Time and terroir are at the heart of Rémy Cointreau’s most premium of spirits, LOUIS XIII Cognac. Guided by Cellar Master Baptiste Loiseau, it takes centuries to produce – from the seed of an oak tree to the drop that passes your lips.
LOUIS XIII was first produced in 1874, due to the genius of a man named Paul Emile Rémy Martin (great grandson of Rémy Martin). Named after the 17th-century French monarch, the design of the decanter was inspired by the annular flask echoing the LOUIS XIII style and the post renaissance era. It is also a tribute to the time when the House of Rémy Martin was first established in the Cognac region.
LOUIS XIII cognac was soon being exported all over the world and quickly became recognised as a global symbol of French craftsmanship and art-de-vivre. Enjoyed by politicians, royalty and celebrities throughout its long history, today Cellar Master Baptiste Loiseau continues the work started by his predecessors. Of all the hundreds and hundreds of eaux-de-vie blended and selected from Grande Champagne, less than one percent is selected by the Cellar Master and his tasting committee for having the ageing potential to maybe one day become part of the future of LOUIS XIII.
Talking to PRIVATE EDITION in the beautiful setting of Beechwood Gardens in Hyde Park, Johannesburg, Marie Amelie de Leusse says she loves representing the company and family behind Remy Cointreau.
‘I feel lucky to be born into this family with its long history with Rémy Martin but I also realised a few years ago I have a duty of care and responsibility when it was our generation’s turn to start making decisions about the company.’
This realisation resulted in de Leusse leaving her job as an investment banker in London and joining the Rémy Cointreau group in 2010. She recalls telling her mother, who chaired the company for 15 years, about her plans to join.
‘My mother simply said, “About time!” And then she said, “Call your uncles.” So I called my uncles and told them that I wanted to join the business and they said, “Well, it’s about time!”’
Because the idea was always to learn how the company works, de Leusse was adamant she would only take a job if she was the right person for it.
‘I wanted to add value and fulfil a need,’ she says. In 2010 a position of management controller in Paris arose and she later to moved to Singapore from 2013 to 2016 as head of financial planning and analysis for GTR Asia. ‘It turned out that financial controlling was an excellent way to learn the workings of the company,’ she says.
In 2019 de Leusse was officially appointed managing director of Andromède, the Hériard Dubreuil family holding, a position she still holds with that of chairman of the board of directors.
It’s been an exciting year as the company celebrates 300 years of Rémy Martin and 150 years of LOUIS XIII with an excitement about continuing to look to the future.
‘We are always striving for excellence. Our company’s values are well embodied by the LOUIS XIII terroir and the time given to produce this cognac. The process can take decades to get to the final product. Our Cellar Master puts away eaux-de vie that he may never even see or taste in his lifetime.’
De Leusse says, ‘We are always striving for excellence. Our company’s values are well embodied by the LOUIS XIII terroir and the time given to produce this cognac. The process can take decades to get to the final product. Our Cellar Master puts away eaux-de vie that he may never even see or taste in his lifetime.’
It’s also this sense of time that allows each generation to step into the family business in their own time, and to hand over from one generation to the next.
As de Leusse says, ‘Our role is always to help prepare future generations of our family to be able to continue being the right partner to Rémy Cointreau.’
