As far as generational family businesses go, few are as stringent as cognac producers. And as far as cognac producers goes, fewer go as far back as Hennessy. For more than 250 years, the French producer has been making cognacs the same way as its founding fathers have. For eight generations, the Hennessy family has been symbiotically working hand-in-hand with its family of master blenders, the Fillioux, to select, blend and assemble the finest eaux-de-vie, united in their quest to create the exceptional cognacs that make the house.
The present master blender is Renaud Fillioux de Gironde, who represents the family’s eighth generation. He took over from his uncle, Yann Fillioux, in 2017 following more than 20 years of training and mentoring. What does it feel like to step into not just big shoes, but also big shoes that have been exemplarily worn by seven generations of one’s family prior? “You have to assume these responsibilities and not fear,” Fillioux de Gironde divulges. “I am prepared. I have done the work. In all these years that I’ve worked with my uncle and learnt from him, it’s all about preparation. So, now that I’m a Hennessy master blender, it’s time to live up to that responsibility.”
Crafting the future
With deep knowledge of the terroir dating back to his first position with the wine-growing network (he was previously Hennessy’s winegrower relations manager), Fillioux de Gironde is part of a new generation of master blenders. His palate and nose guide his choices and creations, with assistance from the other members of the revered Tasting Committee that he now heads. With a particular sensitivity to the protection of nature’s resources, he draws inspiration from the land, nature and all it produces.
“What I’ve learnt is that our job is about, and always will be about, preparing for the future,” he shares. “If you think about just today, you’re falling behind. It’s always about preparing the eaux-de-vie for future cognacs of the next 10, 20, 30 years. This is my horizon.”
He believes a good starting point is where it all begins—in his case, the vineyards. He knows first-hand the issues winegrowers and wine-growing regions face from his first role as a winegrower relations manager. The effects of global warming on cognac’s precious vines have not been missed by Fillioux de Gironde, who is as familiar with being in the vineyards dissecting grape health as he is in Hennessy’s Grand Tasting Room discerning the eaux-de-vie’s readiness.
“We’re observing changes to the harvest; it’s earlier than it used to be,” he says. “We had to consider new techniques to make sure we improve the quality of the vines because it’s going to be warmer than before. These are changes that we have to adjust to because, if we wait, the quality will decline. Data has given us a lot of insight, so we are using that to make better decisions. It’s all these things that Hennessy has embraced and, right now, prepared for the future.”
Making his mark
Fillioux de Gironde’s appointment as master blender in 2017 was marked by the debut of Hennessy 8. The fruit of five years of dedication, Hennessy 8 is a symbol of heritage and tradition assembled from eight exceptional eaux-de-vie. Only 250 bottles exist in the world and buyers have a choice of eight numbered H8 carafe sculptures. They can customise it by selecting their own engraving and each bottle is hand-delivered.
Since then, Fillioux de Gironde has not been resting on his laurels. Although Hennessy 9 may be a while away, given the newness of his own appointment, Fillioux de Gironde has introduced novelty blends of his own that speak of him and his personal passions. For instance, his Master Blender’s Selection No. 4 is a single-batch that speaks of his creativity, created to imbue the joy of enjoying cognac with friends. “It’s nice to have this liberty to work in another way,” he says. “The heart of my work is making sure my cognac is perfect but, sometimes, it’s nice to release a limited edition that I don’t have to always be following rules for.”
The much-anticipated Master Blender’s Selection No. 5 is out now and was specifically put together to celebrate the story of the people of Cognac and the roles they play in cognac-making. “I wanted to pay respect to everything that they do,” Fillioux de Gironde says. “For me, they’re part of the process but nobody knows anything about them. It was my idea. I started from the growers, the eaux-de-vie producers, who then created it from them, for them.”
