- A master blender’s journey with Brendon Fernandez
You may see the cognac bottle with a gold VSOP or XO label printed on symbolizes an old-man drink. Remy Martin has been imported to the Malaysia market as early as the 19th century when the Europeans navigated their way to our shores.
There is a celestial story behind the Sagittarius symbol. Other than being the zodiac sign of Paul-Emile Remy Martin – the son of Remy Martin, the centaur represents the alliance of man and nature. The distillery was said to have been built according to the line of stars where the creature stood pointing.
Cognac is a spirits distilled from using grapes specifically grow in the region of Cognac in France. There are 20% of premium cognac exported from this part of the world which can be recognised as Fine Champagne Cognac and Remy Martin produces 80% of it. The reason why this brand is prestige is because of two main reasons: the grapes and the master blender.
The grapes
In Remy Martin, the wine produced for the distillation process is from two best growth areas of the Cognac region, the Grande Champagne and the Petite Champagne.
The distillation
After the grapes are put in the distilling pot, the juice is extracted from the fruit. The skin and seeds are left in the pot to maintain the original taste and the complexity in the fruits. The juice is then distilled twice in the copper pot within 24 hours.
Ageing
The spirits is then put into Limousin oak barrel for ageing.
During our session at Maison Francaise, we tasted four delicious cocktails with Remy Martin as base, a chance to blend our own cognac and a try of the Remy Martin CLUB and Remy Martin XO Excellence.
The cocktails
Remy Kaffir – Remy Martin VSOP, Kaffir Lime, fresh grapes, lemon juice, sugar syrup and ginger beer
Centaur Spice – Remy Martin VSOP, gingle ale, Angostura bitters
Remy Cucumber - Remy Martin VSOP, Cucumber syrup, apple juice and lime juice
Side Car – Remy Martin VSOP, Cointreau, lemon juice
To taste the original Remy Martin VSOP, we were also served with it neat or on the rocks.
After the first receptions drinks, we were led to a room with bottles of different age displayed on shelves and long table and chairs. Bottles of 4 years, 10 years and 14 years were put on the long table with test tubes and beaker. We took up the master blenders job and tried to mix the perfect Remy Martin VSOP.
It was the cask room that was the most exciting as there was where Remy Martin CLUB and Remy Martin XO Excellence. Brendon Fernandez shared with us what the master blender's job is and the legacy he/she has to continue. A master blender in Remy Martin selects the eu de vie, create and re-create the spirits that represents the brand. Another role is to continue the legacy that was passed on by the previous master blender – to monitor the ageing process of Louis XIII de Rémy Martin that can be aged as long as 100 years!
The current master blender in Remy Martin is Pierrette Trichet, one of the most powerful female figures in the spirits industry.
The list of Remy Martin available in Malaysia
a) Remy Martin V.S.O.P. 70cl
b) Remy Martin V.S.O.P. Jolin Tsai Limited Edition 70cl
c) Remy Martin CLUB 70cl
d) Remy Martin X.O. Excellence 70cl
e) Remy Martin X.O. Gold Limited Edition 70cl
f) Remy Martin X.O. Premier Cru 70cl
g) Remy Martin Vintage 1988
h) Remy Martin Diamant
i) LOUIS XIII 70cl