In Conversation: Anne-Laure Pressat, Executive Director at LOUIS XIII

Please can you tell us more about how the LOUIS XIII brand came to be what it is today?

So we’re quite a magical brand. I've been working [with the team] for 15 years. LOUIS XIII was created a century ago, in 1874, thanks to the vision of a man who was a pioneer, and he wanted to create something that didn't exist on the market. He put aside the oldest eaux-de-vie for kings and queens. Everyone told him, ‘You’re crazy. It doesn’t make sense. People drink cognac straight away, you don't need to age it.’ At the time, it wasn’t called LOUIS XIII, it was called ‘very old cognac’, Grande Champagne. The bottle, the decanter, which is so iconic, hasn't changed… So it's a timeless icon which has been present at several key historical moments, including state dinners at Versailles with Queen Elizabeth in 1983, and celebrations with Churchill and President John F. Kennedy respectively. It has always been the ‘king of Cognac’, and the Cognac of the king. 

We have been in this very privileged position for centuries, and we were the only one for a very long time. LOUIS XIII is a cross between a wine and spirit, obviously, being the ‘king of cognac’, and one of the most sought after spirits. Beyond this, it’s also a true luxury brand.

In 2015 we created a campaign with John Malkovich - we asked him to create a film that will only be released in 100 years, the time it takes to create a decanter of LOUIS XIII. In 2018, we did something similar with Pharrell Williams and invited 100 people to attend the launch. We took the best journalists, the best clients… We took their phones so that when they went through a security door, they could only listen with their eyes and ears. Pharrell played the song to 100 people, and then he said, ‘OK, now this song is going to go in a safe, and the safe will only be opened in 2118, in 100 years, the time it takes to craft a decanter of LOUIS XIII.’ 

Could you tell us a bit more about your career arc and how you ended up at LOUIS XIII? 

I used to work in wine. I did a masters in wine at Bordeaux business school. In France, you study wine. That's the French [for you]. I loved it. I thought my whole career would be in wine. And I met a LOUIS XIII ambassador in New York who said to me, ‘Do you know LOUIS XIII?’ I replied: ‘No, what is it?’ And they said: ‘It’s a Cognac’. So I replied: ‘Oh, thank you, but I don't drink Cognac. Not really my type of drink. I am really into wine, but not Cognac. It's my grandfather’s choice of drink. They quizzed: ‘But have you tasted LOUIS XIII?

I'm thinking, No, but how different can it be? But I was young, curious, and I said, ‘OK, why not? Let's try.’ And then I tried it, and I was blown away. One drop and I was speechless. And that’s how I discovered this magical brand. So it was really by chance, and that was 15 years ago. And then I never left. I started in the UK, my favourite country, where I spent six years as a brand ambassador. After 15 years, I went from brand ambassador to the Global Executive Director of LOUIS III. 

Can you tell us more about your role within the Louis XIII team, and what a typical day looks like for you?

I’m in charge of the brand, covering everything from the production to the communication, the brand’s boutique, retail, the client experience, business development… I have my team. I travel to Cognac because there is a large team there where everything is happening. This is maybe my favourite part because this is where you meet your clients, you see their emotions, you organise events, and launch amazing projects… It’s always very different, that’s why I don’t notice the time passing by. 

LOUIS XIII is a Cognac of exceptional quality and craftsmanship. I know we've talked about how it takes 100 years to make a decanter, but what else sets it apart from other Cognacs? 

Aside from the 100 years element, there is the tasting. The tasting is an experience and an emotional [journey] that transports you somewhere else. And one drop is enough for someone to understand that it’s something else.

LOUIS XIII has a very rich heritage and tradition. How does the brand honour this tradition and heritage while still evolving for a modern audience?

It’s funny because four years ago, I was Director of Innovation. LOUIS XIII is still family-owned which is very important because people think long-term, and the family is very involved. I meet them regularly. So anyway, the family said to me, ‘Anne-Laure, with LOUIS XIII you have to break the rules, be pioneering and innovative, because that's in our DNA.’ 

We created a whole new category 150 years ago. No one was expecting that from us… So with LOUIS XIII you need to be visionary and bold, but you cannot change the liquid, because it hasn't changed for 150 years and you cannot change the decanter… In terms of innovation, we’ve done The Drop, we’ve done the red decanter - which was the most beautiful decanter - so that’s how we balance heritage and innovation in everything we do. We try, and hopefully we succeed, to be pioneers. So from being the first sustainable luxury spirit (our packaging was 100% recyclable, 100% cellulose), to the first luxury spirit offering a refill, and becoming the first spirit to debut a whole new tableware range. [The latter] is huge for us as it marks the first time in the history of LOUIS XIII that we’re going to be doing something else other than Cognac. 

For someone who’s not sampled LOUIS XIII before, can you describe its classic notes and characteristics? 

In terms of notes, I would say perfume… It's a firework of aromas. We had our Cellar Master arrange a meeting with the ‘nose’ of Chanel and they found 250 different aromas. 

So the more you smell, the more you train yourself, and the better you will recognise and memorise certain aromas. But yes, LOUIS XIII is a perfume. It’s something that you have never experienced before. 

Can you tell us a bit more about the LOUIS XIII demographic? Are you trying to reach new audiences? Do you think the audience is becoming younger as a result of The Drop? 

With The Drop, the objective was to recruit a new, younger audience. Cognac can sometimes be intimidating… So it was a way for us to break the rules, and to say, ‘OK, your way is the good way. There is no wrong way. You need to experience LOUIS XIII.’ We were very confident that just one drop could transform you… This helped us to recruit younger clients and more women as well. They were asking, ‘What is it? Is it a perfume? Is it nail polish?’ The price point was good as well, considering that a decanter can be more than £3,800. 

In the UK, the clientele is more male. Yet, in our Harrods boutique, we have up to 25% of women who are buying either for themselves or as a gift.

Where would you say your biggest audience is?

We are very balanced between China, the US, and EMEA. So that's Europe, places like Dubai, as well as Singapore, Malaysia, Japan… We’re very balanced. 

What would you say some of your favourite moments have been while savouring a glass of LOUIS XIII?

That's a difficult question. I have plenty, but if I had to pick one, it would be in India, in Udaipur, with a former cellar master who made us taste the rare cask. There were around 120 of us, and when we tasted the rare cask, I looked around at the table, and all the men were crying from emotion… The surroundings were [also] amazing. We were in Udaipur, in the middle of a lake. 

Can you share one of your career highlights? 

There have been so many! Typically, a LOUIS XIII project takes us two to four years, because we do everything we can to make it perfect. [It requires] the highest level of craftsmanship and the highest level of excellence. So there isn’t a single project that I'm not super proud of… But I would say the latest one - Art de la Table - because it's a big step. It's going into a domain of expertise that we’re not familiar with… We put so much passion into it to ensure the same [level of] craftsmanship excellence. It was new for us and it was quite a challenge. 

Can you tell us more about the tableware collections? 

We revealed the collection in partnership with a chef. We created a specific menu... We’ve been [working on it for] three years. Everything we do needs to be timeless, and it needs to make sense. So we don't compromise on anything that we do. And we are lucky, because it's family-owned. So we think long term - we think a century ahead... People really care. It's not like a business, it's their blood, their family. And you know that while you won't be there in 100 years, LOUIS XIII will always be there. It's very powerful.

Discover more about LOUIS XIII here.

Discover the collections here.