Tropicana Magazine May-Jun 2018 #118: Winner Takes All

THE DRINKS
THE NEXT
ONE HUNDRED
Louis XIII Cognac puts the future in your hands.
WORDS BY REMI DUTTA
If you could bottle time what would it look, smell and taste like? An exquisite blend of up to 1,200
eaux-de-vie sourced 100 percent from Grande Champagne, at the very heart of Louis XIII’s exquisite
cognac is the question of time and its restorative powers.
The first cru of the Cognac region, since its origins in 1874, each generation of cellar master has
selected from its cellars the oldest and most precious eaux-de-vie for Louis XIII. The result of this careful
process is the distillation of 100 years in a single bottle.
But what does a single sip conjure? Imagine if you will France a century ago. 1918. A man toiling on a
vineyard. He’s gone now but in the wake of two world wars, political and economic upheaval, the dawn of
the computer age and the democratization of travel and information, his work lives on and is celebrated
in every sip. It is the perfect eulogy for his lifelong commitment and passion and encapsulates the
gravitas and sense of occasion that surrounds the uncorking of any crystal bottle of Louis XIII Cognac.
Each decanter of Louis XIII is the life achievement of generations of cellar masters. Even the vessel
Louis VIII’s precious liquid is contained in is a work of collective commitment. Made from fine crystal
for generations, it is mouth-blown by some of the most skilled master craftsmen whose trade and art has
been handed down and learned through repetition. Presenting centuries of cumulative experience in a
single glass Louis VIII invites you to introspect and contemplate.
So it is of no surprise that while rare for a brand as established Louis XIII to consider its longevity and
continued existence so publicly, Louis XIII should do exactly that when it debuted the track ‘100 Years - The
Song We'll Only Hear If We Care’ in in partnership with Pharrell Williams.
This latest collaboration between Louis XIII and singer, arranger, composer, fashion designer and
environmental advocate, Pharrell Williams, 100 Years - The Song We'll Only Hear If We Care’ is the
continuation of a project that began in 2015, when Louis XIII teamed up with renowned actor and
creative visionary John Malkovich to create “100 Years: The Movie You Will Never See.”
By setting aside its finest eaux-de-vie as a legacy to his successors for the coming century Cellar
Master Baptiste Loiseau compels us to think a century ahead. What will the world be like 100 years from
now? The warning the brand presents is surprisingly sobering for what is essentially an alcoholic drink.
“Nature and time are at the heart of what we do,” explained Ludovic du Plessis, Global Executive
Director of Louis XIII at the track’s premiere. “If the environment is unstable, even the greatest Cellar
Master would not be able to compose the exceptional blend that is Louis XIII. Global Warming is one of
the most important issues of the 21st century.”
105 MAY/JUNE 2018 | TM