Knocked sideways by Louis XIII

Meet the king of cognac. Finally, well-heeled Thai sippers have been given an official introduction to Louis XIII -- one of the world's oldest and priciest cognacs. Last week Remy Cointreau, the distributor of high-end tipples, invited its prestige sales director Christophe Bourrie to introduce the company's most luxurious product to Thai consumers at an exclusive Peninsula Hotel bash on the banks of the Chao Phraya. "Louis XIII is undoubtedly the king of cognac," Bourrie began. "It is the oldest cognac still around and is made exactly the way it was many hundreds of years ago. It's simply a century in a very exquisite bottle." To make the grade, cognac must be made from ugni blanc grapes, distilled twice in copper-pot stills and aged at least two years before bottling - and it has to come from Cognac in south-western France. Anything less is simply called brandy. But to create a bottle of Louis XIII, much more is required. The elixir's basic ingredient is the highest-quality ugni blanc grown in the Grande Champagne territory of Cognac. It is made of an exceptional blend of some 1,200 eaux-de-vie (the double distilled beverage that is ready to be aged) and is aged for more than 100 years in tiercons, oak barrels that are several hundred years old. The age of the cognac is calculated by the youngest eau-de-vie used in the blend. XO, which is considered a very old cognac in the market, uses up to 20-year-old eau-de-vie. But in Louis XIII, the youngest eau-de-vie is 40 years old, making it a rare and venerable blend. And since the ageing spans more than a hundred years, to create one batch involves the work of up to four generations of cellar masters."Imagine the aroma - the legacy of a hundred years of nature's bounty!" Bourrie enthused. Coming from a family of vintners himself, nothing pleases him more than French wines - and great cognac. "The ladies love it, as it is good for the skin. Not that you should bathe in it, but it helps the blood circulation and is rich in nutrients. "The French love a few sips of cognac after a meal, and they also believe that cognac is a cure-all. I remember having toothache when I was little. My grandmother would give me a sip of cognac to keep in my mouth for an hour or so, then I spat it out of course. And the pain was gone."This time we swallow. And sure enough, Louis XIII cognac tastes like no other. Raising the glass, you see the colour shift from golden-yellow to deep mahogany. Nosing it, you get the richness of the oak tiercons with floral notes. The first sip can knock you sideways with its strong spiciness, but the sweeter second sip brings forth candied fruit, passion fruit, jasmine and even ginger and nutmeg. The unfolding of tastes and aromas goes on and on, underlining Louis XIII's reputation for complex and intricate character.The cognac is also a feast for the eyes, coming in a Baccarat Cristallerie decanter - a handmade vessel that takes the work of 11 glassblowers to create. Every year only a small number of bottles of Louis XIII are released in each country, due to the rarity, high demand for and long production process of the cognac. In Thailand, a shot of Louis XIII costs from Bt6,000 in a hotel bar. A bottle will set you back Bt95,000 - check the shelves at Siam Paragon and Tops Supermarket.