As if Louis XIII weren’t already enough of a luxury Cognac, the brand just announced the launch of the even more limited-edition, rarefied, and high-end Rare Cask 42.1. Don’t worry, you still have a couple of months to get your affairs in order to secure a $50,000 bottle of this singular spirit.
Just the third in the Rare Cask Collection, 42.1 comes a decade after the last release, 42.6. This time there are just 775 decanters available that were pulled from a single tierçon—the French term for the larger sized barrels that are used to age the eaux-de-vie in the Louis XIII cellars. According to the brand, fifth-generation cellar master Baptiste Loiseau discovered an extra-special French oak tierçon in the Domaine du Grollet cellars that had an “aromatic profile” and an “unexpected” ABV of 42.1 percent (hence, the name). No age statement was revealed for this release, but it has likely spent decades slowly maturing. “While the singularity of a Rare Cask rests on the wonder of nature and the aging of eaux-de-vie, said Loiseau in a statement, “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.”
There was an event held recently in Venice to mark the release of Rare Cask 42.1, in the vein of past Rare Cask launches that occurred in the Guilin Caves, China and Udaipur, India. Tasting events will follow, leading up to the launch of the Cognac in June, in cities including Paris, Zurich, London, Dubai, Beverly Hills, New York, Miami, Las Vegas, and Kuala Lumpur. “Ten years have passed since the latest Rare Cask was revealed,” said Rémy Martin CEO Jean-Philippe Hecquet. “Today, we are thrilled to present the latest wonder, Rare Cask 42.1, the result of time and human talent caring for our terroir. It’s Louis XIII’s ultimate expression.”
Rare Cask 42.1 will be presented as a set that includes a black Baccarat crystal decanter (each of which is numbered and reportedly took 20 craftspeople to produce), a pair of glasses with black quatrefoils, and a serving pipette. To get ahold of a bottle, you can contact the Louis XIII concierge via the brand’s website.
