Cécile Roudaut defines her role as Master Blender as follows: “I work on selecting eaux-de-vies and nurturing them as they mature in Limousin oak barrels. I then evaluate them and create blends that will ultimately become St-Rémy.” Cécile is aware of the expectations of her work. “St-Rémy is an elegant brandy combining tradition, history and a unique smoothness. I see it as my role to ensure our brandy retains its authenticity and may be enjoyed by consumers from around age 30 to heaven!” Created in 1886, St-Rémy is the world’s number-one French brandy. St-Rémy is bottled in the Loire Valley and shipped around the world! So, if you’re launching a new brand of brandy with the intention of bringing in new consumers to the segment, what does that really look like? To St-Rémy Brandy, it apparently looks like their relatively newer high-value, non-age-stated offering, St-Rémy Signature, which they say was “created as an approachable brandy for a new generation of brown spirits drinkers.” Roudaut began working on this product in 2013, and after some trials in Europe it is now coming to the U.S. The product is a blend of 30 to 50 (!) different varietals used to create eaux-de-vie, and it is matured in two different types of oak casks. (Per the company: “The first maturation takes place in new oak casks (Quercus Petraea species with a fine grain) using medium and high heat. The second maturation takes place in traditional casks (Quercus Robur species with a large grain) using high heat only.”) No age statement or designation (a la VSOP) is provided.

Brandy and cognac are truly a connoisseur's choice when it comes to distilled spirits. Their smooth, warming character makes them excellent for sipping after meals, while VSOP (very superior old pale) is best served as an apéritif. Or you can give a proper end to your dinner with a glass of calvados. Sweet and fruity, this apple brandy pairs well with rich desserts like chocolate cake and tiramisu. St-Remy is French brandy but it’s not Armagnac and it’s not Cognac. It’s actually made from grapes from all over France: Bordeaux, Burgundy, Champagne, Beaujolais, the Rhône and Loire valleys, and Languedoc-Roussillon. That’s unusual for France, but it gives Cecile Roudaut, who’s been with parent company Remy-Cointreau since 1997, a lot more flexibility when it comes to crafting a product. With Signature, she is now launching her first original product as master blender. All in all, what this leaves us with is likely a sweeter, more oak-influenced French brandy that is on the younger side, but one that has been enhanced in terms of color/flavor by the infusion of newly charred oak. So with that said, let’s get to tasting. Brandy is one of those oddball genres, in my experience. Those who drink brandy, often love brandy, but there’s another large segment of the market that rarely seems to give brandy any particular thought. Perhaps they even cook with brandy, or consume it in the context of fine dining, without being likely to drink it at home. I’ve often been guilty of this myself, and indeed whenever I conduct a brandy tasting at Paste, I almost invariably find myself saying “I should really taste brandy more often.” And yet I still don’t reach for it as often as I do for various styles of whiskey, rum, tequila or gin. The creation begins with the selection of red and white grapes, harvested exclusively in France’s finest wine-growing regions, such as Burgundy, Champagne, the Rhône, Languedoc-Roussillon, Loire Valley, Bordeaux and Beaujolais. Round, subtle and well-balanced, its character expresses the elegant diversity of the wine regions of France – the famous French terroir. The unique features of each of these French regions are brought to life in the eaux-de-vie, thereby guaranteeing the character and elegance, also known as the “smoothness” of St-Rémy.An initial rush of oak is balanced by fruit, some spice, and ample vanilla coming on strong. (Roudaut mentions coconut, but I don’t really catch much of that.) The palate is intensely fruity, apples and pears leading to lighter notes of dried raisins. Plenty of sweet vanilla here, the brandy becoming more candylike as it lingers on the palate. As the finish arrives, notes of milk chocolate arrive. The finish is spun sugar and Starburst, gentle notes of linen and incense lingering on the conclusion. The dynamic Master Blender of St-Rémy was born in the bountiful Loire Valley. She still upholds the values of small-town living, with a house surrounded by vineyards that was formerly a post office. There’s a lot of flavor in Signature but it’s not dramatic in complexity, nor is it really intended to be at this price level. I wouldn’t try to compare it to Cognac but put it up against American brandy, where the flavor profile is similar, and against which Signature acquits itself admirably. In the summer of 1997, Cécile joined Rémy Cointreau. Nearly two decades later, having helped with the creation of limited editions of St-Rémy, she was appointed Master Blender by her retiring predecessor Martine Pain. Distillation solely takes place in a continuous copper column. The French wines is heated until it turns into eaux-de-vie, a stage during which its unique flavours are revealed.

After a Zoom introduction to the product from Roudaut, I was pleased to be able to sample Signature. Thoughts follow. On the nose, St-Rémy Signature Brandy presents with significant spice, oak and char, wrapped around flashes of brighter grape fruitiness. There’s a jammy fruit, with a suggestion of slight tartness, paired with cinnamon, anise, a trace of chocolate, and lumberyard tones of newly charred oak. I’m getting maybe the tiniest bit of smoke as well.