Bringing Back the Cognac: Rémy Martin

remy-martin-cellar-master-p.jpg

 The vintage spirit will come in a sophisticated, frosted black bottle hand-dipped in wax to create a unique seal for each bottle.

Rémy Martin’s 2007 tasting marked a defining moment for the major cognac house, whose pristine cognac vineyards have produced some of France’s finest Ugni Blanc grapes, eaux-de-vies, and cognacs since its establishment in 1724. Upon savoring the house’s Rémy Martin 1989, a richly aromatic cognac comprised of 100 percent Grande Champagne grapes, the official Rémy Martin cellar master proudly announced the peaking of Rémy’s newest—and rarest—vintage. For cognac connoisseurs, this is cause for considerable celebration.

According to Vincent Gere, director produit and head cellar master, 1989 was quite the promising year for the House of Rémy Martin. “I remember when visiting our best Grande Champagne plots with the vineyard managers, the distiller, and the cellar master, we were all convinced that the year would be a memorable one,” recounts Gere. And indeed, it was. Low rainfall, coupled with high-quality soil, led to exceedingly auspicious conditions that were easily detected in the region’s Ugni Blanc grapes. The intuition and impressive know-how of Rémy’s George Clot led the former cellar master to meticulously select the vineyard’s best eaux-de-vies. These distilled beverages, in turn, would come to generate the strikingly smooth, golden amber cognac of the premium 1989 vintage.

Not since 1965 has Rémy released a vintage cognac, and this latest single-harvest cognac is, according to its discerning producers, destined for acclaim. After ageing for 18 years in Limousin oak casks in the heart of France’s Cognac region, the Rémy Martin 1989 will delight the senses with its vanilla and clove aroma, and tickle the palate with its deep, bold notes of ripe fruit. And as Rémy Martin knows, the packaging is as significant as the product itself. The vintage spirit will come in a sophisticated, frosted black bottle hand-dipped in wax to create a unique seal for each bottle. The cask will then be placed into a two-piece red gift box, along with a beautifully molded tray. The Rémy Martin 1989 is priced at $300 per bottle.

The exquisite cognac will be available in the United States this upcoming fall, giving cognac aficionados ample time to make room in their capacious bar cabinets for yet another Rémy classic.