100 years & beyond
One afternoon at Raffles Makati, I, together with a few select guests, tasted 100-year-old cognac. And with the special drink came a special announcement of a worthwhile collaboration.
International brand ambassador and member of the House of Remy Martin Florian Heriard Dubreuil, who flew in specially for the lunch, presented a short film that showed Louis XIII Cognac’s announcement that 100 Years, a song exclusively penned in 2017 by American rapper, singer, songwriter and producer
Pharrell Williams, will be set for public release in 2117. Yes, you read that right, 2117, roughly a century from now.
Louis XIII partnered with Pharrell on this innovative project with a shared dedication to environmental issues. The original song is a creative expression of the delicate relationship between nature and time, and the effect humans have on their environment. Each decanter of Louis XIII represents the life achievement of generations of cellar masters, so Louis XIII must always think a century ahead.
Pharrell’s track was engraved in a one-of-a-kind record made of clay from the chalky soil of the Cognac region in France. It was then stored in the cellars of Louis XIII in a state-of-the-art safe specially designed by Fichet-Bauche that is only destructible when submerged in water. If sea levels continue to rise due to climate change, scientists project that in 100 years, a portion of the world’s land might be underwater. The only way to guarantee that this original piece of music will be heard in 2117 is if we address the consequences of global warming — if we do not change our way of living, future generations will never be able to hear this song. #IfWeCare.
Pharrell, who has long been passionate about preserving the
environment and how important human action is to addressing climate change, said, “I love the fact that Louis XIII thought a century ahead. We should all do the same for the planet. We have a common interest in preserving nature for the future. Each bottle is the life achievement of generations of men and women. It’s all about legacy and transmission.”
For one time only, Pharell presented 100 Years during a private listening party in Shanghai. The 100 lucky guests in attendance were not allowed to record the once-in-a-lifetime experience, so the song will remain a secret for the next century.
I didn’t get to hear the song but I was certainly happy to have tasted 100-year-old cognac.
(For more information, visit www.louisxiii-cognac.com.) (Follow me on Instagram @pepperteehankee.)