Prarrthona Pal Chowdhury

To mix or not to mix! This is a dilemma that purists often face when presented with a libation of repute. The situation is dichotomous for sure. On one hand is the premise of appreciating a drink unadulterated in the same spirit as it was produced. On the other hand, it is the prospect of exploring uncharted flavour territories. The solution? Enjoy it both ways- first as a standalone and later as cocktail(s). Something as I did at an exclusive cocktail session with Caitlin Hill, Brand Ambassador Progressive Hebridean Distillers (PHD) – the makers of Bruichladdich (The Laddie)  whisky and The Botanist gin.

Caitlin  arrived in India to conduct a series of masterclasses and cocktail soirées for trade, media and consumers. Looking at the packed houses, the response that she received was nothing short of overwhelming. I was privileged to be invited by Prarrthona Pal Chowdhury, Country Manager Indian Sub-Continent Rémy Cointreau to an exclusive preview session for media at The Lodhi hotel, before the evening went groovy . In the two hours plus that followed, we saw passionate pours and deft moves that presented The Classic Laddie and The Botanist in their various avatars.

The USP of Bruichladdich and The Botanist

But why such a fuss over a whisky and a gin? Aren’t we having enough of these already? The answer lies in the uniqueness of both the beverages in question. While the Laddie defies the stereotype of peated and sea influenced Islay malts, The Botanist is the first and only Dry Gin from Islay which incorporates 22 indigenous botanicals from the Hebridean Island, besides its nine classic ingredients (see pic alongside).

The packaging for both the beverages is quite eye-catching too! The Classic Laddie comes in an aqua blue ceramic-reminiscent bottle encased in a corresponding tin. The Botanist looks spanking in a clear bottle embossed with the Latin names of its 22 native botanicals.

A memorable evening

We warmed up to the evening with a straight pour of The Classic Laddie, tasting it the conventional way- first without and then diluted half and half with water. The whisky which has 50% Alcohol by Volume (ABV) is caressing on the palate with its round body, complemented by floral, fruity and sweet oak nuances.

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 Apart from The Classic Laddie and the other unpeated Bruichladdich variants, Progressive Hebridean Distillers  also produce a heavily peated whisky called Port Charlotte and a super heavily peated one called Octomore. 

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Caitlin highlighted that The Classic Laddie is produced with 100% Scottish barley, blended as a multi-vintage cuvée and aged in both American as well as French oak. Adam Hannett, Master Distiller PHD has done an appreciable job, maintaining the whisky’s approachability without losing out on its complexity.

After The Classic Laddie I quickly seized the opportunity of a barebone sampling of The Botanist gin, before Caitlin donned the mixologist’s apron. The Gin came across smoothly with a unique flavor profile that Caitlin attributed to its provenance, traceability and authenticity. Apart from its unique botanicals, The Botanist, is distilled in a Lomond Pot Still (a cross between a pot and a column still) with a three times longer ‘simmer’ distillation, thus yielding a highly refined spirit.

Cocktail Couture

Having done the serious work, it was time to dive into the colourful and creative world of cocktails. Caitlin started with a Corpse Reviver– a classic made with The Botanist Gin, Dry Vermouth, Cointreau, Fresh Lemon Juice and a dash of Absinthe.

This was followed by Ulex Clover Club (The Botanist Gin, Coconut and Raspberry Syrup and Lemon Juice) and Terroir High Ball (Classic Laddie, Plum Syrup, Fresh Lemon and Soda). Both the cocktails were extremely fresh and reinforced the role of quality ingredients differentiating the great from the good.

The evening went on with several rounds of cocktails appeasing individual tastes amid interesting bar conversations.

The Laddie and The Botanist having arrived famously.

The Classic Laddie retails in India at an approximate price of Rs 13000 ($ 195) and The Botanist at an approx Rs. 7400 ($ 111). The beverages are imported and distributed in India by Sula Selections– the import arm of the country’s leading winemaker Sula Vineyards.

It is not often that cellar masters come to your doorstep, that too with their most prized libations. Add to that, the charm of a centuries old historical perspective and you’re in for a dream. I am talking of Baptiste Loiseau, Maître de Chai or Cellar Master of the famed house of Rémy Martin (RM) – who came visiting India quite recently and whom I had the privilege to meet, also to taste with him the famed Louis XIII (popularly called Louis Treize) – their ultra premium cognac offering.

That Baptiste is the youngest ever Cellar Master of RM is interesting to know, but what is more interesting is his association with the roots of Cognac ever since his childhood. He was born and raised in the region, just a few miles from the house of LOUIS XIII,  making him a natural enough to describe  LOUIS XIII as evoking memories of his grandmother’s kitchen where juicy fruit was turned into jam in a big copper pot and floral notes of dried rose petals reminding him of a sweetly scented rose bush.

A Meteoric Rise

Baptiste joined RM in August 2007, seeking to get trained and mentored on his passion of wine and Cognac. He was selected  soon in 2011 by Pierrette Trichet, the previous Cellar Master as her deputy, to be groomed as her successor. Baptiste lived up to this expectation, becoming the youngest Cellar Master of RM at the age of 34, barely seven years after his joining the house. No wonder then, that he is quite vocal in expressing gratitude towards his mentor:

From the very beginning Pierrette told me that we were going to do great things together. She really wanted to share her knowledge, savoir faire and craftsmanship with me. I consider myself lucky that I found someone who wanted to transmit her knowledge to the next generation because most of the time you deal with someone who wants to keep certain things secret.

The Conversation

While Baptiste may be grateful of having met Pierrette Trichet, I considered myself no less fortunate of having the opportunity to meet him one-on-one and get answers to the mystique of Cognac- specially Louis Treize. As I briefly waited to meet him at ITC Maurya New Delhi, I took time to thank my good friend Prarrthona Pal Chowdhury Country Manager Indian Subcontinent Rémy Cointreau, who facilitated this meeting.

With a decanter of Louis Treize in front, complemented by its sterling accessories  embellished with the distinctive fleur-de-lis pattern, we started the conversation.  Maxime Pulci, Louis XIII Brand Ambassador India joined us to make the ensemble even merrier!

Comments throughout the interaction are enclosed in arrow brackets <>

How would you describe the Rémy Martin house style as?

Baptiste Loiseau (BL) : House style would differ for various qualities of cognacs produced by us. In general, it would be something opulent, rich, elegant and long on the aftertaste. Particularly for Louis XIII the last attribute would be very much defined.

Are you open to mixing your Cognacs with cocktails? Or as a master craftsman you would detest the thought?

<Both Baptiste and Maxime appear amused>

BL: I see no harm in it as long as the formulation pleases the consumer. I am quite used to using Cognac in cocktails and I often do it in my place too. Cocktails like Side Car, Old Fashioned or just a VSOP with ginger ale and ice have been known to be working well with consumers.

Though we pay respect to the vineyards and the winemaker, it is also a fact that Cognac comes under the Spirit category and we would want people to play and have fun with Cognac. We wouldn’t want to see Cognac as a traditional drink that is mandatory to be respected with archaic rules- least as a “grandfather drink” for winters.

Especially in a country like India where the Cognac consumer profile is quite younger, I would be happy to see Cognac being experimented with. This trend is already cool in the US and even in the Cognac region where Cognac cocktails are being enjoyed in outdoor fests with apple juice, pineapple juice, tonic water, ginger ale etc.

Having said that, a lot depends on the grade of Cognac being used for making cocktails. I would have no issues mixing Cognac from the Rémy Martin range, but wouldn’t advice that with an iconic drink like Louis XIII as the whole demeanour of the drink is different.

Any pet peeves when it comes to mixing with Cognac?

BL: Of late there as been a trend of infused cocktails with Cognac using ingredients like truffles. mushrooms and foie gras. The first time I tasted such a concoction, I realized that it was not for me. In general, I am open to blending, which respects the integrity of Cognac itself, but I am not enthused with infusions. This is however my personal take and I am perfectly fine if somebody enjoys the infusions as well.

Which are the grape varietals that go into the making of a Cognac?

BL: At RM we use Ugni Blanc, Colombard and Folle Blanche, though the last one is less common owing to being difficult in attaining the right ripeness. However, RM still has a plot planted with Folle Blanche, which was the main varietal used to produce Cognac in the pre phylloxera period. Cognac regulations also permit certain other grape varietals like Montils, Semillon, Folignon (a cross between Ugni Blanc and Folle Blanc created 30 years ago).

What about the varietal Baco? And the popular Bordeaux varietal Sauvignon Blanc?

BL: Baco Blanc is not permitted in Cognac but in Armagnac. As regards Sauvignon Blanc, the aromatics of the varietal preclude it from including it in Cognac, as it would invariably yield strong aromas like watermelon and pineapple that get even more pronounced during distillation.

Does Cognac face vintage challenges as in the case of wine? If yes, how do you address the problem?

BL: We do face vintage challenges. In difficult vintages like in 2011, we continuously monitor growing conditions and offer timely advice to our growers on the right time to pick the grapes when acidity levels are optimum.

Talking of climatic conditions in the larger sense, how do you manage production when the vintage is far from good?

BL: Like any other agricultural product, we have to continuously adapt to  weather conditions. For example, last year (2016) the weather was pretty hot with big hail storms during summers. All the plots of RM estate being in different villages, we estimated that if there was a hail storm, it would probably hit one out of the six to seven villages. But there were as many as four hailstorms within two months that hit four different villages and we ended up losing more than half of the year’s harvest.

Exasperated, I sought advice from the previous Cellar Masters Pierrette, George and André as to what was their approach under such circumstances. All of them said- “What would you possibly do? You would do something only when the harvest comes to the cellar. So if you are left with less quantity for a particular year, for some years it will also be excess”.

In summary, our  production premise is based on blending rather than a single vintage. Specially in the  case of Louis XIII, decades of vintages are involved, hence things tend to average out over a long time horizon.

A lot is spoken about the tierçons that are used to mature Rémy Martin’s finest Eaux de Vie (EDV) and the final blend of Louis Treize. Can you elaborate on them? How different or similar are they to the regular barriques used in the region?

BL: Tierçons are a century old casks exclusive to LOUIS XIII and are a rare heritage from the past. In the days when Cognac was transported in barrels, they were the cask of choice and would be stored in threes on carts, hence their name (tierce means “a third” in French).

You are absolutely right in mentioning that we age our best EDV in these tierçons and they are candidates for the final blend of Louis Treize. Apart from that, the final blend of Louis Treize is also aged in tierçons.

Tierçons were hand made on-site in the forests of Limousin. Owing to their artisanal provenance, their size varies in the range of 520 to 580 litres depending on their shape and the length of wood pieces used. In comparison, the new oak casks we are using are 350 litres capacity.

It is a big challenge to maintain tierçons, as a leaking one implies cannibalizing from another one for repairs. Their preciousness dictates that we wait for three to four tierçons requiring repairs before actually breaking one down for the purpose. I have a team of four well skilled Coopers who do this job fantastically well.

But pending the necessary repairs a leaking tierçon must be resulting in significant loss of precious EDV?

BL: We have many cellar hands who immediately shift the EDV elsewhere at the slightest evidence of a leakage. This action is done even more urgently when the tierçon in question is containing a Grande Champagne EDV or the final blend of Louis XIII.

How much is the “angel’s share” attributable to these tierçons?

BL: Angel’s Share  depends on the specific year as also the cellar environment, with the variables being humidity and temperature. In our cellars it is roughly in the range of 1.5-3%.

Do you resort to chill filtering your cognacs?

BL: It depends on the quality of the blend, it’s character and richness. We do chill filter some while not the others. Where more stability in EDV is desired, we resort to chill filtering. In other cases we would not want to damage a particular character of the EDV. These are secrets well kept (smiles).

How important are lees in ageing Cognac?

BL: They are very crucial- in fact they are an important determinant of a cognac’s style.Traditional distillation in Cognac region has always been done with lees because even 2-3 centuries ago people were aware that lees impart the best ageing potential to a cognac. The highest quality lees impart creamy, buttery, floral and soapy aromas that render a good ageing potential to a cognac. Imagine a nice Chardonnay with or without batonnage and you would probably imagine the effect of lees on a Cognac as well.

I believe that some of the EDV going into Louis XIII come from other distillers in Cognac? How do you go about ensuring quality?

BL: Ever since the house of Rémy Martin established a synergetic relationship in 1965 with local growers called the Alliance Fine Champagne, this visionary partnership has ensured that we get high quality EDV to produce our cognacs. We work closely with the winegrowers, advice them on the right time of harvesting and insist on traditional distillation methods, long and complex as they may be. Some of these distillates have the potential to be a part of the Louis XIII blend and are selected accordingly. Though we have in house knowhow to produce these fine EDV, we consider it extremely important to transmit this savoir faire and craftsmanship to other growers, who may be our technical partners at first but more importantly they are an essential part of our family. Without any doubts I can say that without these partners, there would be no Louis Treize.

What is that one most valuable guidance that your predecessor Pierette Trichette provided apart of course transferring her knowledge to you?

BL: <Taking a deep breath> Oh la la! She told me everything- from ripeness of grapes to the final blend of Louis XIII. It was a huge apprenticeship to say in the least. But if I were to recollect the most ingrained advice from her, it would be two pieces of wisdom:

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Pierrette Trichet’s most valuable advice to Baptiste Loiseau

• Never stop to be demanding. If you want the highest quality, you have to be the most demanding man of the region. To the extent that even if people label you as being extremely demanding, it is never enough.
• From time to time, you will feel that you are taking the right direction, making the right decisions but you can’t explain it in as many words. It’s not a problem Baptiste. You have to trust your feelings . That’s the magic of being behind the most wonderful Cognac in the range.                                                                                                                     

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So, the combination of being demanding, being the one who would give advice, asking people to make the best effort to reach the highest quality and having courage of conviction is the key to produce a fine product such as Louis XIII. Nature is too strong and we can’t always explain what’s going on, but if with all the acquired skills and experience one feels as going in the right direction, one should trust his/her instincts.

<Baptiste starts to pour Louis Treize from the decanter but momentarily stopped by me to take a video. The bouquet of the cognac rapidly spreads in our immediate environs> .

BL: Now for the moment of revelation (smiles).

<Baptiste, Maxime and I commence the tasting>

I : It’s magnificent! The moment you started pouring it, the aromas were literally jumping out of the glass.

BL: Louis Treize is a question of time, patience and life achievement across four generations of cellar masters. So when we are selecting the EDV, we are already thinking of a century in the mind, preparing the vision for the next generation of cellar masters. The EDV that I blend every year to make Louis XIII has been selected by the previous generations. I am now part of this history, but I am here just for a few years to pass the baton to the next cellar master who will make the final blend of EDV that have been selected by his/her predecessors.

Maxime Pulci (MP): It is also interesting to note that the EDV selected by a cellar master for final blend of Louis XIII pertains to a vintage when he/she was not even born!

BL: Yes, to think so, the oldest EDV in Louis Treize blended by me is even older than the youngest EDV which is older than me. It is amazing to make that kind of a blend.

MP : What do you think when you select an EDV that relates to an important historical milestone, say-, the second world war?

BL: You often pay tribute to such EDV while blending them, but again, the focus is not on their age/era, rather on the kind of characteristics that we are looking for. If it is not that way then we would tend to preserve them for their historical significance. So what I am doing is tapping the EDV that come maybe from the period of second world war without any qualms.

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Our Tasting Discussion

I: Floral, nutty and honeyed aromas are the first ones that I can notice. It evolves into a more complex bouquet which can only be analysed at leisure.

Baptiste: The woodiness of tierçons is quite expressive too.

Maxime: It is very fresh with power on the back palate. There’s a distinctive  floral note to it that I am trying to recollect. Maybe a rose?

Baptiste: <validating Maxime’s thought> It is Lilac.

Maxime: Voilà!

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<we continue dwelling on the cognac even as I proceed further with my questions>

Louis XIII is said to be a blend of upto 1200 EDV. How do you decide when to stop blending while assembling it?

BL: <smiling> That was Maxime’s question too around 3 hours back. In one phrase I would say that “you just feel it”. When you are tasting a blend and find something missing, you do more trials. These trials can be just adding a few more EDV or starting from a scratch altogether. We approach the blend by experimenting with small volumes. Once satisfied, the blend is compared to the previous year’s blend. If at that stage too, a difference in palate and aromas is detected, it tells us that we have not gone in the right direction and the trials continue further. Generally,  I get the blend of Louis Treize right after a few trials but at times the process can take months altogether.

Every year I have to achieve this mission- to ensure the consistency of Louis Treize with the previous year’s blend as the yardstick. If I don’t do this then I know that connoisseurs and loyal clients of Louis Treize will find something amiss and might question its integrity. Hence maintaining this style is the most important aspect of my job.

That’s quite a responsibility on your shoulders.

BL:The responsibility is huge and it took me years to be trained to fulfil it. Of course I still have doubts but I work very hard on them. I hardly sleep a lot because I am always wondering about selecting EDV. Dillemas like- “if I select this EDV it will give spicy notes but that might come at the cost of floral or fruity notes”. Or wondering “is it the right time to use this EDV? Am I using it in the right percentage?” So it is always going forward and backward to arrive at a decision.

 

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A 750 ml decanter of Louis XIII sells in retail in India at $4297 (approx INR 2,75,000)

For more information on Louis XIII, visit https://www.louisxiii-cognac.com

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How do you tackle palate fatigue while tasting so many EDV?

BL: Most of the times (around 95% of the cases) we only nose the EDV since it is 70% alcohol that we are dealing with. We dilute the EDV  half with water to release more aromas. So when we have more than 20-25 samples, we only nose them. After shortlisting 3-5 samples, we taste them, as more than that often saturates the palate.

In the case of of Louis XIII final blend, we taste only 2-3 samples because the very first sample itself is so long on the aftertaste that you cannot feel the second one for a long time. Hence the tasting duration must be really-really long to appreciate the facets of the product.

Do you take any special measures to protect your palate which appears to me as most critical to your trade?

BL: Only drinking cognac <smiles>. On a serious note, during winters, I take care of my nose to prevent it from cold. I also avoid spicy food at lunch if there are samples to be tasted later in the afternoon. All these measures are simple and not very restrictive.

I am however, much more sensitive to air conditioning. So when I travel, too cold rooms can really affect the sensitivity of my nose. Generally when I return back from an overseas trip, it takes a while for my nose to get back to the tasting grid.

I’m much focused on the fact that I have to keep my nose and brain curious on new flavours to be experienced. During my India visit, I experienced a Chinese preparation that was dominant with coriander. Though I don’t like coriander at all, it was an important experience for my brain and palate in the interest of recognizing these flavours in later experiences. Hence it was a valuable learning exercise.

Global climate change is said to be shifting optimum production regions of many Geographically Indicated products  northwards or southwards of their well documented locations. How far is Cognac affected by such a change?

BL: It is true that change in global climate is affecting one and all. In the current day we are resorting to measures like harvesting earlier but these measures will not be sufficient in say, the next fifty years due to an accelerated affect. The problem has to be addressed collectively by all nations rather than a select few and initiatives like the Paris Climate Agreement are a welcome initiative in this respect.

Notwithstanding these efforts, we as an industry have started experimenting with newer white grapes that can retain acidity even during hot summers.These experiments will take a few more years before we can arrive at a conclusion.

However, I do not think that Cognac production region is going to shift, for the simple fact that you don’t have the same kind of soil elsewhere. What makes Grande Champagne great is the chalky soil and when we mention terroir, it’s not only about climate but the soil and the people-whom we tend to forget as a determining factor. So in Cognac we have the chalky soil, a changing climate and the people who can take measures to adapt to the climate change.

It was the ‘first ball’ of the ‘second over’ by Glenn McGrath. Quite expectedly, the ‘line and length’ was consistent, coherent with his reputation of being one of the greatest bowlers of cricketing history.

Before you wonder why I am  talking cricket in a wine blog, let me put things in perspective. With Glenn McGrath donning the Hardys attire frequently in his role as brand ambassador, similies like these are bound to arise. The ‘second over’ in the present context was the official launch of William Hardy Range (WHR) of wines in India, the first one being when McGrath arrived last year to launch the “Art of Cricket” collection reported earlier in this space. On a three city tour to Chennai, Delhi and Kolkata, McGrath wowed wine lovers of all hues, whether cricket fans or not. I found my privileged place in the Delhi edition courstey Prarrthona Pal Chowdhury, the mercurial General Manager – International Brands & Trade Marketing Sula Vineyards, the import partner of Hardys in India.

The William Hardy Range

The launch of WHR in India was impending ever since William (Bill) Hardy himself came visiting the country in the autumn of 2015 to introduce his eponymous label in person. The collection, which is in line with Hardys precedence of honouring its generational icons with dedicated labels was initially launched in 2012, the year the brand completed 160 years and when Bill, a fifth generation family member, completed 40 years of dedicated service to the business.

During Bill’s visit, I also had the opportunity to interact one-on-one with him, and  get first hand knowledge on WHR wines, along with tasting these wines (notes given towards the end of this post) . Those interested, please read about my personal rendezvous with Bill Hardy in details here.

About the Range

In summary, the WHR comprises of single varietal- single region wines, intended to grow with the years to match the stature of their prestige wines like the Eileen Hardy (named after Bill’s grandmother) range. Two wines- a Chardonnay from the Limestone Coast and a Shiraz from McLaren Vale, form this range. The wines conform to Hardys  philosophy of blending between different vineyards to get the best out of  various terroirs. Hardys Chief Winemaker  Paul Lapsley has blended cuvées from prestigious cool as well as warm climate parcels in order to come up with wines that deliver great depth and intensity of flavour.”

The Launch Event

The arrival of WHR wines in India was formally announced at a  dinner, jointly organized by  Sula wines, ITC Maurya and Delhi Wine Club. Ottimo Cucina Italiana- an Italian speciality restaurant situated on the 18thfloor of the hotel offered a panoramic view of Delhi, even as the guests reveled  interacting with McGrath-  a revered icon of cricket playing nations like India.  Wines from Hardys “Stamp” and “Art of Cricket” collection were served during the evening, since the WHR wines are currently in the final stages of reaching the Indian market after meeting the regulatory requirements. A vast range of fine Italian food comprising of pastas, grills, charcuterie, cheeses and breads kept the wines in good company.

Ann Marie-Sharp, representative from Accolade Wines, the umbrella organization for Hardys, told me that after Bill’s visit last year, they pragmatically studied the Indian market and felt that the time was just ripe to introduce the WHR wines. She further  informed that these wines take Hardys offering in India a notch higher than their already available range with the  retail price of each of these wines ex Delhi, being ₹ 2500.00. Excise being a state subject in India, the wines are priced lesser in Chennai (₹ 970.00) and Kolkata (₹ 1900.00). So Chennai wine lovers have one more reason to be happy other than  McGrath’s association with the MRF Pace Academy in the city.

The wines will also be available in other major cities including Mumbai and Bangalore.

 William Hardy Chardonnay

The grapes for this wine have been sourced from the famous Limestone Coast region. The cool coastal climate allows the grapes to naturally ripen slowly and thereby intensify the flavours.WH Chardonnay is full bodied,with citrus and stone fruit flavours, notably peaches. Subtle oak highlights give it an extra character. A good match with pasta and creamy dishes.

William Hardy Shiraz

Made with grapes from McLaren Vale, Clare Valley & Frankland River- the best growing regions for Shiraz,  this  deep ruby coloured wine has a vibrant nose of blackberry, plum and cinnamon. The palate is intense and lush with soft velvety tannins and a long finish. The wine will work well with tandoori and other robust Indian preparations like chicken tikka, mah ki dal- tandoori roti (slow cooked black lentils with butter stirred in, accompanied by clay oven flat bread) and likewise.

If you have had more than a fleeting encounter with Australian wines, chances are that  you would not have been untouched by the Hardys name. Adjudged the seventh most powerful wine brand in the world according to “The Power 100 report 2015” by Intangible Business, Hardys is Australia’s biggest wine producer identified largely with  easy drinking and affordable wines. But there’s more to Hardys than just approachable wines. It has a vast repertoire that honours their founding fathers as also the terroirs from where their wines originate. And I had a priceless opportunity to converse about these wines with none other than William (Bill) Hardy who was on his second all time  visit to India towards the end of August 2015.

Bill, a fifth generation member of this wine family arrived as Hardys Brand Ambassador to launch his eponymous “William Hardy Collection”- a range that honours his contribution towards the family business. The meeting was at the initiative of  Prarrthona Pal Chowdhury- the livewire Head Marketing, Brandy Project and International Brands at  Sula wines- Hardys importers in India.

The interview took place immediately after a wine masterclass by Bill Hardy at ITC Maurya- a premier property of the ITC conglomerate of India. We promptly took our seats within the same precincts for this stimulating conversation:

Me: Welcome to India Mr Hardy and congratulations on the launch of the William Hardy collection.

Bill Hardy (BH): Thank you! It is indeed my pleasure being here to introduce the new label here with all humility.

Me:  Hardys winemaking philosophy is generally recognized as being centered towards blending cuvées from your vineyards in different regions, does that mean that emphasis on terroir takes a back seat for you ?

BH : Not entirely ! Though our easy drinking daily wines may be inclined towards blending for the sake of a consistent wine style,  we also have certain wines that bring out respective regions quite emphatically. A classic example would be one of our top wines- the HRB (Heritage Reserve Bin) which includes cuvées from two to three distinct regions. I remember James Halliday (Australian wine writer and critic) tasting these wines for the first time and saying “I can see the exact terroirs associated with this wine!” I consider myself a champion of blending and believe that this is one of the greatest skills a winemaker can have. It often happens that once a winemaker is through with making some great wines from individual parcels, he sits back and asks himself ‘this is nice, but can I make something even better by putting some of these wines together ?’ And there comes the art of blending into play. There is a beautiful quote by Hugh Johnson-  “Dom Perignon was the first deliberate  blender. Also the first perfectionist”.

Me : With relevance to the Indian market, do you see competition coming the Aussie wines’ way in the event of the proposed Free Trade Agreement  between India and the European Union (EU) that is likely to soften trade barriers on wine from EU.

BH : Firstly I am positive that if any such agreement favourable to the wine trade is worked out, it will not be implemented selectively by the Indian government for different trading zones. But if it happens otherwise and if the same level of duty cuts are affected on high value as well as daily drinking wines from EU then it would indeed be serious competition to Aussie wines, as Australia is the biggest volume exporter of wine to India.

Me : The Hardys portfolio has a vast range of wines. How does a consumer differentiate between similar varietal blends across these ranges ? For example, how does one differentiate between Eileen Hardy Shiraz (named after Bill’s grandmother) from the now launched William Hardy Shiraz ?

BH : We have consistently made an effort towards educating the consumer on our different wines. I am quite proud of having elaborated on these wines through personal writings on the philosophy, style and characteristics of each wine. I also love to present our wines to people, highlighting the USPs of each range so that they understand as to why they should be paying more for a particular wine vis-à-vis a lower priced one.
Coming to your specific query, the essential difference between the Eileen Hardy Shiraz and the William Hardy Shiraz is that while Eileen Hardy range is an example of the very best of wines we make, William Hardy range is a more commercial wine. Both these wines are single varietal single region wines with Eileen Hardy Shiraz being produced from 2-3 selected vineyards in McLaren Vale. Compared to this, William Hardy Shiraz currently comes from vineyards in Langhorne Creek with subsequent plan to shift the sourcing for this range to McLaren Vale as well. In terms of ageing potential, while Eileen Hardy Shiraz comes from  vines upto 110 years old and has an ageing potential between 12-15 years, William Hardy Shiraz  can currently be aged upto 5-7 years. In short you can say that while Eileen Hardy is our Prestige range, William Hardy range is growing to be one.

(Prarrthona signals me to  hurry-up as Bill has to leave for the next engagement- a dinner featuring the William Hardy Collection where I am also invited).

Me : How does your marketing plan look like in India ? Specially with reference to another competing Aussie brand Jacob’s Creek  that seems to have an ostensible advantage of leveraging on the Spirits brands in the Pernod Ricard portfolio .

BH : I do agree that Pernod Ricard have managed their marketing well through well placed sports sponsorships and  leveraging their Spirits brands for wine promotion. At Hardys our focus is on spending our dollars on opening and sharing wine bottles rather than spending big time on advertisments. As for sponsorships and endorsements, we may have faltered earlier by spreading ourselves too thin, but in the present day we are very much  focussed on the subject. A good example of this is the recent launch of the Art of Cricket collection with Glenn McGrath as the brand ambassador, which has magnified awareness of our brand amongst the target consumer.

Me : A last question on the personal front. Since you are here with Mrs Hardy, are you visiting the Taj Mahal ?

BH : Certainly ! As a matter of fact we are doing a tour of the “golden triangle” (Delhi-Agra-Jaipur) starting tomorrow. We have been looking forward to it.

 

* This interview was published as a narrative in vino india.

Last week ended on a heady note for me. As I received a call from Prarrthona Pal Chowdhury, Head Marketing, Brandy Project & International Brands  at Sula Vineyards proposing a private tasting of Janus- their recently launched premium brandy- I  agreed on it despite the short notice. Having already read about the Mumbai tastings of the brandy, I was eager to taste  it at the earliest, and here was a ready opportunity.

But why was I so keen to taste an Indian brandy after having experienced many international brands of repute? Simply because Janus happens to be the first 100% grape brandy produced in India. Then what exactly are the rest? For that let us first try to understand brandy in the right perspective.

What is a brandy?

The word  “brandy” originated from “brandewijn” – a Dutch term for burnt wine. In olden days when wine was being transported in barrels through the tardy sea route, there were frequent cases of spoilage owing to climatic variations and uncontrolled storage conditions. A workaround to this problem saw wine being distilled, dramatically improving the shelf life of this “burnt wine”, which was then consumed at the destination diluted with water.

But there is more to brandy than just “burning” wine. Evidence of its use in medicine over the centuries is aplenty. It has since then evolved as a refined alcoholic beverage, largely revolving around two aspects- Geographic Indication and Oak Ageing. Hence we know Cognac, Armagnac and other fine brandies the way they are.

The Brandy classification however applies to any fruit originated spirit and not just grapes. Hence we have Calvados (an apple brandy), Poire Williams (a pear brandy) and so on. But grape brandy has been most prevalent with its recognized high antioxidant and  remedial properties. Probably the reason why the French coined the special term Eau de vie meaning “water of life” for this elixir.

Given this background, it becomes imperative that when we buy a brandy for its virtues, it should  be a 100% grape spirit rather than a blend of other distillates. In the Indian context (also in majority of Asian region) the latter is quite common with even grain based spirits finding their way inside the blend . Hence the arrival of a home grown 100% grape brandy  as Janus has come as a welcome development for connoisseurs of fine beverages in India.

The Blind Tasting

My tasting experience at Prarrthona’s behest involved  three samples poured out of nondescript bottles with a simple premise- to discern the smoothest one and to guess which one could probably be Janus. The “simple” agenda though, had more to it as she further told me that samples other than Janus could be anything- whisky, rum, or another brandy.  The task looked uphill but I decided to be patient and go over the samples in three iterations as follows:

• Ruling out by exception.
• Identifying typical traits of each sample.
• Confirming my findings through a rerun.

Here is how it went (my inferences shown in parentheses):

Iteration # 1 : Colour and Aromas only.

Sample 1: Light coloured with unmistakable malt notes amongst others. (most probably a whisky).
Sample 2: Glowing amber colour, a honeyed nose accompanied by  citrus fruit aromas (undecided).
Sample 3: Deep gold with peaty nose (a scotch whisky for sure).

Iteration # 2 Aromas and Palate.

Sample 1: Malt notes confirmed with floral and sherry notes. (reasonably sure about whisky).
Sample 2: Sweet spice and floral notes with the smoothest finish of all (betting heavy on brandy)
Sample 3: Deep gold with peaty nose. Rich flavours but not so smooth (a whisky for sure)

Iteration # 3 Confirmation.

Sample 1: Earlier observations confirmed. (This is a whisky).
Sample 2: Most likely this is Janus.
Sample 3: Definitely a whisky.

As I conveyed my opinion to Prarrthona, she was delighted the same way as I was. For her, it was the vindication of confidence in her brand which she had so boldly pitted against other reputed ones. For me, it was a reassurance of my primal senses related to beverages appreciation.

Having known which one was Janus, I could now dwell  leisurely to analyse it as a brandy. I found that apart from the smoothness it had a refined feel that was inclined towards the Cognac style replete with a full body and a fruity and spicy character.

Prarrthona told me that the Cognac orientation of Janus was a given since the product had started as a collaboration between Remy Cointreau and Sula. With the exit of Remy Cointreau from India as a business rehash and  selling of their assets (including brandy stocks and equipment) to the Indian winemaker, Janus continues to be produced using the same equipment (pot stills, limousine oak barrels etc)  that was specially  imported from Remy’s facility in France. French Master Blender, Yonael Bernard  has purposefully created a smooth and distinctive blend that carries the Cognac character with aplomb.

Currently Janus is available in Goa at ₹ 1500.00 / ₹ 395.00  for a 750 ml  / 180 ml bottle. I am told that it will soon to be launched in Mumbai, Delhi and Bangalore followed by other cities pan India.

But isn’t it a marketing challenge to convince the average Indian consumer to buy a significantly higher priced brandy when there are lesser “brandies” that sell at nearly half the price? Prarrthona tells me that they see Janus as having no competition in the current brandy market owing to its entirely different niche. However, she acknowledges that they will have to conduct awareness campaigns to educate the consumer on this aspect.

In the meantime, I have found a perfect local companion for my “Sidecar”