In the universe of exceptional spirits, perfection is the order of the day as each distillery or House strives to attain and maintain the complex profile of its unique signature taste.
But even at this standard, LOUIS XIII Cognac stands apart.
From the moment of inception, the Rare Cask collection is destined to define itself. It is the wonder of Time and Nature, a new level perfection that cannot be reproduced, a taste that transports the spirit connoisseur into a realm of uncharted sensations. It has qualities that can never be repeated or truly understood.
None of those are created. Each one must be discovered in the darkness of our House’s cellars where our eaux-de-vie mature secretly in their wooden tierçons. Every element plays its part: the sun on the grapes, the rain on the terroir of Grande Champagne, the tierçon itself, hand-crafted from century-old French oak. Perhaps the journey starts a hundred years ago, when the acorn is planted.
Once discovered, our Cellar Master sets the precious Rare Cask apart, awaiting the moment it attains its point of perfection. Each drop of precious cognac is a result of Time, the life’s achievement of generations of cellar masters, the traditions of the House and our commitment to the future.
A Rare Cask is a natural wonder that will always remain unpredictable. Before it is revealed to the world, it is an invitation to discover a new spectrum of flavours and aromas. And after? The mystery remains. More than an aroma, more than a flavour, it is an adventure, a sensation that the world has not known before, and will not know again.
“Make no mistake; it is Rare Cask itself that holds the key to its destiny.”
Pierrette Trichet, Cellar Master
Histories of our Rare Cask Decanters
A discovery and a paradox
The discovery of a Rare Cask is a special moment in the life of a Cellar Master – and a paradox. This moment is hoped-for, but unexpected; out of their hands but born from a mastery of their craft; a promise of the future that rests on age-old traditions.
To this day, only three have ever been discovered.
“If the quality of Rare Cask rests on a miracle given by nature, the know-how that is necessary to its creation was born from a transmission of an art, from generation to generation, where each Cellar Master perpetuates the gestures of his predecessors.”
Baptiste Loiseau, Cellar Master
Rare Cask 43.8
The first LOUIS XIII Rare Cask was discovered by Cellar Master Pierrette Trichet in 2004.
Whilst conducting her annual inspection of the tiercons held in the dark cellars of Domaine du Grollet, she discovered a singular cask. While the flavours notes were like nothing she had ever experienced before, they carried all the extraordinary qualities that are the defining characteristics of LOUIS XIII.
She set the cask aside, watched and waited for four long years and tested it again.
Her first impressions were confirmed. Here was that rarest of things: a cask of such extraordinary distinction that it should not be merged with other tierçons. This edition was to be revealed to the world in a site that echoed its admirable unicity. In China’s Guilin caves, the LOUIS XIII Rare Cask 43.8 was born.
Rare Cask 42.6
When Cellar Master Pierrette Trichet discovered the first edition LOUIS XIII Rare Cask, she knew she might never find another. But she kept searching for new treasure among the tierçons. And five years later, whilst working with her successor, Cellar Master Baptiste Loiseau, she felt that same intuition: that moment of revelation and discovery.
LOUIS XIII Rare Cask 42.6 distinguishes itself by an alcohol degree beyond the expected, but this singularity was a signal of wonders to come.
Launched in India amidst the rich hues of Udaipur, it was set apart by an astonishing richness and intensity that were all its own.
Rare Cask 42.1
It was ten years after the first edition was unveiled, that Baptiste Loiseau, the fifth generation Cellar Master, made his own discovery in the cellars of Domaine du Grollet. Placing a chalk mark on a tierçon with unexpectedly high alcohol content, he listened to the invisible bonds between Time and Nature, between spirit and oak.
The eaux-de-vie were left to continue their transformation, deepening with intensity, darkening with those mahogany hues that would one day glitter in the light.
The result is Rare Cask 42.1, a spirit with an exceptional aromatic profile never encountered before: intriguingly complex, it offers a perfect balance between density and elegance. This unique expression of LOUIS XIII’s art and savoir faire will soon be presented to the world in a limited edition of 775 unique decanters of black crystal, specially crafted by Baccarat.
Limited edition Rare Cask Decanters: a journey from darkness to light.
How to present a gift to the world as unique,special and remarkable as LOUIS XIII Rare Cask? In a decanter worthy of itsprecious content, each a unique expression of artistry, devotion to a craft,tradition and elemental nature.
Just as this unique cognac matures in a shadowed tranquillity of our House’s cellars, it is only fitting that it continues its journey from mystery to revelation in a black crystal decanter specifically created by Baccarat for the purpose.
Making each decanter tests the skill of Baccarat crystal masters to the very limit of their extraordinary craft. Its flawless, jewel-like black finish requires incredible talent and utmost care. For a brief instant, 20 master craftsmen must work in unison in a race against time to complete more than 50 precise steps before the molten material solidifies into a radiant work of art.
From the golden ring around the neck to the finely worked quadrilobe motifs, each decanter is unique. And each is engraved with the numeral that sets Rare Cask apart.
