A bridge Between Two Worlds
What if the time-honored expertise of the perfumery and spirits worlds came together to create new blends and explore uncharted horizons? Rémy Cointreau is rising to this challenge by writing a new page in its history with the creation of a luxurious perfume house: Maison Psyché.
Maison Psyché is enshrined in the belief that the most remarkable creations are born when exceptional terroirs and the alchemy of masters’ and artisans’ savoir-faire come together.
There is a connection between Baptiste Loiseau, Cellar Master of the Maison Rémy Martin, and Sophie Labbé, Principal Perfumer at Firmenich. They are the creative souls that form the heart of Maison Psyché – sharing the same desire to elevate the very finest raw materials. In their own words, “Maison Psyché was born from our shared love for the terroirs and age-old expertise, both in Cognac and further afield where perfumery’s finest raw materials blossom. These carefully selected raw materials form the foundations of five exceptional olfactory creations making up the first Maison Psyché collection. We left them to age in the Maison Rémy Martin cellars in Cognac to allow them to expand their range of expression in our tonnelets (small oak casks). Time has done its work and the result is striking, just like for our eaux de vie. ”
As well as being the result of a collaborative creation between Sophie and Baptiste, the Maison Psyché parfums are shaped by the time spent in oak casks specially designed by Seguin Moreau, whose expertise as coopers has been recognized for almost 200 years. Therein lies the magic of these fragrances. Using wood and the mastery of time to reveal the essence of the materials is an art practiced since time immemorial by the House of Rémy Martin. This art thus contributes to the creation of new fragrances whose longevity on the skin and olfactory richness have no equal.
Exceptional fragrances require an exceptional setting. The Maison Psyché perfume bottles are genuine collection pieces made in Baccarat crystal, adorned in gold – some with diamonds, numbered and only available in very limited quantities. Their discovery will be an incredible experience reserved for an exclusive clientele on a confidential basis.
For Francesco Riosa, CEO of Maison Psyché, “The creation of Maison Psyché is the fulfilment of a wonderful dream. The dream of reinventing “La Grande Parfumerie” in the 21st century and restoring its prestige by connecting it to the traditional and time honored expertise of Exceptional Spirits."
According to Eric Vallat, CEO of Rémy Cointreau Group, “The Maison Psyché range is a natural extension of our activities. It is based on the special blending and ageing expertise specific to the world of spirits to elevate the finest raw materials from perfumery and create innovative fragrances. Maison Psyché is a bridge between two worlds, that of luxury fragrance and that of spirits, and a bold venture with terroirs, people and time at its very heart.”
Maison Psyché is based on the founding myth of Cupid and Psyché. In a distant kingdom, Psyché, the daughter of a king and the youngest of three sisters, was of such rare, exceptional and magnificent beauty that Cupid himself suc- cumbed to the allure of the innocent princess, despite the jealousy of his mother, Venus. At the end of the story, when she is plunged into a deep sleep, Psyché is awoken by an arrow from Cupid. Now welcome on Olympus, the beauty drinks nectar and ambrosia which make her immortal, and she ultimately enjoys eternal happiness alongside her Love. In ancient Greek art, Psyché is traditionally depicted with butterfly wings, a symbol of the soul and the metamorphosis to-wards eternal happiness. As such, the butterfly has been chosen as the symbol of Maison Psyché. Metamorphosis is the founding principle of the Maison that of a collection of fragrances intensified by the time spent in oak casks, an unrivalled process in the world of luxury fragrance, which creates a unique aromatic richness, exceptional longevity on the skin and a distinctive olfactory signature.
