November 21, 2019: Louis XIII, one of the finest cognacs in existence, takes their traditions and values seriously. Continuing to preserve their recipe, LOUIS XIII’s Cellar Master Baptiste Loiseau has remade their Tiercons, to be continued to be used by the next generation of cellar masters.
The eaux-de-vie for LOUIS XIII Cognac are matured in dedicated French oak casks. The most exceptional are aged in the rarest casks LOUIS XIII possesses: the tierçons. The centennial tierçons were originally used to transport the cognac arranged three by three on horse-drawn carriages – hence the name. Handmade in the French oak forests, they play a critical role in the aromatic development of LOUIS XIII cognac. Their fine staves allow the delicate exchange between the eaux-de-vie, the wood and the cool air in the cellars. A tierçon is irreplaceable. As the years go by, they have to be carefully restored using the old staves of another: a sacrifice that led Mr. Loiseau to find out how to recreate them.
The journey starts with the seed of a rare and special oak in the Limousin forest. It takes between 150 to 180 years of slow, steady growth before these trees reach the ideal shape and size for felling. After the logs have been split, the LOUIS XIII Wood Masters select the perfect planks. They are stacked and left to dry in the open air for 3 years to acquire their full aromatic potential. Only then can they be transformed into staves and bent into their barrel shape. Next comes the heating process, when the unique oaken identity of a LOUIS XIII tierçon is revealed.
On completion, each new tierçon is filled with their young, finest and richest Grande Champagne eaux-de-vie and left to mature. Over time, it gradually releases the full scope of its aromas and woody notes. When the tierçon is getting older, as of 50 years, it will be filled with our older finest and richest Grande Champagne eaux-de-vie which will reach the perfect ageing development and which will be part of the LOUIS XIII blend in the future, when myriad aromas intertwine to create a magnificent final blend.
