01 Nov 2023
This week, as I returned from the warmth of the Vegas desert to the chill of St Albans, I was longing for something to warm my insides. And that’s when I discovered a wonderful collaboration between St Remy and French artist Lucas Beaufort. The limited-edition bottle designed for their St-Rémy XO brandy is a sight to behold and a treat for the taste buds.
St Rémy, a renowned French company, has graced us with St-Rémy XO, a luxurious brandy crafted from eaux-de-vie sourced from esteemed French vineyards like Bordeaux, Loire Valley, Languedoc-Roussillon, and Burgundy.
Bottled in the heart of the Loire Valley, where the brand was born, this brandy is a testament to French excellence.
The St-Rémy brandy production process is a tribute to French craftsmanship. It begins with the selection of the highest-quality French grapes from the finest vineyards. These grapes are transformed into wines, infusing the brandies with a smooth and authentically French character.
The wines are then distilled using continuous copper-column distillation, following time-honoured French traditions. This ensures the expression of the diverse terroirs and vines in the final product.
The eaux-de-vie, which in English refers to the distilled beverage made from fruit other than grapes, matures in small French oak barrels, developing their amber colour, body, roundness, fruity and floral accents, and light spicy notes. The Master Blender meticulously selects and blends the eaux-de-vie to create St-Rémy’s signature style, flavours, and smoothness. The journey then culminates with the bottling of St-Rémy brandies in the Loire Valley.
Lucas Beaufort, the Cannes-born visionary artist-painter, skilled at using acrylic paint on various canvases including guitars, windows, and shoes, has collaborated with Rémy to create a limited-edition bottle design for their St-Rémy XO.
The bottle features Beaufort’s signature urban style,
blending dynamic colours and captivating geometry that reflects his inspiration after tasting the St-Rémy XO at a masterclass with Master Blender, Cécile Roudaut. He aimed to highlight the brandy’s flavours of vanilla, wood, ripe fruits and honey by using different shades of colours.
“Collaborating with St-Rémy on this project has been an incredible opportunity to fuse the worlds of art and savoire-faire,” said Beaufort.
“The design of this limited-edition bottle encapsulates the spirit of both our artistic endeavours and the refined excellence of St-Rémy brandy.”
The St-Rémy XO boasts a luminous amber appearance with a rich golden aura, setting the stage for a sensory journey.
The nose is mature, characterised by subtle oak and delicate vanilla aromas, complemented by hints of ripe fruits and honey. The palate delivers a rich experience with subtle notes of wood and vanilla, enriched with flavours of gingerbread, candied apricots, dates, figs, and nuts. This complex taste profile is subtly spicy and offers a long, satisfying finish.
The marriage of art and craftsmanship in this limited-edition bottle unites the worlds of fine spirits and urban artistry and is sure to captivate collectors, art enthusiasts, and connoisseurs around the world.
The limited-edition bottle is available in the UK at Sainsbury’s, Morrisons, and Amazon, priced at £23.50, making it a unique collectible for brandy connoisseurs and art enthusiasts around the world.
