Rémy Martin
Encyclopedia
Cognac (drink)
Cognac , named after the town of Cognac in France, is a variety of brandy. It is produced in the wine-growing region surrounding the town from which it takes its name, in the French Departements of Charente and Charente-Maritime....
(a brandy
Brandy
Brandy is a spirit produced by distilling wine. Brandy generally contains 35%–60% alcohol by volume and is typically taken as an after-dinner drink...
from the Cognac
Cognac
Cognac is a commune in the Charente department in southwestern France. It is a sub-prefecture of the department.-Geography:Cognac is situated on the river Charente between the towns of Angoulême and Saintes. The majority of the town has been built on the river's left bank, with the smaller right...
region of France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
), specialist of the Cognac Fine Champagne originally produced by Rémy Martin, a French winemaker
Winemaker
A winemaker or vintner is a person engaged in winemaking. They are generally employed by wineries or wine companies, where their work includes:*Cooperating with viticulturists...
, who founded the company in 1724. It is now owned by Rémy Cointreau
Rémy Cointreau
Rémy Cointreau is a French alcohol manufacturer that produces cognac, liqueurs, spirits and champagne. The company is a result of a 1990-1991 merger between Rémy Martin and Cointreau.- Brands :...
, a company founded in 1991.
Bottlings
- Rémy Martin Grand Cru VS
- Rémy Martin VSOP
- Rémy Martin Club
- Rémy Martin 1738 Accord Royal
- Remy Martin 1898 (Asia Only)
- Rémy Martin XO Spécial
- Rémy Martin XO Excellence
- Remy Martin XO 1st Cru Grande Champagne (Duty Free only)
- Rémy Martin Extra
- Rémy Martin Louis XIII Rare Cask
- Louis XIII de Rémy MartinLouis XIII de Rémy MartinLouis XIII de Rémy Martin is a cognac produced by Rémy Martin.-Production:The cognac is manufactured using grapes from the Grande Champagne territory of Cognac, France. It is blended from 1200 eaux de vie, some more than a century in age...
(including Louis XIII Black Pearl) - L'Âge d'or de Rémy Martin
- Rémy Martin Centaure de Diamant Cognac
Rémy Martin is a specialist of Fine Champagne Cognac, meaning that the eaux-de-vie selected come from the two best growth areas of the Cognac region, the Grande Champagne and the Petite Champagne (the word "Champagne" defines a type of soil that is extremely chalky). The eaux-de-vie from these crus
Cru (wine)
Cru is a French wine term which is traditionally translated as "growth", as it was originally the past participle of the verb "croitre" . As a wine term it is closely connected to terroir in the sense of an "extent of terrain having a certain physical homogeneity ....
, in the heart of the Cognac region, have the greatest ageing
Ageing
Ageing or aging is the accumulation of changes in a person over time. Ageing in humans refers to a multidimensional process of physical, psychological, and social change. Some dimensions of ageing grow and expand over time, while others decline...
potential and are therefore treasured more.
Fine Champagne Cognac is the only blend of two crus protected by the Appellation d'Origine Contrôlée
Appellation d'Origine Contrôlée
Appellation d’origine contrôlée , which translates as "controlled designation of origin", is the French certification granted to certain French geographical indications for wines, cheeses, butters, and other agricultural products, all under the auspices of the government bureau Institut National...
(AOC, the French law of 1938), which officially recognises the complementary qualities of Grande Champagne & Petite Champagne to provide a unique quality of cognac.
In 1965, the first contracts between winegrowers and distillers from Grande Champagne & Petite Champagne were signed with Rémy Martin, forming the Alliance Fine Champagne.
Only 17% of the cognac shipped from the region is legally recognized as Fine Champagne Cognac (Source: BNIC shipments 2004) and 80% of all Fine Champagne Cognac shipped from the region is produced by Rémy Martin.
The Rémy Martin brand is known for its distinctive centaur
Centaur
In Greek mythology, a centaur or hippocentaur is a member of a composite race of creatures, part human and part horse...
logo which is displayed on its wines. This is such that in China
China
Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
, Rémy Martin wine is almost always called "man-headed horse" (人头马) instead of the actual "Rémy Martin" name.
Non-cognac products
- Rémy Martin PineauPineau des CharentesPineau des Charentes, is a regional French aperitif, made in the départements of Charente, Charente-Maritime and, to a much lesser extent, Dordogne in western France...
- RémyRed
- Rémy Silver
- Rémy Martin V
There are/were at least two other non-cognac products.
In the 1960s Rémy Martin produced two commemorative products that further celebrated their distinguished cognac — the games barrel and the writing slope. Limited numbers of these were offered to brandy lovers and have since become precious collector's items.
The games barrel was a compendium of six of the games which the cellar workers habitually used to play while they waited for fermentation and aging to take place — many years of course. The games were each arranged as separate, circular layers and the whole assembled in a barrel shape, exactly copying the traditional brandy casks. In fact the whole was made in Limousin oak, the same wood used in the full-size cognac barrels. A neat brass plate with the Rémy Martin name was attached on the center band.
The writing slope was much like the traditional writing slopes of the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries except that it was an exact copy of what the Rémy Cellar Master used to use (and perhaps still does) to write his cellar notes and records. And like many of the historic examples of writing slopes there is/was a secret compartment, beneath the pen tray, large enough to take a small bottle of brandy. Again, this piece was made of Limousin oak and had the Rémy Martin name on a brass plate on the side.
In 2010, Rémy Martin introduced its very first clear spirit, Rémy Martin V, in select markets. Rather than aged in oak barrels, the liquid goes through a proprietary 14F (-10C) ice cold filtration process, giving it its transparent color and subtle taste with hints of pear and fresh mint.
As Rémy Martin V is not a Cognac, because it is not aged in casks.