Loiseau took to the stage and finally unveiled the Louis XIII Rare Cask 42.1, plus announced that all guests would be privileged to get a taste of the rare and luxurious liquid.
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A glimpse at the Louis XIII Rare Cask 42.1 gala dinner
Guests were greeted by tall totem pole trench characters
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The Grande Champagne
The stunning decanter was expertly crafted by Baccarat artisans and radiates like a jewel under light, with its neck dressed in gold and finished with rhodium—giving off a silver-white hue that contrasts beautifully with the opaque black crystal. The ring is finely engraved with quadrilobed patterns in reference to France’s fleur de lys, while the name of the Rare Cask, 42.1, is imprinted on the central medallion.
“While the decanter retains the shape of the classic Louis XIII, Rare Cask editions are black to highlight the mysterious nature of the liquid within. And the technique used to give the crystal its intense colour makes the decanter truly spectacular,” shares Loiseau during our interview the next day about the design which took 20 craftsmen working in unison to develop.
Then we discover more about the precious cognac within the luxurious decanter. Essentially, the cellar master of the time gets to personally decide when a tierçon (a traditional wooden barrel that’s larger than the average) develops into the perfect Rare Cask iteration and Loiseau learnt how to distinguish it by his predecessor Pierrette Trichet.
“We can’t control time and nature when you’re dealing with these wonderful eaux-de-vie, so it can only be ready at its given time. I can’t even tell when will the next one be available, it could take a shorter interim, maybe not, but we can’t push the timing, you just have to be blown away by the tasting,” Loiseau says about the Rare Cask cognacs that are matured in special tierçons.
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For the latest edition Rare Cask 42.1, Loiseau shared, “It took me ten years to decide because I finally discovered a tierçon which was really singular; it tasted exquisite, being floral, fresh and fruity despite its slightly higher alcohol by volume. The two distinct markers which left its footprint in time for me is the floral, as well as exotic notes like mango, passion fruit and such, which aren’t typical of Louis XIII, so I immediately knew this was it.”
Priced at RM230,800, only 20 of the 775 Louis XIII Rare Cask 42.1 decanters available worldwide will reach Malaysia. Those interested in purchasing it must go through the brand itself, as there are certain criteria to qualify one to own the Rare Cask 42.1. The entire set will include a pair of ornate glasses with black quatrefoils and a serving pipette to ensure not a single precious drop is wasted.
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Credits
Images: James Bort; Craftsmanship: Quentin Caffier, Carnage agency
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If tall, dark and handsome is what you're looking for, Aaron Pereira ticks two out of three. This fine chocolate man (that is, a connoisseur of fine chocolate), enjoys the theatre, futsal, real-life conversations and of course, the English language. He believes that language should first be used to express, but the business of a sub-editor is to impress.
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