CH’NG Poh Tiong
RICHARD is named for Richard Hennessy, founder of the Cognac house.
Prior to going into business, the Irishman from County Cork was an officer in the army of French King Louis XV. When he returned to civilian life, Hennessy apprenticed himself to a merchant, but immediately recognized the potential of the then nascent eau-de-vie trade.
Richard Hennessy resolved not only to become a merchant but also to one day produce outstanding cognac. As enterprising and far-sighted as any of today’s entrepreneurs or tech visionaries, the former military man established himself on the quais by the Charente River in the heart of Cognac.
Blending is at the heart and soul of Cognac Hennessy. The leading producer of France’s most famous spirit has an annual turnover estimated in the region of €3 billion.
In 1765, the former military officer in the army of French King Louis XV set up business on the quais by the Charente River in the heart of Cognac
Cognac Hennessy boasts a cellarmaster who represents a family of master blenders in its service since the 18thcentury. Not long after its foundation, the origins of which hark back to 1765 (Richard Hennessy had started business with two other partners before going it alone).
Today, the unbroken lineage of master blenders is in the person of 8th Generation Renaud Fillioux de Gironde. Cognac Hennessy’s partnership with the Fillioux Family was begun by Jacques or James Hennessy, son of founder Richard Hennessy.
Eighth-Generation Renaud Fillioux de Gironde comes from a family of master blenders that has been in charge of blending Cognac Hennessy since the 18th Century
By any stretch of the imagination, it is a remarkable association of master blender and producer, one that augurs well for the continuity of the Hennessy style since being established 257 years ago.
RICHARD – the cognac – is at the apex of Cognac Hennessy.
The latest release in a Baccarat crystal is designed by Polish-born American architect Daniel Libeskind, famous for designing the Nokia Arena (Tampere, Finland), Occitanie Tower (Toulouse), new World Trade Center (New York), the Berlin Jewish Museum, Royal Ontario Museum (Toronto, Canada), Crystals at City Center (Las Vegas), and the Museum of ZHANG Zhidong (Wuhan, China).
Polish-born American architect Daniel Libeskind is responsible for designing the new Baccarat crystal of RICHARD. The 700 ml bottle is priced about €5,800
RICHARD – already one of the rarest, priciest spirit in the world – is now even rarer and pricier than previous editions since the first release in 1997.
The reason for that is because Master Blender Renaud Fillioux de Gironde has halved its production to just 12 tiercons, the historic cognac barrel. Each cask is 540 litres, which pans out to 9,000 bottles of RICHARD for the world’s millionaires and billionaires.
Already one of the rarest, priciest spirit in the world, RICHARD is now even rarer and pricier because production has halved to just 12 tiercons or 9,000 bottles
The Founder’s Cellar is where RICHARD is left to age and where Cognac Hennessy has its oldest eaux-de-vie
A painting of Richard Hennessy commands pride of place in Chateau Bagnolet where the world’s greatest Cognac house entertains and hosts their foremost clients and influencers
The RRP of the new RICHARD is €5,800 or £5000 or US$6,800.
Already launched here, we understand the allocated bottles for Singapore have all been taken up. RICHARD will be available middle of this month at Harrods and Hedonism Wines in London.
RICHARD is drawn and blended from eaux-de-vie in the Founder’s Cellar, where Richard Hennessy had lived in the house next to it. More than a hundred components can comprise the ultimate cuvée. Many are very old and some are ancients. The final blend is for the Master Blender to decide. The eaux-de-vie in the Founder’s Cellar represent Cognac Hennessy’s most important repository of treasures, the oldest being 1800.
