Calgary Wine Store Sells $15,000 Cognac

How much would you pay for a good cognac? $60? $100? Maybe a couple of hundred dollars? All reasonable prices. But how about paying $15,000? That’s how much the Calgary Co-op received for the recent sale of a Louis XIII Rare Cask cognac.

The five-figure brandy is produced by French company Rémy Martin, the self-proclaimed King of Cognacs. And yes, the name – Louis XIII – is in honour of the 17th Century monarch who was ruler when the Rémy Martin family first settled in the Cognac region of France.

What makes the Rémy Martin brand so luxe? Well, all of the brandies are composed of a combination of some 1200 eaux de vie found in the Grande Champagne territory of Cognac and are aged in tierçons – century-old casks made from Limousin oak.

Discovered in 2004 by Pierrette Trichet, Maître de Chai, the Louis XIII Rare proved itself to be different from the established Louis XIII blend. The alcoholic content of the Rare cask was an unusual 43.8 degrees (more potent than the usual 40) and, thus, produced a stronger than normal aromatic bouquet. The eaux de vie found in the Louis XIII Rare are aged from 40 to 100 years and yield a wide array of flavours from an initial bouquet of wild mushrooms to a flavour reminiscent of an autumnal woodland to a final mixed bouquet of gingerbread, wax, nuts and fresh mint.

Given the storied history of the cognac, a cask anything less than spectacular would be inappropriate to display it in. So, spectacular is what the company achieved. Master crystal manufacturers Baccarat handcraft each cask from black crystal and a team of 20 craftsmen and two weeks of labour is required for completion. For an added touch of refinement, the neck of the decanter is swathed in the precious metal palladium.

Only a limited number of Louis XIII Rare casks are allowed for sale each year and the Calgary Co-op, which is fast becoming known as a destination for premium, rare and one-of-a-kind products, was chosen to retail the rare spirit. If you are are asking yourself if there is a market for such a prestige product in Canada, there is. Inquiries came from both the East and West of the country with the lucky buyer being a collector from Vancouver.

For more information, visit Rémy Martin online or follow the company on Twitter. If you want to scope out when the next vintage or rare sale may be, check out Calgary Co-op online or on Twitter.

Written by Lynn Wayling