Prelude to a Louis XIII

Not to Richelieu's King, but the world's finest cognac.

Having diligently saved up and collected loose change since starting back at the firm, together with a fellow conspirator, the day designated to savour the spoils of our reward has almost arrived. The Shoe Shop charges $115 for a taste of the famed Louis Trés. Tomorrow is for splurging.

Full report (and photos) following consumption. In anticipation, though, here is further detail about this liquid of legend:

“Louis XIII is not a Cognac,” says Jason Bowden, taste ambassador for Rémy Martin. “Put simply, it’s a moment.” Why is it a moment? Figure this: each bottle is a blend of 1,200 Cognacs, ranging from forty to one hundred years old, across three generations of Cellar Masters, resulting from the combined labor of 10,000 people.

“A fine Cognac, a Louis trés, has life,” he [Georges Clot, cellarmaster] tells me. “They are like a human being. They must have elegance, charm, power and strength, like the best of humans. They must show a knowledge of life, for after all some of them have lived for at least one hundred years.”

“Remy Martin's Louis XIII is sometimes called the "King of Cognacs" and is certainly one of
the most esteemed liquors in the world. It was what Queen Elizabeth II was served when she visited France, what Churchill drank to celebrate his election as prime minister and what Tom Cruise and Bryan Brown wagered in the movie Cocktail.”

Perhaps most succinctly - “Try Louis XIII. And drink perfection.” We'll be sure to toast a host of worthy friends and a most successful 2005 that was and 2006 to come. And may all our Christmases be White.