Senses And Sensibility

No coffee, a superhuman nose and a bit of magic — what it takes to be Baptiste Loiseau, the youngest cognac cellar master in the world.

- Pankti Mehta Kadakia

Born in Cognac, France, the journey for Baptiste Loiseau is likely one of destiny. He always had a love for the earth. He spent much of his time with his grandparents, who were market gardeners. After a short stint in biology, Loiseau veered towards agronomy and oenology, studying among the most prestigious schools. He joined France’s Bureau National Inter-professional du Cognac in 2005 as an experimental engineer, where he was responsible for improving the quality of Cognac wines. He studied the relationships between soil, climate and wine-making techniques.

Through this role, he found his way to the house of Rémy Martin in 2007, famous for its legendary Louis XIII blend. Under the aegis of Pierrette Trichet — the first female cellar master in the region — Loiseau mastered the arduous art of blending, selecting and tasting. In spring 2014, at the age of 33, he became the youngest cellar master at the three-century-old cognac house, and indeed, in the world. On his visit to India, Loiseau spoke to BlackBook about the pressures of starting young, the exacting tasting process, and what it takes to keep a blend consistent over generations.

What does a cellar master’s role involve?