Louis XIII Unveils Black Pearl Cognac: Limited 398 Bottles

Blending Century-Old Eau-de-Vie with Single-Tierçon Cognac to Recreate Le Grollet's Winter Cellar Aromas

Rémy Martin's ultra-premium brand Louis XIII has unveiled its new cognac, Black Pearl: Tribute to the Birthplace of Louis XIII, strictly limited to 398 bottles worldwide. Conceived and developed over three years by Cellar Master Baptiste Loiseau, this release aims to recreate the sensory experience of tasting directly from a tierçon cask in the brand's historic Le Grollet cellar during winter in Grande Champagne, France.

A Blend of Century-Old Eau-de-Vie and Single Tierçon Cognac

To evoke the authentic essence of the Le Grollet cellar, Loiseau consulted historical tasting notes and selected a demijohn of century-old eau-de-vie distilled in the early 20th century. Transferred years ago from oak casks into glass demijohns to arrest maturation, this rare spirit exhibits distinct notes of cellar earth, mushrooms, and nuts. To balance its structure, Loiseau blended this precious eau-de-vie with the final Louis XIII blend drawn from a single tierçon, infusing it with signature elegant floral notes and tropical fruit characteristics.

Distillation on the Lees and Temperature-Controlled Tasting Dynamics

Distilled on the lees, this Louis XIII cognac is rich in fatty acids, delivering a creamy, oily mouthfeel and a lingering finish. The house has also crafted a dedicated temperature-controlled tasting ritual: served initially at 13°C, it reveals aromas of beeswax, precious woods, ground coffee, subtle spices, and dark chocolate. As the temperature rises slightly over several minutes, notes of iris, jasmine, passion fruit, and dried apricot emerge, accompanied by star anise evolving into salted liquorice with a delicate bitterness, before eventually returning to deep earthy and roasted walnut tones.

Baptiste Loiseau recalled tasting this precious early-20th-century eau-de-vie in 2012 while apprenticing under former Cellar Master Pierrette Trichet. He noted that the classic Louis XIII blend cannot convey the raw authenticity found in the demijohn spirit; only by marrying the two could the authentic terroir of Le Grollet be captured, with the subtle bitterness on the finish being a hallmark of tasting straight from the cask.

Housed in a midnight blue crystal decanter, the bottle design draws inspiration from the depth and mystery of the Le Grollet cellar. Of the 398 bottles available globally, the UK market has been allocated 27 bottles.

📅 Release Date: 2026-09-17

🔗 Source: The Drinks Business