So much to appreciate

Hennessy has made the world’s most expensive cognac, the Beauty of the Century, a work of art to reinforce its reputation as a serious arbiter of cognac and culture. What better place to appreciate it than in a world heritage site in China.

A MOUNTAIN that has never been conquered, an old city that’s possibly the best preserved in all of China, villages where ancient traditions are alive among the minority ethnic groups, where one can find the only living pictographic language of the world. These are the precious peaches that have compelled the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (Unesco) to declare it a world heritage site in 1998, the Banyan Tree to open a resort and men such as filmmaker Zhang Yimou and companies like Hennessy to come to Lijiang.

Lijiang, in the northwestern Yunnan plateau of China, was the latest destination for Hennessy’s Appreciation Journeys, which have taken cognoscenti, top clients and the press, to unique cultural destinations such as Udaipur and Mandalay.

The Hennessy Appreciation Journeys are designed as the ultimate celebration of timeless beauty, heritage and culture, said its managing director for Asia Pacific, Mark Bedingham, adding that these traits are appreciated by Hennessy as they reflect the brand.

And fittingly, it was in this unique place that the super-premium cognac, Methusalem, was showcased and a new, innovative straw to extract cognac introduced at a gala dinner capping the two-day Timeless Lijiang Appreciation Journey.

The Journey, which coincided with the global centenary birthday celebration of visionary leader Kilian Hennessy, was the perfect occasion to reveal the most prestigious of Hennessy blend, the Beauté du Siècle, or Beauty of the Century, created to mark the achievement of a remarkable man. Presented in an extraordinary case – an original piece of art – it is now the most expensive cognac in the world.

Tagged at 150,000 euros (RM720,000), not many men will get to taste the glory of this fortified wine. But the gathered crowd drank deeply of its outward beauty, which was clear for all to see, a pure and sparkling jewel with modern aesthetics, its amber glass hinting at the precious drops within, the taste of which we could only imagine.

As a generous show of commitment to the preservation of heritage and nature, the company donated the limited-edition wine to be auctioned off in support of The Nature Conservancy’s Lijiang Project which works to maintain and preserve the beauty and historic culture of Lijiang.

The gala dinner, held at the Banyan Tree Resort, featured a beautifully presented Chinese and Western fusion menu using the fine produce of the region, including its many varieties of wild and cultivated mushrooms, paired with Hennessy cognacs, which has been beautifully described as a liquor of fire ripened by the sun’s warmth.

More opportunities for cultural and artistic appreciations were embraced that evening, including a fireworks display and a haunting song and dance performance by Chinese-Mongolian chanteuse Sa Ding Ding, whose classical Chinese songs display an edgy, contemporary beat combined with a shamanic Tibetan vibe.

While it cannot claim a history that is almost 1,000 years old, Hennessy is certainly a venerated company with a history that goes back a respectable 250 years.

According to Bernard Peillon, president of the House of Hennessy, nature and tradition, two elements that abound in Lijiang, are also values true to the Hennessy brand.

“We started in the vineyard, so we have respect for nature and the product, and at 250 years old, we have a deep sense of tradition.

“At the same time, we are from a region (the banks of the Charente) that is facing the sea which makes us open to different influences. It also imbues in us a mission to go as far as possible, said Peillon, who cited Kilian Hennessy as a living testimony to the spirit of Hennessy.

For Kilian's 100th year, the House of Hennessy wanted to present him with the best creation.

“The idea of time – 1907, the year he was born – was an interesting starting point. We dug deep into his cellar to put together the ultimate blend, to create a window to the past,” added Peillon.

On the taste of the Beauté du Siècle, he shared that it has incredible complexity. To him, it's “perfection” which “happens when everything combines on many dimensions into something harmonious.”

Hennessy, he said, is not just a cognac, but stands for a certain lifestyle and emotion. The Journeys, which are aligned to Hennessy values, allow people to live the ideology and add an emotional element to how they feel about it.

“Hennessy is a brand; it has a physical presence. We look at it and ask ourselves how we can put another facet on this diamond. If you take care of it, it becomes like a magnet; it will attract,” Peillon said.

So how does he go about attracting a younger target for the classic drink?

“It is true that traditional brands like Hennessy can get stuck, frozen in time. I am sensitive to contemporary art and have always been involved with creativity. Creating a musical platform for the brand will target the younger groups and inject Hennessy with a new energy,” he said.

Peillon sees his role as that of a conductor preparing the House to be a stronger company when he leaves in 15 years than what he has inherited.

“I am part of a line, I’m not only into the immediacy of managing the business, but assume a double dimension – to be totally of my time, yet create something for the future. It’s easy to be caught in the current mood, but because of the long term dimension, you need to know where to move. My background is totally international; my vision is to continue building the brand around the world.”

He stresses on the importance of having strong core values, which are like pegs in the ground. “Our core values are set in stone; strong brands like Hennessy exist because they have a set of core values acting like cement across time and cultures – the reason why Hennessy today is a leader in the cognac business, and a very healthy company with the strong financial support of the LVMH group.”

And which is his favourite Hennessy?

Peillon said good-naturedly that that is like asking him to name which of his six children he favours. “You relate to each one differently at different times; your feelings at that moment depends on whether the two of you click or not at that point in time.”

But he did concede that he liked the XO for “its accessibility”.

“I can drink it whenever I feel like it,” he explained.

And how does he like it?

“With ice cubes. It reveals the aromas in a beautiful way.”