Stephane de Meurville

Stephane de Meurville, Managing Director, Moët Hennessy India, is a man on a mission. His laidback demeanour, heightened by his calm manner of speaking, does not reflect the frantic pace at which he works to popularise the cognac brand in a whisky-guzzling country.

Cognac, which gets its name from a picturesque region in France, has for long reigned as one of the world's most refined spirits. The men associated with it will tell you that it is as much art as science; as much an emotion as a drink. Meurville has been hard at work to disrupt the perception that cognac is an old-fashioned drink. Millennials in India are likely to be the next big market and the amiable boss at Moët Hennessy India is rustling up interesting events and dinners on-ground to gain a strong foothold amongst them. In an exclusive interview, he takes us through the history of Hennessy cognacs and their journey in India.

Tell us about the legacy and heritage of Hennessy cognac.

The Hennessy cognac distillery was founded by Richard Hennessy, an Irish officer in the French army, in 1765. After 12 years in the army, he founded the Hennessy House in the tiny picturesque village. In order for a spirit to be called cognac, grapes must come from the eponymous region which is no larger than 75,000 square kilometres. It has been home to vines for over a thousand years owing to its unique geography and ideal climate, situated as it is to the north of Bordeaux and inland from the Atlantic coast, where cooling ocean air prevents the weather from going to extremes.

Could you talk to us about how cognac is made at the Moët Hennessy distilleries?

Each step in the production of cognac must adhere to strict guidelines specified by French regulations. In the Cognac region, Ugni Blanc grapes produce a wine perfect for distillation. It is acidic, dry and thin and when distilled, makes for a well-balanced eaux-de-vie (a clear, colourless fruit brandy that is produced by means of double distillation).

There is constant innovation on the blending front. Hennessy cognac is a combination of what goes into producing an incredible blend and the science put into every step, from the farming of the grapes to the creation of the blends. The current master blender, Renaud Fillioux de Gironde, is the eighth generation of a family of master blenders specialised in the excellence of eaux-de-vie. His savoir-faire is to define the right ageing conditions to raise a fine eaux-de-vie to its point of elegance.

The master blender is a leader of the Tasting Committee, which comprises of house experts. At 11 am dot every working day, the committee meets at Maison’s headquarters to taste each of the eaux-de-vie that Hennessy includes in its cognacs. It is their duty to determine the potential of the different eaux-de-vie and how long they need to be matured in oak casks that come from the Limousin forest in France. Once the wood is split, it is dried over a period of three years, which enables it to transfer the right aromas to the eaux-de-vie.

How long are the eaux-de-vie matured?

French laws are very strict about the maturation process, and the minimum is two years, which can go up to 10 years. The Hennessy Paradis Impérial has a blend of 10 eaux-de-vie, matured for anywhere between 50 to 100 years, which makes it an extremely refined cognac.

What are the different blends introduced in the Indian market?

Our flagship in India is Hennessy Very Special, which is matured for a minimum of two years and blends very well in cocktails. It also works well with the Indian palate. While its flavours differentiate it from the whiskies, they aren’t very far apart. It has initial notes of fresh toast with roasted almond and brown sugar, complemented by subtler vine fruit aromas.

Hennessy V.S.O.P Privilège is matured for a minimum of four years. Its beauty lies in its versatility; it can be used in cocktails, but you can also drink it neat or with a cube or two of ice. Then there is Hennessy X.O, created by Maurice Hennessy in 1870. It has a well-rounded texture and a hint of chocolate.

Our newest launch is the Hennessy Paradis Impérial. Its celadon-tinged golden hue is lighter than that of traditional cognacs due to the use of mature oak casks, which have few tannins. It has a delicate finish characterised by floral notes, edged by a smoky, spicy accent. Richard Hennessy, created by Yann Fillioux, forms a bridge between the past and the present. Each carafe is numbered and made of pure hand-blown crystal.

What is the market penetration of Moët Hennessy in India?

The wine and spirits market in India stands at 300 million cases. Local brandies sell 63 million cases and own 20 percent of the market. Cognac is at 37,000 cases, and Moët Hennessy India owns a big share of that market. In 2017, the Indian spirits market was slightly down and the brandy segment fell by 5 percent. But cognac was up by 20 percent. Besides Mumbai and Delhi, historically, Hennessy has been very strong in the south, because it is traditionally a brandy-drinking market.

How have you managed to hold fortin a whisky-drinking market?

We have a long love story with India. There is a record of the first bottle of Hennessy reaching India in 1819, though we aren’t sure for whom. Moët Hennessy India was incorporated on January 29, 2001.

We believe in providing immersive experiences at events, parties, and even at airports. ‘Hennessy Very Special Nights’ is a mix of experience (music) and cocktailing, and very European pop culture in its format. We introduced Hennessy Prestige Destination Dinner, at Amanbagh, near Alwar, on February 8, where we launched Hennessy Paradis Impérial. It was an exquisite one-of a kind experience for 15 Ultra HNI guests.

In terms of retail formats, do you think you have reached your full potential?

We have ensured that we are present in the right places—bars, restaurants, and retail stores, as well as at duty-free in Mumbai, Delhi, Bengaluru, Hyderabad, Trichy and Cochin. I won’t say we have reached our full potential in the bars and restaurants. There is a thin line between being there at the back of the bar and being recommended by bartenders. We are not an FMCG product, but we don’t want Hennessy cognac to be sold as part of a randomly named cocktail. We want it to be known as a ‘Hennessy cocktail’ or a Hennessy drink.

As for retail, India has some very interesting stores, while others are quite dusty. We need to offer consumers our quality of service, which is why we are trying to reach them directly, at home and in other spaces. We are launching a new service, whereby if you buy Hennessy cognacs for your party or event, we provide a trained bartender who will take you through the fun ways of drinking it.

What are the issues that the spirits industry face in India?

India is not one market; it is 29 different markets, with every state having its own tax structure. Besides, you have very creative politicians, who make our job complex. Some politicians are promoting prohibition and we have to integrate such political and legal complexities in our plans.

Then there is the absence of big retail chains. India has a lot of mom and pop shops which are very good for employment, but a nightmare when it comes to distribution. It requires a huge investment in human resources to reach the shops. The transport infrastructure is also not very well developed, though India has a wide-ranging and affordable airline network.

There is another kind of challenge I have faced in India: to convince my team that cognac would appeal to the millennials. Indians consider cognac to be a drink for the winters and I have had to demolish some of these restricting frames. We also had to convince our partners in duty-free and bars to let us experiment with experiences. Today, Taj Land’s End, Mumbai, sells several bottles every week. Till a few years ago, they sold about one in a month. It takes a bit of patience, confidence and passion to turn the tide.

Deepali Nandwani is a journalist who keeps a close watch on the world of luxury.

First Published:Feb 15, 2019 9:51 AM IST