Remy Martin Louis XIII Grand Champagne Cognac 1940s Bottling Reinfeld Import

This circa-1940s bottling of Rémy Martin’s flagship Louis XIII Cognac contains matured French eaux-de-vie aged up to 100 years. The bottle bears the imprint of Joseph H. Reinfeld, Inc., an importer whose involvement places this example in the late 1930s to 1940s—a period where documentation remains fragmentary and precise dating is challenging.

Joseph Hersch Reinfeld was one of the most notorious bootleggers of the Prohibition era. Born in Poland, he emigrated to New Jersey and began as a tavern operator before building a vast smuggling syndicate. During Prohibition, Reinfeld sourced liquor from Seagram in Canada at such scale that his organization was estimated to have been responsible for more than 40% of all alcohol entering the United States.

With the repeal of Prohibition, Reinfeld transitioned seamlessly into legitimacy, founding Browne-Vintners, a fully legal import company that brought brands such as White Horse Scotch whisky into the U.S. In 1940, Browne-Vintners was sold to Seagram. Shortly thereafter, Reinfeld established Joseph Reinfeld Importers, a firm that would later operate under the name Renfield Importers.

In 1946, Reinfeld acquired Somerset Importers, which had previously handled brands including Rémy Martin, Haig & Haig, and Gordon’s Gin. This acquisition further complicates the timeline, as surviving records inconsistently place Reinfeld’s importing activities—and naming conventions—across overlapping periods.

The ambiguity lies in the precise transition between Browne-Vintners, Joseph Reinfeld Importers, and Renfield Importers. While the limited public record suggests Joseph Reinfeld Importers operated after the 1940 sale of Browne-Vintners and prior to the 1946 Somerset acquisition, Louis XIII specialists have long suggested that bottles labeled Joseph H. Reinfeld, Inc. may date slightly earlier, circa 1938–1940.

With no definitive documentation marking the exact corporate name changes, the most responsible conclusion—based on available reference material—is that this Louis XIII represents a circa-1940s bottling, firmly rooted in the immediate post-Prohibition era of American luxury spirits importation.