Lunar New Year
A recent discovery at LOUIS XIII of eaux-de-vie of a unique aromatic profile by cellar master Baptiste Loiseau. supplied
Celebrations at the confluence of two timeless traditions
Age-old customs, lavish decorations and joyful celebrations are all part of the Lunar New Year festivities, the most important holiday of the year for people of Chinese, East Asian and Southeast Asian descent.
The upcoming celebration will welcome the Year of the Dragon. Considered the luckiest among the dozen zodiac signs in Chinese culture, the bold and fiery dragon is thought to bring unique – and dynamic – opportunities every 12 years.
Preceding the festivities was an event that is equally infrequent yet less predictable: the unveiling of a rare cask of LOUIS XIII cognac. It represents only the third such occasion in history – and a significant milestone in the LOUIS XIII rare cask legacy. “The release of a rare cask is the result of the transformation of eaux-de-vie inside a single tierçon that leads to a unique and exceptional aromatic profile,” shares Baptiste Loiseau, cellar master at LOUIS XIII.
Due to the concurrence of the two events, cognac aficionados will see the release of rare cask 42.1 as a timely opportunity to acknowledge valued family members, friends or business partners with a special gift this Lunar New Year.
At LOUIS XIII, the rare cask legacy began in 2009, when Mr. Loiseau’s predecessor, Pierrette Trichet, examined a centennial tierçon, one of the larger-than-standard oak casks in which Grande Champagne eaux-de-vie are left to mature. She made a surprising discovery: the eaux-de-vie contained within had a richness and intensity never encountered before, as well as an unexpected alcohol-by-volume (ABV) measure of 43.8. It was followed by a second rare cask, launched in 2013, with an ABV of 42.6.
The recent uncovering of a rare cask with an ABV of 42.1 brings the number in the rare cask collection to three, and this is seen as a testimony to the legacy of the house. Due to the limited supply, only 775 rare cask 42.1 decanters have been made available globally.
“While the singularity of a rare cask rests on the wonder of nature and the aging of eaux-de-vie, the know-how that it requires to produce is an art form, passed on from generation to generation, where each cellar master perpetuates the gestures of his predecessors,” says Mr. Loiseau, for whom this represents a special milestone due to the unexpected and infrequent occurrences of such events.
As the fifth-generation cellar master at LOUIS XIII, he follows in the footsteps of those before him. “We look to the future while honouring the past, sampling the new eaux-de-vie produced by Grande Champagne winegrowers and distillers each year, and setting aside only those with the very best aging potential,” Mr. Loiseau explains. “Only decades later will these be considered by the next cellar master to compose the LOUIS XIII blend of tomorrow.
“I think a century ahead when I set aside our finest eaux-de-vie as a legacy to my successors for the coming century,” he says, adding that his mentor, Ms. Trichet, instilled “a profound knowledge of all the precious eaux-de-vie we hold in our cellars.”
There, the eaux-de-vie undergo a transformation powered by nature and time, resulting in the inimitable complexity that is associated with LOUIS XIII cognac, attributes that are heightened even further in a LOUIS XIII rare cask, which yields a limited number of decanters due to the capacity of a single tierçon.
Rare cask 42.1 is the first to be presented as a ritual set, a handcrafted black crystal decanter accompanied by crystal glasses and a serving pipette. For further information on LOUIS XIII’s rare cask 42.1 and how to obtain this extremely exclusive decanter, please visit louisxiii-cognac.com.
What better time to raise a glass than to celebrate new beginnings in an event steeped in tradition? LOUIS XIII Cognac joins the millions of people around the world observing the Lunar New Year in offering best wishes for a fortuitous and healthy Year of the Dragon.
“À votre santé!”
To view this report on The Globe's website, visit globeandmail.com
To view the full report as it appeared in The Globe's print edition Lunar New Year