Celebrating Cognac The House of Rémy Martin reveals the secrets of its success78 The Natori story Bannenberg and Rowell unravel the design process82 Ethereal Royal Huisman's high- tech 190- footer takes to the water 90 AUTUMN 2009I sea& iI3 forconnoisseursofluxurytravel masterartisan 78Isea& iIAUTUMN 2009AUTUMN 2009I sea& iI79 Spirthiet ofTradition A century in the making, Louis XIII Cognac is a masterpiece of man and nature. Katie Connockvisited the House of Rémy Martin in France to sample the legendary process and product H idden away in peaceful countryside to the west of France, the Charente River, proclaimed " The loveliest river in my Kingdom" by François I, gently winds its way through a landscape of vineyards bursting with the fruit that will create the world's best- known brandy, Cognac. Named after the region in which it is produced, this amber nectar of the drinks' world must conform to strict legal requirements in order to bear the Cognac name; as any Frenchman will tell you: " all Cognac is brandy but not all brandy is Cognac." The region is divided into six growth areas, or crus, based on the characteristics of the soil, and these are reflected in the aromas of the final product. The highest quality Cognac is produced from vines planted in the Grande Champagne cru ( not to be confused with a certain other well- known vine- growing area of France) as the chalky nature of the soil allows for the regulation of its humidity, which is perfect for the vines. It is therefore fitting that it is solely from this cruthat the House of Rémy Martin accepts the eaux- de- vie( samples of the distilled wine) that will go on to produce the ' crowning jewel' of its range of Cognacs, Louis XIII. Widely heralded as the ' King of Cognac', a bottle of Louis XIII is 100 years in the making and sets the standard for luxury. It is for this reason that it has been the drinking partner for many iconic figures commemorating monumental moments of history, such as the celebration of Winston Churchill's election victory in 1951, and Queen Elizabeth II's visit to Versailles in 1957. It is not surprising, therefore, that the process of turning the meagre grape into a spirit of such depth and finesse is one nurtured by the most skilled craftsmen, who are blessed with a unique and selfless respect for their profession and the passage of time. Pierrette Trichet, the first and only female cellar master, currently leads the House of Rémy Martin's craftsmen in the time- honoured process of creating Louis XIII Cognac. Each year, more than 1,200 growers submit samples of their eaux- de- vie to be considered in the blending of Louis XIII, with the incentive of a financial bonus if theirs is chosen - along, of course, with the pride associated with this honour. Only up to three per cent of all the samples tasted by Trichet and her team will be deemed to have the potential and quality required for Louis XIII. As is necessary for the production of Cognac, the wine has to go through a double distillation. Alone among the great Cognac houses, Rémy Martin retains the traditional method of distillation on the lees in small copper stills ( alambics), since it is convinced that this is the only way to reveal both the subtlety and intensity of the Grand Champagne eaux- de- vie. The first distillation produces a raw eaux- de- vieknown as the brouillis, which is then redistilled. There is a huge amount of skill ? The hallowed cellars of the House of Rémy Martin In November 2008, the three generations of Rémy Martin cellar masters, Pierrette Trichet, Andre Giraud and Georges Clot ( pictured above, left to right), came together for a unique celebration and tasting straight from the barrel of a Louis XIII that was a product of their combined work over the last century cognac 82Isea& iIAUTUMN 2009 Above ( from left): Simon Rowell and Dickie Bannenberg T wenty- eight months would seem like an eternity to most infants, but for one particular baby, recently christened Natori, the time raced by. No one is more conscious of this than her designers: Dickie Bannenberg and Simon Rowell. As they reflect on their recent accomplishment, they appear to have the relaxed demeanour of men confident their interior design work on this 41.8m ( 137') masterpiece will exceed all expectations of anyone spending time aboard. But they're creative souls, these two, and as they relive the experience of exacting their requirements upon shipyard, suppliers and client, frowns and gritted teeth fleetingly return. Here lies the anguish for top designers in the superyacht sphere: the pressure of a fast project never relents. " One tends to be presented with: ' Love to hire you. Love your work. Oh, and we need the first drawings in six weeks,'" says Bannenberg, chuckling. " The yard already had the exteriorenvelope defined, so we were scooped up with the project up and running." The owner was someone Bannenberg and Rowell relished working with. He is, they say, design savvy - keen enough to scour House & Gardenand Architectural Designfor ideas. He liked Illusion, a yacht Bannenberg & Rowell Design had refitted, so this became a starting point for Natori's design. " Natori's owner had a clear idea of what he wanted as a basis: one of a pair of identical 41.8m ( 137') boats built by Baglietto and designed by Francesco Paszkowski. Natori has a distinctive exterior, to put it mildly," admits Bannenberg. " We're quite partial to its slightly brutal look but it is polarising; quasi- military, sharp- edged." Granddesigns ? Delivered this past spring, the stunning 41.8m ( 137') Natori from the renowned Baglietto yard is set to become one of the most talked- about vessels on the charter scene. Project managed by Master Yachts and CNI's Jeremy Comport, she boasts a distinctive, avant- garde exterior styled by Francesco Paszkowski. But it is her interior, designed by Bannenberg & Rowell Design, that has attracted the most attention. Gilles Chapmandiscovers the ins and outs of the project from the talented design duo interior design Photography: David Churchill; Jérôme Kélagopian AUTUMN 2009I sea& iI91 a s moody clouds drift across the ink- blue of the early evening sky, a ray of sun breaks through and falls on Ethereal. Her white hull shines against the dramatic backdrop of Lanzarote's ragged, lava- dark moonscape as she swings peacefully to anchor, a gentle breeze blowing across the deserted anchorage and ruffling the Moroccan tent that has been set up on the foredeck. Ethereal seems at ease here, an extraordinary 58m ( 190') yacht that nevertheless blends com-fortably with her natural surroundings. For her guests, she offers every convenience and luxury to make a stay on board an unforgettable experience. Her hull, designed by Ron Holland, rises gently to the bow and features balanced overhangs and a stern that conceals a drop- down bathing platform, while her Pieter Beeldsnijder- style exterior lines are broken only by the well-proportioned deck saloon, low coachroofs and subtle aft cockpit. But while she may appear on the surface to be a conventional - some might even say conservative - sailing superyacht, she is one of the most technologically complex of her kind yet launched. Ethereal is the vision of Bill and Shannon Joy, who sought to create a yacht that pushed the boundaries of energy efficiency while retaining as environmentally sound a profile as possible. Future- proofed to allow for the fitting of fuel cells when the technology is ready, she is the culmination of several years of planning, design and building by her owners, a phalanx of technical experts, and her build yard, Royal Huisman in the Netherlands. Her captain, Andrew Barry, was skippering Hyperion when he first met the Joys at the Monaco Yacht Show. Hyperion was on the market, and the Joys were viewing her as potential clients. " I started talking with Alan Prior, who was project manager for Hyperion and Athena," says Barry. " I decided to leave Hyperion for a break, and then Ethereal came up. It was an exciting prospect to be working at a yard on such a project, surrounded by great people, and with exceptional owners." Breaking the boundaries of energy efficiency and sound insulation, the 58m ( 190') Ethereal brings new levels of technology to the ocean By Tim Thomas Ethereal newbuild green goddess ? Life afloat Charter inspiration on a cruise of New Zealand 52 Villa life Exotic properties in Marrakesh, India and Mexico62 Time & Tide sea& i's annual watch supplement65 Latest trends An insider's look at the latest developments at yards in The Netherlands 86 Latest listings A look at the latest yachts joining the CNI sales fleet94