Rémy Martin () is a French firm that primarily produces and sells

cognac Cognac ( , also , ) is a variety of brandy named after the commune of Cognac, France. It is produced in the surrounding wine-growing region in the departments of Charente and Charente-Maritime. Cognac production falls under French appella ...

. Founded in 1724 and based in the commune of

Cognac Cognac ( , also , ) is a variety of brandy named after the commune of Cognac, France. It is produced in the surrounding wine-growing region in the departments of Charente and Charente-Maritime. Cognac production falls under French appella ...

, it is among the oldest cognac producers still in existence. and one of the "big four" cognac houses (along with

Hennessy Jas Hennessy & Co., commonly known simply as Hennessy (), is a French producer of cognac, which has its headquarters in Cognac, France. It is one of the "big four" cognac houses, along with Martell, Courvoisier, and Rémy Martin, who together ma ...

Courvoisier Courvoisier () is a brand of cognac, with production based in the town of Jarnac in the Charente region of France. It is the youngest and smallest of the "big four" cognac houses (the others are Hennessy, Rémy Martin, and Martell). Courvo ...

and Martell), responsible for producing most of the world's cognac. The brand specialises in creating Cognac Fine Champagne. The brand is owned by the spirits conglomerate

Rémy Cointreau Rémy Cointreau is a French, family-owned business group whose origins date back to 1724. The group has an international portfolio of spirits (cognac, liqueurs and spirits): Rémy Martin and Louis XIII cognacs, Cointreau liqueur, METAXA Greek spi ...

, which it co-founded in 1990. Rémy Martin typically represents around 90% of the group's operating profit, selling around 2.2 million nine-litre cases of cognac annually. Rémy Martin is also part of the

Comité Colbert The Comité Colbert is an association "to promote the concept of luxury." The members are 81 French luxury brands. It was founded in 1954 by Jean-Jacques Guerlain. ''Métiers'' or Trade Sectors The association is divided into thirteen métiers ...

, an association "to promote the concept of luxury".

History

The name Rémy Martin comes from the company founder, born in 1695 near Rouillac in southwestern France. A vintner by trade, in 1724 he created a cognac trading house. On his death in 1773, the business passed to his grandson, also named Rémy.Dictionnaire biographique des Charentais, (Charentais biographical dictionary), Editions Le Croît Vif, (The Living Growth), 2005, p. 1107–1110. In 1841, Paul-Emile-Rémy Martin assumed control and oversaw great growth. He added a logo to the bottles and cases; a

centaur A centaur ( ; grc, κένταυρος, kéntauros; ), or occasionally hippocentaur, is a creature from Greek mythology with the upper body of a human and the lower body and legs of a horse. Centaurs are thought of in many Greek myths as bein ...

after Sagittarius, Martin's own zodiac sign. The Rémy Martin logo continues; in

China China, officially the People's Republic of China (PRC), is a country in East Asia. It is the world's List of countries and dependencies by population, most populous country, with a Population of China, population exceeding 1.4 billion, slig ...

it's réntóumă (人头马), literally "man-headed horse". In the interwar period, André Renaud, a lawyer, merchant, and partner in E. Rémy Martin & Co. since 1910, took the lead. In 1927, he launched VSOP Fine Champagne. Rémy Martin cognacs were then sold worldwide. After

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the World War II by country, vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great power ...

, Rémy Martin continued to rise under André Hériard-Dubreuil, André Renaud's son-in-law. At the death of André Renaud in 1965, André Hériard-Dubreuil became president. His children joined him, notably his daughter Dominique Hériard-Dubreuil who became general manager in 1988, and president two years later. In 1991, the House of Rémy Martin incorporated

into the business. In the 2010s Rémy Martin experienced a significant sales downturn after Chinese austerity measures targeted expensive gifts.

Production

Rémy Martin cognacs have the Cognac Fine Champagne appellation, meaning they come only from a blend of ''eaux-de-vie'' from the Grande Champagne and Petite Champagne

crus Crus can refer to: *''Crus'', a subgenus of the fly genus '' Metopochetus'' *Crus (lower leg) *Crus, a plural of Cru (wine) *CRUs, an abbreviation of Civil Resettlement Units * Rektorenkonferenz der Schweizer Universitäten (CRUS; English: Recto ...

, with at least 50% Grande Champagne. Being from chalky soils, these ''eaux-de-vie'' have ageing potential and a particular aroma due to the '' terroir''. In the 1960s, l’Alliance Fine Champagne (the Fine Champagne Alliance) was created by André Hériard Dubreuil of the House of Rémy Martin. This cooperative brings together vintners from Petite Champagne and Grande Champagne, and supplies almost 90% of the ''eaux-de-vie'' of the House. Rémy Martin produces more than 80% of Fine Champagne cognacs. Rémy Martin uses traditional distillation of the lees (sediment from grape fermentation) in small copper stills. Ageing takes place in

oak barrels Oak is used in winemaking to vary the color, flavor, tannin profile and texture of wine. It can be introduced in the form of a barrel during the fermentation or aging periods, or as free-floating chips or staves added to wine fermented in a vess ...

of the Limousin type, during which alcohol evaporates ( the angels' share), blackening the walls of the cellar. The eau-de-vie evolves, punctuated by resting and changes of barrel. The exchanges of wood, oxygen and eaux-de-vie are constant. Depending on which style is sought, cognac can age in young or old oak barrels, with stronger or finer grain in the staves. The oldest cognacs may be stored in glass demi-johns (also called ''dame-jeannes'') to prevent excessive evaporation. Finally, products from different aged spirits are mixed, to create a cognac. The House’s current Cellar Master, Baptiste Loiseau, took the position in 2014, at 34, following André Renaud, André Giraud, Georges Clot, and Pierrette Trichet.

Products

Rémy Martin VSOP

Created in 1927, Rémy Martin VSOP is the biggest selling VSOP Cognac worldwide. The frosted bottle was introduced in 1972.

Rémy Martin VSOP Mature Cask Finish

Exclusive to European markets, VSOP Mature Cask Finish was created in 2011. Originating from the same terroirs of Grande and Petite Champagne, with the same specifications for distillation, after the final blending, this cognac spends another year in 20-year old oak barrels.

Rémy Martin 1738 Accord Royal

Launched in 1997 and named after the royal

decree A decree is a legal proclamation, usually issued by a head of state (such as the president of a republic or a monarch), according to certain procedures (usually established in a constitution). It has the force of law. The particular term used ...

issued in 1738 when King Louis XV granted the Accord Royal to Rémy Martin in honor of his craftsmanship.

Rémy Martin CLUB

Exclusive to China, CLUB was created in 1986 and features an octagonal-shaped bottle. In 2015, Rémy Martin launched the CLUB Connected Bottle, the first NFC-enabled spirits bottle featuring high-security anti-counterfeiting measures.

Rémy Martin XO

Created by cellar master André Giraud in 1981, XO is a blend of up to 400 eaux-de-vie.

Rémy Martin Carte Blanche à Baptiste Loiseau

A single barrel blend selected by the cellar master, with all eaux-de-vie being at least twenty years old.

Rémy Martin Centaure De Diamant

Sold at an elevated price point, Centaure de Diamant uses only eaux-de-vie from the finest 10% of those available to Rémy Martin.

Rémy Martin Cellar Master Selection

Exclusive to duty free locations, Cellar 16 (Prime Cellar Selection) and Cellar 28 (Reserve Cellar Selection) are selected by the Cellar Master from aging cellars with unique characteristics.

Rémy Martin Louis XIII

Louis XIII cognac is produced and aged in oak barrels for 40–80 years in the Grande Champagne region of Cognac.

Rémy Martin V

In 2010, Rémy Martin introduced its first clear spirit, Rémy Martin V, in the US. Rather than using the oak barrel aging process, the liquid undergoes a proprietary filtration process, giving it a transparent color and subtle taste with hints of pear and a fresh minty aftertaste. It is not a cognac, but an ''eau-de-vie de vin''

Marketing

The House of Rémy Martin partners with artists to represent its cognacs. These include Californian actor

Jeremy Renner Jeremy Lee Renner (born January 7, 1971) is an American actor and musician. He began his career by appearing in independent films such as '' Dahmer'' (2002) and '' Neo Ned'' (2005), then supporting roles in bigger films, such as '' S.W.A.T.'' ...

, Chinese actor and singer

Huang Xiaoming Huang Xiaoming or Mark Huang (, born 13 November 1977) is a Chinese actor, singer, and model. He graduated from the Performance Institute of the Beijing Film Academy in 2000. Huang first rose to prominence in 2001 for playing Emperor Wu of Han in ...

, and Taiwanese

mandopop Mandopop or Mandapop refers to Mandarin popular music. The genre has its origin in the jazz-influenced popular music of 1930s Shanghai known as Shidaiqu; with later influences coming from Japanese enka, Hong Kong's Cantopop, Taiwan's Hokkie ...

singer

Jolin Tsai Jolin Tsai (; ; born September 15, 1980) is a Taiwanese singer, songwriter, and actress. Referred to as the " Queen of C-Pop", she is considered one of the most influential figures in Chinese popular culture. She is known for her continual rein ...

. In 2008, the American photographer and director

David LaChapelle David LaChapelle (born March 11, 1963) is an American photographer, music video director and film director. He is best known for his work in fashion, photography, which often references art history and sometimes conveys social messages. His pho ...

created a bottle design. In 2013, Rémy Martin teamed up with American-Canadian singer and producer

Robin Thicke Robin Alan Thicke (born March 10, 1977) is an American singer, songwriter and record producer. He is best known for his 2013 hit single " Blurred Lines", which is one of the best-selling singles of all time. At the 56th Annual Grammy Awards, h ...

to launch a limited edition of VSOP.

In popular culture

Rémy Martin can also be found in the world of rap, especially in the United States.

Fetty Wap Willie Junior Maxwell II (born June 7, 1991), better known by his stage names Fetty Wap or Harlem Fetty, is an American rapper, singer and songwriter. He rose to prominence after his debut single " Trap Queen" reached number two on the U.S. ''B ...

has frequently mentioned the 1738 variety in his work.

Pete Townshend Peter Dennis Blandford Townshend (; born 19 May 1945) is an English musician. He is co-founder, leader, guitarist, second lead vocalist and principal songwriter of the Who, one of the most influential rock bands of the 1960s and 1970s. Towns ...

of rock band

the Who The Who are an English rock band formed in London in 1964. Their classic lineup consisted of lead singer Roger Daltrey, guitarist and singer Pete Townshend, bass guitarist and singer John Entwistle, and drummer Keith Moon. They are considered ...

wryly thanked Rémy Martin for saving his life "by making the bloody stuff so expensive" in the inner sleeve to his 1980 solo album '' Empty Glass''. He also referred to the drink in the lyrics to his single ' A Little Is Enough' by singing "I'm like a connoisseur of champagne cognac, the perfume nearly beats the taste." Townshend can also be seen drinking straight from a bottle of Rémy Martin in the

music video A music video is a video of variable duration, that integrates a music song or a music album with imagery that is produced for promotional or musical artistic purposes. Modern music videos are primarily made and used as a music marketing devic ...

to his song ' Keep on Working'. Fellow Who member

John Entwistle John Alec Entwistle (9 October 194427 June 2002) was an English musician who was the bassist for the rock band The Who. Entwistle's music career spanned over four decades. Nicknamed "The Ox" and "Thunderfingers", he was the band's only member ...

was also known for his love of the drink, and included the V.S.O.P. grading on the album cover to his 1973 solo album '' Rigor Mortis Sets In.'' It is an inscription on an outdoor grave's footstone, which was either the front cover or the photo used on the inside of the

gatefold A gatefold cover or gatefold LP is a form of packaging for LP records that became popular in the mid-1960s. A gatefold cover, when folded, is the same size as a standard LP cover (i.e., a 12½ inch, or 32.7 centimetre square). The larger gatefo ...

depending on where the record was issued.

The Dynasty and the Chinese market

In 1980, at the beginning of the Chinese economic reform, Rémy Martin ventured into China with the Dynasty brand (Dynasty Wine Ltd), the first foreign wine maker and the second joint-venture in all China.

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Remy Martin 1724 establishments in France Cognac Distilleries in France French brands Luxury brands Purveyors to the Imperial and Royal Court Comité Colbert members French companies established in 1724 Food and drink companies established in 1724