WHERE ?
On the banks of the Charente River, in Jarnac, the heart of the Cognac region. Cognac Louis Royer is a Cognac merchant, a distiller and a blender.

WHO ?
In 1853, Louis Royer started the company after being the Cellar Master at Delamain for 5 years. He was also a very successful apiculturist, hence the logo in the image of a bee.

Five generations later, the family is still involved. Jérôme Royer is the present Director of Purchasing. From the beginning, the family understood the ultimate importance of procuring only the best “eaux-de-vie” supplies. His father, André Royer, remains the Honorary Chairman of the company.

WHY ?
After the Second World War André Royer took the decision to turn towards export as the situation in France was catastrophic. The Suntory Group became the single largest importer. In 1989, Cognac Louis Royer was acquired by Suntory and affiliated at the same time. This partnership afforded the possibility to invest both in creation and development, which have become the cornerstones of its recent success. Louis Royer is privileged to retain considerable independence and is a client of Suntory amongst several others.

HOW ?
Tremendous effort goes into the selection of wine growers in order to ensure that the wine stands up to the extremely high standards of the company. No pesticides may be used and all wine passes through the sophisticated analysis and control laboratories. The wine growers, in return for impeccable grapes and wine, and for constant fidelity, receive all possible help, support and advice from the technicians and professionals of Cognac Louis Royer. Testing of blends by means of laboratory simulated micro-distillation.

PHILOSOPHY ?
The central strategy revolves around the creation of a high-end of the market brand. In order to achieve this, a short list of Cognacs was selected to portray the image, the experience, the reputation and the expertise of Louis Royer. “As people get to know and to appreciate our Cognac, an evolution takes place. They no longer just buy and consume Cognac Louis Royer to be fashionable, but because they truly enjoy our products. Price is no longer the decisive force”, observes the team.

INGREDIENTS AND WHO ?
The soil and the distillation impart style to the “eaux-de-vie”, which have to match and blend together in the mellowing semi-obscurity of the perfectly suitable Louis Royer ageing cellars. The role of the Cellar Master, Laurent Robin, is primordial, like that of the Queen Bee in the hive. The Louis Royer Cellar Master has the advantage that Louis Royer owns distilleries in each one of the production zones.
Distillery Chantal for making Cognac Bons Bois, Distillery Aumagne for Cognac Vieux Fins Bois, Distillery Saules for Cognac Rare Borderies, Distillery Ecole for Cognac Très Vieux Petite Champagne and Distillery Magnolias for Cognac Très Vieux Grand Champagne. A part of the produce of each distillery is also marketed, in limited editions, as “Single Distillery Collection Cognac”.

WHERE ?
In 1989, the first major investment that Suntory made in the company was in fact to build a fine ageing cellar, as part of the complex next to the Charente River, ideally suited for maturing and blending the finest of Cognacs. Capacity: 16,000 casks of 350 litres. A water storage facility and a sprinkler system were also installed to protect from the omnipresent danger of fire. An effluent treatment plant followed soon after.

Fine Cognac cannot be made without meticulous, continuous and expert individual barrel management, which also facilitates eventual traceability. The Limousin oak casks are stacked in the traditional “callage” fashion and the position and the size of each cask plays a decisive role. Each cellar conveys its particular characteristics to the Cognac.
For example, a very humid cellar will produce roundness, smoothness and sweetness. A stroll through these peaceful cathedrals is a moving experience. A peep into the magnificent, tranquil, ultra traditional haven of Cognac Louis Royer’s “Paradis”, with its ancient glass demijohns, is indeed unique.

WHAT ?
A selection of the best Cognacs from the stocks belonging to the company is used to create the blend that will form an integral part of the final product. Excellent eau-de-vie is crucial in order to attain complexity. Louis Royer has a further advantage that permits possible selection from the cream of the crop, offered by their Grande and Petit Champagne, Fine Champagne and Borderies.
The scope of aromas and textures is infinite. This is the key to harmony. Each year it is slightly adjusted to reproduce a similar result of the same quality. It is a perpetual search for excellence throughout the vast stocks, in order to maintain the quality level that the Louis Royer name demands. Rigour and experience is of the essence, whilst the logistical organisation has to be faultless.



STRATEGY ?
The desire is to become the “Rolls Royce” of the profession. So far, investment into Louis Royer has been entirely synonomous with quality Cognac production. This is what has been achieved with Suntory as partner, and this is what will continue. Likewise, brandies and other spirit products are also produced.

The research and development department is at the forefront of the industry. The Cognac Louis Royer name is well established, both in Europe and Japan, and this will eventually be the case in America. The USA represents about one third of all Cognac sales in the world, and, so far, the company has been virtually absent. The aim and object is to compete only with the best brands.
Therefore the quality has to be irreproachable and constant for all the products presented in this major potential market. There seems to be little sense in taking business away from others. It is much more satisfying to develop specific market segments and selected niche markets.

WHO ?
The entire company works toward the achievement of this goal. Jean-Pierre Dematteo is the Commercial Director, Philippe Pichetto, the Export Manager Americas, Pascal Ribes head for Research & Development.

HOW ?
This will be achieved through the marketing of brands, which are potential icons, such as XO, and two VSOP’s, Préference and Force 53°. A limited edition has also been created and this will be Grande Champagne Single Cask 32 years, presented in a hand-blown, numbered-bottle, destined for the very special Cognac connoisseurs with a luxurious taste for superb quality and for beauty to boot. Cognac Louis Royer also markets, very successfully, the complete range of their Cognacs through Kedem Imports Kosher Cognac.
In the Cognac business, presentation plays a decisive role. Suntory has expertly, and with long acquired experience, designed and installed a spectacular and sophisticated bottling process. This incredible installation, in a sterile atmosphere, controls every aspect of the preparation for bottling (underground pipelines), of the bottling itself, the labelling and packaging, of each one of the products. Louis Royer perfectly fits into the draconian quality control policies of the Suntory Group. In September 1999, Cognac Louis Royer acquired the ISO 9002 certification.

PROJECT ?
Conquering a market does not happen overnight and excellent partners are essential. High quality Cognac, impeccable packaging and a dynamic importer are the ingredients that success is made of. This will be achieved by a dual strategy. The general top quality market as well as the ethnic market.


As of January 1st, Cognac Louis Royer is imported by Carriage House Import Ltd., established in Springfield, New Jersey. Please visit www.chibrands.com On April 1st, the brand Louis Royer was relaunched in four states on the East Coast. Also visit www.louis-royer.com for future developments.

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