He is the keeper of the flame...
The protector of ancient secrets...
And despite what you’re thinking, he’s not a character on the next season of Game of Thrones.
But still, Baptiste Loiseau knows something about living in a fantasy world. Because two years ago, at the tender age of 34, Loiseau became one of the youngest cellar masters ever when he took over the post at Rémy Martin—the venerable cognac house with nearly 300 years of tradition behind it.
Naturally, he’s the kind of guy you want to pepper with questions over a fine drink. This is what we learned...
He’s young, but he’s not exactly new to the whole cognac thing.
Loiseau studied for seven years under Rémy Martin’s previous cellar master, Pierrette Trichet—more than three of those as deputy cellar master—before taking the reins himself. But his roots in the region and its elements go much deeper.
“Growing up in France has given me an epicurean approach to life. I was born in the Cognac region and have always had a love of the earth and nature, as well as a passion for cognac. I have fond memories of the grape harvests that took place every fall, and as a child, I would visit the grape presses to taste the juice. When I was about 20, I wondered whether I might take over the business of my extraordinary elders.”
His tasting schedule is... robust.
It’s a tough job, but somebody has to sample all of the eau-de-vie that eventually becomes Rémy Martin Cognac. “I do one to three blind tastings each day of around 20 to 30 samples,” says Baptiste. “Winter is the time when, with my tasting committee, we taste all of our samples given by our wine producers. I will taste up to 1,500 samples within a few weeks. It’s after smelling and tasting a lot of different eaux-de-vie that you develop your expertise as a taster.”
He takes his cognac neat, but isn’t afraid to mix things up.
How does a man who knows a drink so intimately like to enjoy it on his off time? Loiseau says, “I like purity when drinking, so I enjoy Rémy Martin XO neat or on ice. Adding a touch of ice to the cognac reinforces the consistency and richness extolled in the distillation process. I also enjoy Rémy Martin 1738 Accord Royal with ginger ale or in a cocktail, such as a Sidecar.”
It’s all for a noble cause.
The world is constantly changing, yet for the cellar master, true greatness lies in steadfast consistency. “The role of cellar master carries a great weight and responsibility. The most challenging part is to recreate the same style and blend year after year with eau-de-vie that is different every year. It evolves due to aging. It’s vital to ensure the Rémy Martin house style is respected and adhered to.”
In the end, the proof is in the pedigree...
“What makes cognac so special is its starting point,” he says. “Cognac is made from grapes and wine, while other brown spirits typically consist of only grain or sugarcane. The wine used to make cognac originates exclusively in the Cognac region—it cannot come from anywhere else. So it is a regional specialty that’s far more rare and luxurious. In order to be a cognac, it must adhere to specific rules that deem the spirit a certain quality. So when you are having a glass, you know that it is linked to the soil and the climate. When you drink cognac, you know that it is coming from grapes grown in that region.”
Of course, it helps when the cellar master is locally sourced, too.
Beyond cognac, his passions are many.
Though his role as cellar master is of the utmost importance, he continues to be a man of the world. “I am curious about the world and I consider myself an explorer. I also love telling beautiful stories about history and terroir. And having spent a lot of time with my maternal grandparents who were market gardeners has made me a gardener today.”
There you have it. Baptiste Loiseau: Cellar Master/Explorer/Gardener.
The protector of ancient secrets...
And despite what you’re thinking, he’s not a character on the next season of Game of Thrones.
But still, Baptiste Loiseau knows something about living in a fantasy world. Because two years ago, at the tender age of 34, Loiseau became one of the youngest cellar masters ever when he took over the post at Rémy Martin—the venerable cognac house with nearly 300 years of tradition behind it.
Naturally, he’s the kind of guy you want to pepper with questions over a fine drink. This is what we learned...
He’s young, but he’s not exactly new to the whole cognac thing.
Loiseau studied for seven years under Rémy Martin’s previous cellar master, Pierrette Trichet—more than three of those as deputy cellar master—before taking the reins himself. But his roots in the region and its elements go much deeper.
“Growing up in France has given me an epicurean approach to life. I was born in the Cognac region and have always had a love of the earth and nature, as well as a passion for cognac. I have fond memories of the grape harvests that took place every fall, and as a child, I would visit the grape presses to taste the juice. When I was about 20, I wondered whether I might take over the business of my extraordinary elders.”
His tasting schedule is... robust.
It’s a tough job, but somebody has to sample all of the eau-de-vie that eventually becomes Rémy Martin Cognac. “I do one to three blind tastings each day of around 20 to 30 samples,” says Baptiste. “Winter is the time when, with my tasting committee, we taste all of our samples given by our wine producers. I will taste up to 1,500 samples within a few weeks. It’s after smelling and tasting a lot of different eaux-de-vie that you develop your expertise as a taster.”
He takes his cognac neat, but isn’t afraid to mix things up.
How does a man who knows a drink so intimately like to enjoy it on his off time? Loiseau says, “I like purity when drinking, so I enjoy Rémy Martin XO neat or on ice. Adding a touch of ice to the cognac reinforces the consistency and richness extolled in the distillation process. I also enjoy Rémy Martin 1738 Accord Royal with ginger ale or in a cocktail, such as a Sidecar.”
It’s all for a noble cause.
The world is constantly changing, yet for the cellar master, true greatness lies in steadfast consistency. “The role of cellar master carries a great weight and responsibility. The most challenging part is to recreate the same style and blend year after year with eau-de-vie that is different every year. It evolves due to aging. It’s vital to ensure the Rémy Martin house style is respected and adhered to.”
In the end, the proof is in the pedigree...
“What makes cognac so special is its starting point,” he says. “Cognac is made from grapes and wine, while other brown spirits typically consist of only grain or sugarcane. The wine used to make cognac originates exclusively in the Cognac region—it cannot come from anywhere else. So it is a regional specialty that’s far more rare and luxurious. In order to be a cognac, it must adhere to specific rules that deem the spirit a certain quality. So when you are having a glass, you know that it is linked to the soil and the climate. When you drink cognac, you know that it is coming from grapes grown in that region.”
Of course, it helps when the cellar master is locally sourced, too.
Beyond cognac, his passions are many.
Though his role as cellar master is of the utmost importance, he continues to be a man of the world. “I am curious about the world and I consider myself an explorer. I also love telling beautiful stories about history and terroir. And having spent a lot of time with my maternal grandparents who were market gardeners has made me a gardener today.”
There you have it. Baptiste Loiseau: Cellar Master/Explorer/Gardener.
