Simply put Cognac is
a white wine brandy produced and double distilled
into an eau-de-vie, then aged to produce the cognac and
bottled. About 90% grapes used are of St.Emillion (Ugni
Blanc) kind. The rest are Folle Blanche and Colombard. The grape
growing, harvesting and Cognac production is accomplished in a limited
and strictly controlled area
of South West France.
This region is divided into growths (crus) based on soil
characteristics that are reflected in the final product. This area is characterized by chalky soil,
wet winters and sunny summers and it spreads through the Charente and Charente
Maritime departments
of South West France.
ONLY brandy produced in the Cognac region of France can be called
Cognac. The area is divided into six growths areas (crus)
(No matter how good a California brandy may be - it will never be
called Cognac)
- Grande Champagne; about 13,000
hectares of clay and compact chalk soil. It produces a very fine,
high-quality Cognac. It is known as the Premier Cru du Cognac.
- Petite Champagne; some 16,000 hectares
of clay and a more compact chalky layer of soil. Petit
Champagne is very much of the same quality, but a touch lighter.
- Borderies; only 4,000 hectares of
unique soil on the plateau above Charente river. The eau de vie
has a slight nutty taste. Borderies, is the smallest of the crus in the
terms of acreage. Eaux-de-vie from Borderies has rich, flowery aromas
and it is known as "…Cognac that ladies prefer".
- Fins Bois; 37,000 hectares of soil.
characterized by quick aging environment. A subtle flowery bouquet
characterizes this eau de vie. The
largest, most intriguing cru, is Fins Bois.
Geographically, it rings the other three crus. It lies, approximately,
in the triangle between the towns of Rouilliac, Matha and Pons. It has
a rich, full, strong aromas with a touch of the maritime climate
- Bon Bois; less chalky but more earthy
soil of 16,000 hectares that is well reflected in the eau de vie
- Bois Ordinaires et Bois Communs (Bois a
Terroir); are the exterior crus heavily
influenced by the climate of the Atlantic ocean. 30,000 hectares of soil
they contribute less to the overall production of Cognac but are, nevertheless,
known to produce some interesting Cognacs.
The grape harvest usually begins in
this region around the 3rd or 4th week in September. The
majority of grapes are harvested mechanically, than pressed and
fermented. The resulting white wine is double distilled. Some
producers like Paul Giraud, Daniel Bouju, Rémy Martin or
Cartais-Lamaure still harvest at least part of their vineyards
manually.
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A traditional still, called an
alambic, with unique characteristics such as a
swan’s neck, is used for distillation. Today, only a very few
alambics are heated with wood (for example the Guy Gombert estate),
most use gas or oil. |
The distillation period has a variable
start date, but it must end, by law, at midnight on 31 March each
year.
Distillation, itself is based on the
simple premise that the boiling point of water is higher than
alcohol’s.
Cognac is aged in Limousin oak casks (barrels).
It's aging period is between 2 to 50+ years.
The process of distilling cognac has two parts (thus the
term of double distillation); in the first, a raw eaux-de-vie known as
brouillis is produced. In the second, known as bonne chauffe, only the heart (the coeur) is saved and the head and tail
are discarded or re-processed. The clear liquid, eaux-de-vie,
which is the end product, the coeur, of distillation, is stored in
wooden casks.
The aging is a very delicate process of
interaction between outside air and the alcohol inside of the oak wood
cask. This interaction is accomplished through the porosity of the
oak. During this process about three percent of Cognac evaporates;
this loss is referred to as "the angels share".
To obtain 100 liters of Cognac aged over 10 years, you will need to
produce about 135 liters of Cognac. Thus the "angels share"
contributes to the price of Cognac. Once transferred out
of the oak wood casks into bottles, Cognac stops aging. To prevent
cognac reacting with the cork, its bottles must be stored vertically.
The age is indicated on the labels. It reflects
the youngest eau-de-vie used in the Cognac blend. The age is based
around the legal limits during which wine is distilled; The
distillation period ends at midnight of the 31st March each year. Thus
the following age indication applies:
| V.S. (Very Special) |
two and half years old |
| V.O. (Very Old),
V.S.O.P.
(Very Superior Old Pale), Réserve |
must be at least four and half
years old
|
|
X.O.(eXtra Old),
Réserve,
Extra, Hors d'Age and Napoleon
|
six and half years or older |
| These label designations indicate
more of a taste and style of a blended Cognac. Cognac is the result of blending and aging of
different eau-de-vie vintages. An unblended, straight vintage Cognac
is very rare and available only in small quantities. |
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