Remy Martin, Bar Boulud, and more…

Posted by Sharon Feiereisen, Wednesday, July 16, 2008 at 09:00 AM by Sharon Feiereisen

Photo courtesy of Remy Martin

I was fortunate enough to attend an event hosted by Remy Martin and held at Manhattan’s Bar Boulud this week. The fete was held to honor the release of Remy Martin 1989 – the first single vintage cognac available in the US since 1965. Unlike the vast majority of cognacs, which relay on blending hundreds and sometimes thousands of eaux de vie to achieve balance, Remy Martin 1989 contains the harvest of only one year (100% Grande Champagne grapes).

Before trying the cognac however, we were served an opulent meal paired with a wonderful selection of wines. To start Amuse Bouche including Olive Oil Poached Cod and Louisiana Shrimp were served with Champagne. Maine Peekytoe Crab Salad, Cucumber, Radish, and Meyer Lemon paired with Philippe Colin came afterwards. Philippe Colin is vibrant, yet goes down smooth with the perfect balance of sugar and acidy. It has hints of dried fruits and mineral notes. For the main course a Beef Duo (Filet Mignon and Braised Flatiron Steak), were served accompanied with Carrot Mousseline, Onion Confit and Marquis d’Angerville, Volnay 2004. The 2004 Pinot was impeccably well-balanced with notes of mocha and hints of floral and spice. It had a mineral finish and an impressive length. Lastly, for dessert they served Bar Boulud’s Custard Cake with Baked Figs accompanied by the real treat of the evening—Remy Martin 1989.

To understand what makes this single vintage cognac so special you have to go back to 1989, a year where the hot summer days, cool nights, and low levels of rainfall in Cognac’s Grande Champagne vineyards made for ideal maturation of the Ugni Blanc grapes. The conditions promised elegant, concentrated wines and following distillation, eaux-de-vie with remarkable ageing potential. Recognizing the potential, Georges Clot, Rémy Martin cellar master at the time, strove to select the best plots from over a thousand exclusively located in Grande Champagne vineyards. Combining intuition, experience and know-how, his aim was to select only the eaux-de-vie with exceptional ageing potential and a unique aromatic profile. In the end, he only chose eaux-de-vie from four estate-owned plots.

After 18 years of ageing in Limousin oak barrels, kept separately in a dedicated Rémy Martin cellar, the House’s expectations were confirmed. At the annual tasting in 2007, current cellar master Pierrette Trichet felt that the golden amber Rémy Martin 1989 was reaching its peak.

The cognac has a smooth texture along with notes of ripe fruit and fig and cloves aromas. The length has the classic characteristics of Rémy Martin’s Grande Champagne cognacs, but having reached 45% abv, it has an intense, long finish that can linger for up to 15 minutes.

Remy Martin 1989’s limited production will be available starting in September for $400 (750ml) and comes in a black frosted bottle with a re-sealable wooden cork.