In the summer of 2014, Francis Kurkdjian met Baptiste Loiseau (cellar master), in the shadow of the stone cellars of Cognac, the birthplace of LOUIS XIII. A meeting about this exceptional cognac, which this year celebrates the 140th year of its creation.
These tête-à-têtes in Cognac and in Francis Kurkdjian’s laboratory in Paris have given rise to “correspondences” of ideas, “correspondences” of sensibility about the different eaux-de-vie, and analogies between their know-how.
Before sharing their truth about LOUIS XIII, Baptiste chose to prepare the tasting with a selection
of 3 eaux-de-vie which, in over 40 years’ time, will perhaps be part of a blend of this century-old cognac.
This initiatory journey allows us to discover the top notes (in the language of perfumery) and the evolution of
aromas over the years: an eau-de-vie from the 2013 harvest, a 10-year-old eau-de-vie and the last
40-year-old eau-de-vie. Or the benefits of time on the concentration of eaux-de-vie…
When Baptiste Loiseau evokes aromas, his semantic field takes its inspiration from the Charente terroir.
Fruity notes, undergrowth, mushrooms, damp earth, vegetal and spicy notes.
When Francis Kurkdjian chooses to sketch the aromatic profile of the eaux-de-vie selected by Baptiste, a part of him emerges: perfumes from elsewhere, precious wood resins, impressions of warmth on the skin, pine needles on a wide expanse of fine sand…
The climax of this encounter finally arrives with the tasting of LOUIS XIII. A rare moment to be appreciated with distance and respect, since four generations of cellar masters have succeeded one another in creating it.
Baptiste Loiseau, cellar master at LOUIS XIII, leads the tasting. The aromatic notes come off one
after the other, allowing us to identify and tame them. When Francis completes his interpretation
of what he senses, the perfumer shakes his empty glass like a key, releasing other aromas. A supple and singular gesture
that proves the persistence of LOUIS XIII. This is the sign of aged eaux-de-vie,
rare and selected with the utmost care, waiting a long time in the shelter of the cellars, developing exceptional aromatic potential.
Similarities, comparisons, references, memories, exchanges. These were the key words of this original
tasting, with two voices, organized in the Katara suite of the Peninsula Paris on Thursday, October 23, 2014.
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