BRANDY.ppt

2/1/2023 brandwejin (brunt wine) 1
BRANDY
The word Brandy comes from the Dutch word brandewijn,
("burnt wine"),

 “Claret is the liquor for boys; port for men; but who
aspires to be a hero must drink brandy”
By
Samuel Johnson

HISTORY
 The word Brandy comes from the Dutch word brandewijn, ("burnt
wine"), which is how the straightforward Dutch traders who
introduced it to Northern Europe from Southern France and Spain
in the 16th century described wine that had been "burnt," or
boiled, in order to distill it. The origins of Brandy can be traced
back to the expanding Moslem Mediterranean states in the 7th
and 8th centuries. Arab alchemists experimented with distilling
grapes and other fruits in order to make medicinal spirits. Their
knowledge and techniques soon spread beyond the borders of
Islam, with grape Brandy production appearing in Spain and
probably Ireland (via missionary monks) by the end of the 8th
century. Brandy, in its broadest definition, is a spirit made from
fruit juice or fruit pulp and skin. More specifically, it is broken
down into three basic groupings.

 Grape Brandy is Brandy distilled from fermented grape juice or
crushed but not pressed grape pulp and skin. This spirit is
aged in wooden casks (usually oak) which colors it, mellows
the palate, and adds additional aromas and flavors.
 Pomace Brandy (Italian Grappa and French Marc are the best-
known examples) is Brandy made from the pressed grape pulp,
skins, and stems that remain after the grapes are crushed and
pressed to extract most of the juice for wine. Pomace Brandies,
which are usually minimally aged and seldom see wood, are an
acquired taste. They often tend to be rather raw, although they
can offer a fresh, fruity aroma of the type of grape used, a
characteristic that is lost in regular oak-aged Brandy.

 Fruit Brandy is the default term for all Brandies that are made
from fermenting fruit other than grapes. It should not be
confused with Fruit-Flavored Brandy, which is grape Brandy
that has been flavored with the extract of another fruit. Fruit
Brandies, except those made from berries, are generally
distilled from fruit wines. Berries tend to lack enough sugar to
make a wine with sufficient alcohol for proper distillation, and
thus are soaked (macerated) in high-proof spirit to extract their
flavor and aroma. The extract is then distilled once at a low
proof. Calvados, the Apple Brandy from the Normandy region
of Northwestern France, is probably the best known type of
Fruit Brandy. Eau-de-vie ("water of life") is the default term in
French for spirits in general, and specifically for colorless fruit
brandy, particularly from the Alsace region of France and from
California.

 Brandy, like Rum and Tequila, is an agricultural spirit. Unlike grain
spirits such as Whisky, Vodka, and Gin, which are made throughout
the year from grain that can be harvested and stored, Brandy is
dependent on the seasons, the ripening of the base fruit, and the
production of the wine from which it is made. Types of Brandies,
originally at least, tended to be location-specific. (Cognac, for
example, is a town and region in France that gave its name to the
local Brandy.) Important Brandy-making regions, particularly in
Europe, further differentiate their local spirits by specifying the types
of grapes that can be used and the specific areas (appellation) in
which the grapes used for making the base wine can be grown.

French Brandies:Cognac&Armagnac
 Cognac is the best known type of Brandy in the world, a
benchmark by which most other Brandies are judged. The
Cognac region is located on the west-central Atlantic coast of
France, just north of Bordeaux, in the departments of Charente
and Charente-Maritime. The region is further subdivided into six
growing zones: Grande Champagne, Petite Champagne, Bois
Ordinaries, Borderies, Fins Bois, and Bons Bois. The first two of
these regions produce the best Cognac and will frequently be so
designated on bottle labels. Cognacs labelled Fine Champagne
are a blend of Petite and Grande Champagne.

 The primary grapes used in making Cognac are
Ugni Blanc, Folle Blanche, and Colombard. The
wines made from these grapes are thin, tart, and
low in alcohol; poor characteristics for table wines,
but oddly enough, perfect for making Brandy.
Cognac is double distilled in pot stills and then
aged in casks made from Limousin or Troncais
oak. All Cognacs start out in new oak to mellow the
fiery spirit and give them color. Batches that are
chosen for long-term aging are, after a few years,
transferred to used, or "seasoned," casks that
impart less of the oak flavor notes while the Brandy
matures.

– Virtually all Cognacs are a blend of Brandies from different
vintages, and frequently, different growing zones. Even
those from single vineyards or distilleries will be a mix of
Brandies from different casks. As in Champagne, the
production of local vineyards is sold to Cognac houses, each
of which stores and ages Cognacs from different suppliers
and then employs master blenders to draw from these
disparate Brandies to create continuity in the house blends.
Because there are no age statements on Cognacs, the
industry has adopted some generally accepted terms to
differentiate Cognacs. It is important to note that these terms
have no legal status, and each Cognac shipper uses them
according to his own criteria. V.S./V.S.P./Three Star: (V.S.,
very superior; V.S.P., very superior pale) A minimum of two
years aging in a cask, although the industry average is four
to five years. V.S.O.P.: (very superior old pale) A minimum
of four years cask aging for the youngest Cognac in the
blend, with the industry average being between 10 and 15
years.

 X.O./Luxury: (X.O., extra old) A minimum of six years aging for the
youngest cognac in the blend, with the average age running 20 years or
older. All Cognac houses maintain inventories of old vintage Cognacs to
use in blending these top of the line brands. The oldest Cognacs are
removed from their casks in time and stored in glass demijohns (large
jugs) to prevent further loss from evaporation and to limit excessively
woody and astringent flavors. Luxury Cognacs are the very finest Cognacs
of each individual Cognac house.
 Armagnac is the oldest type of Brandy in France, with documented
references to distillation dating back to the early 15th century. The
Armagnac region is located in the heart of the ancient province of
Gascony in the southwest corner of France. As in Cognac, there are
regional growing zones: Bas-Armagnac, Haut Armagnac, and Tenareze.
The primary grapes used in making Armagnac are likewise the Ugni
Blanc, Folle Blanche, and Colombard. But distillation takes place in the
unique alambic Armagnacais, a type of column still that is even more
"inefficient" than a typical Cognac pot still.

 The resulting brandy has a rustic, assertive character and aroma
that requires additional cask aging to mellow it out. The best
Armagnacs are aged in casks made from the local Monlezun oak.
In recent years Limousin and Troncais oak casks have been added
to the mix of casks as suitable Monlezun oak becomes harder to
find.
 Most Armagnacs are blends, but unlike Cognac, single vintages
and single vineyard bottlings can be found. The categories of
Armagnac are generally the same as those of Cognac (V.S.,
V.S.O.P., X.O., etc.). Blended Armagnacs frequently have a greater
percentage of older vintages in their mix than comparable
Cognacs, making them a better value for the discerning buyer.

Difference between Cognac & Armagnac
 Armagnac is made from grapes of
the armagnac region in south west
of france (Gres, landes,lot-et-
garrone )
 It is single continuous distilled in a
copper stills and aged in oak
casks from gascony or limousin
 Armagnac was first distilled spirit
in france it have specificity
 They offer vintages qualities
 Brand names
 Darroze
 Baron de sigognac
 Larressingle
 Delord
 Laubade
 Gelas
 Janneau
 It is bottled in flat shapped
Basquaise Bottles
 Cognac comes from the region in
france, and is double distilled
using pot stills.
 It is divided into 6 regions
 Grande champagne
 Petite champagne
 Borderies
 Fins bois
 Bois ordinaries
 Cognac named after the town of
cognac
 Brandy is produced in the region
surrounding the town 90% of Ugni
blanc, Folle blanche,or Colombard
grapes
 The rest of cognac can consist of
ten selected grapes

French Brandy
 French Brandy is the catch-all designation for Brandy produced
from grapes grown in other regions. These Brandies are usually
distilled in column stills and aged in oak casks for varying
periods of time. They are frequently blended with wine, grape
juice, oak flavorings, and other Brandies, including Cognac, in
order to smooth out the rough edges. Cognac-like quality
designations such as V.S.O.P. and Napoleon are frequently
used, but have no legal standing.

Spanish brandies
 Brandy de Jerez is made by the Sherry houses centered around the
city of Jerez de la Frontera in the southwest corner of Spain.
Virtually all Brandy de Jerez; however, is made from wines produced
elsewhere in Spain -- primarily from the Airen grape in La Mancha
and Extremadura -- as the local Sherry grapes are too valuable to
divert into Brandy production. Nowadays most of the distilling is
likewise done elsewhere in Spain using column stills. It is then
shipped to Jerez for aging in used Sherry casks in a solera system
similar to that used for Sherry wine. A solera is a series of large
casks (called butts), each holding a slightly older spirit than the
previous one beside it. When brandy is drawn off (racked) from the
last butt (no more than a third of the volume is removed) it is
replenished with brandy drawn from the next butt in line all the way
down the solera line to the first butt, where newly distilled brandy is
added. This system of racking the brandy through a series of casks
blends together a variety of vintages (some soleras have over 30
stages) and results in a speeding up of the maturation process.

 Basic Brandy de Jerez Solera must age for a minimum of six
months, Reserva for one year and Gran Reserva for a minimum of
three years. In practice, the best Reservas and Gran Reservas are
frequently aged for 12 to 15 years. The lush, slightly sweet and
fruity notes to be found in Brandy de Jerez come not only from
aging in Sherry casks, but also from the judicious use of fruit-
based flavor concentrates and oak essence (boise).
 Penedès Brandy comes from the Penedès region of Catalonia in
the northeast corner of Spain near Barcelona. Modeled after the
Cognacs of France and made from a mix of regional grapes and
locally-grown Ugni Blanc of Cognac, it is distilled in pot stills. One
of the two local producers (Torres) ages in soleras consisting of
butts made from French Limousin oak, whereas the other
(Mascaro) ages in the standard non-solera manner, but also in
Limousin oak. The resulting Brandy is heartier than Cognac, but
leaner and drier than Brandy de Jerez.

Italian Brandies
 Italy has a long history of Brandy production dating back to at least
the 16th century, but unlike Spain or France there are no specific
Brandy-producing regions. Italian Brandies are made from regional
wine grapes, and most are produced in column stills, although
there are now a number of small artisanal producers using pot
stills. They are aged in oak for a minimum of one to two years, with
six to eight years being the industry average. Italian Brandies tend
to be on the light and delicate side with a touch of residual
sweetness.

Pomace Brandies:grips with Grappa
 Italy produces a substantial amount of Grappa, both of the raw,
firewater variety and the more elegant, artisanal efforts that are made
from one designated grape type and frequently packaged in hand-
blown bottles. Both types of Grappa can be unaged or aged for a few
years in old casks that will tame the hard edge of the spirit without
imparting much flavor or color. Marc from France is produced in all of
the nation’s wine-producing regions, but is mostly consumed locally.
Marc de gewürztraminer from Alsace is particularly noteworthy
because it retains some of the distinctive perfumed nose and spicy
character of the grape. California pomace Brandies from the United
States are broadly in the Italian style and are usually called Grappas,
even when they are made from non-Italian grape varieties. This is also
true of the pomace Brandies from Canada.

German Brandies
 German monks were distilling Brandy by the 14th century and the
German distillers had organized their own guild as early as 1588.
Yet almost from the start, German Brandy (called weinbrand ) has
been made from imported wine rather than the more valuable local
varieties. Most German Brandies are produced in pot stills and
must be aged for a minimum of six months in oak. Brandies that
have been aged in oak for at least one year are called uralt or alter
(meaning "older"). The best German Brandies are smooth,
somewhat lighter than Cognac, and finish with a touch of
sweetness

United States Brandies
 Brandy production in California dates back to the Spanish missions in the
late 18th and early 19th centuries. In the years following the Civil War,
Brandy became a major industry, with a substantial export trade to Europe
by the end of the century. For a time Leland Stanford, founder of Stanford
University, was the world’s largest brandy producer. Phylloxera and National
Prohibition almost shut down the industry in the 1920s.
 Repeal started things up again, but as with the bourbon industry, the advent
of World War II resulted in the brandy producers further marking time. Soon
after the end of the war the industry commissioned the Department of
Viticulture and Oenology at the University of California at Davis to develop a
prototype "California-style" brandy. It had a clean palate, was lighter in style
than most European Brandies, and had a flavor profile that made it a good
mixer. Starting in the late 1940s, the California brandy producers began to
change over to this new style.

 Contemporary California Brandies are made primarily in column stills
from table grape varieties such as the Thompson Seedless and Flame
Tokay, although a handful of small new-generation Cognac-inspired pot
distillers, such as Jepson and RMS, are using the classic Ugni Blanc,
Colombard, and Folle Blanche grapes. California Brandies are aged for
two to 12 years in used American oak (both Brandy and Bourbon casks)
to limit woodiness in the palate, although the pot distillers also use
French oak. Several California distillers, most notably Korbel, have
utilized the Spanish solera method of maturing their Brandy. California
Brandies do not use quality designations such as V.S.O.P. or stars. The
more expensive brands will usually contain a percentage of older
vintages and pot-distilled Brandies in the blend.

Latin American Brandies
 In Mexico a surprising amount of wine is made, but it is little known outside
of the country because most of it is used for Brandy production. Mexican
Brandies are made from a mix of grapes, including Thompson Seedless,
Palomino, and Ugni Blanc. Both column and pot stills are used in
production whereas the solera system is generally used for aging. Brandy
now outsells tequila and rum in Mexico.
 South American Brandies are generally confined to their domestic
markets. The best known type is Pisco, a clear, raw Brandy from Peru and
Chile that is made from Muscat grapes and double-distilled in pot stills.
The resulting Brandy has a perfumed fragrance and serves as the base for
a variety of mixed drinks, including the famous Pisco Sour.

Other Brandies from around the world
 Greece produces pot-distilled Brandies, many of which, such as the
well-known Metaxa, are flavored with Muscat wine, anise, or other
spices. Winemaking in Israel is a well-established tradition dating back
thousands of years. But Brandy production dates back only to the
1880s when the French Jewish philanthropist Baron Edmond de
Rothschild established what has become the modern Israeli wine
industry along French lines. Israeli brandy is made in the manner of
Cognac from Colombard grapes, with distillation in both pot and column
stills and maturation in French Limousin oak casks. In the Caucasus
region, along the eastern shore of the Black Sea, the ancient nations of
Georgia and Armenia draw on monastic traditions to produce rich,
intensely flavored pot still Brandies both from local grapes and from
such imported varieties as Muscadine (from France), Sercial and
Verdelho (most famously from Madeira).

 South Africa has produced Brandies since the arrival of the first Dutch
settlers in the 17th century, but these early spirits from the Cape Colony
earned a reputation for being harsh firewater (witblits, white lightning,
was a typical nickname). The introduction of modern production
techniques and government regulations in the early 20th century
gradually led to an improvement in the quality of local Brandies. Modern
South African Brandies are made from Ugni Blanc, Colombard, Chenin
Blanc, and Palomino grapes, produced in both pot and column stills,
and aged for a minimum of three years in oak.

Apple and Other Fruit Brandies
 Normandy is one of the few regions in France that does not have a
substantial grape wine industry. Instead it is apple country, with a
substantial tradition of producing hard and sweet cider that in turn can
be distilled into an Apple Brandy known as Calvados. The local cider
apples, which tend to be small and tart, are closer in type to crab apples
than to modern table apples. This spirit has its own appellations, with the
best brands coming from Appellation Controlee Pays d’Auge near the
Atlantic seaport of Deauville, and the rest in 10 adjacent regions that are
designated Appellation Reglementee. Most Pays d’Auge and some of
the better Appellation Reglementee are produced in pot stills. All
varieties of Calvados are aged in oak casks for a minimum of two years.

 Cognac-style quality and age terms such as V.S.O.P. and
Hors d’Age are frequently used on labels, but have no legal
meaning. In the United States, Applejack, as Apple Brandy is
called locally, is thought by many to be the first spirit produced
in the British colonies. This colonial tradition has continued on
the East Coast with the Laird’s Distillery in New Jersey
(established in 1780 and the oldest distillery in America).
Apple Brandies that are more like eau-de-vie are produced in
California and Oregon.

 The fruit-growing regions of the upper Rhine River are the prime eau-
de-vie production areas of Europe. The Black Forest region of
Bavaria in Germany, and Alsace in France, are known for their Cherry
Brandies (Kir in France, Kirschwasser in Germany), Raspberry
Brandies (Framboise and Himbeergeist), and Pear Brandies (Poire).
Similar eaux-de-vies are now being produced in the United States in
California and Oregon. Some Plum Brandy is also made in these
regions (Mirabelle from France is an example), but the best known
type of Plum Brandy is Slivovitz, which is made from the small blue
Sljiva plum throughout Eastern Europe and the Balkans

About the cognac
 Here are described the different phases of the elaboration
of cognac

The harvest
 Vines are planted about 3 meters appart. Harvest can begin as soon
as the grape has reached perfect ripeness. This is usually about the
beginning of October and lasts until the end of the month.
 Some wine producers still harvest by hand but most have adopted
machine harvesters.

The winemaking
 The pressing of the grapes is done
immediately after harvest. Nowadays, wine
producers use horizontal flat presses or
pneumatic presses. The juice is left to ferment
straight away. The sugars are transformed
into alcohol. The addition of sugar
(chaptalisation) is not permitted. The wines
are then stored with their residue
 These two steps (pressing and fermentation)
are closely monitored for they will have an
important influence on the final quality of the
spirit. The wines that are produced after
roughly 3 weeks of fermentation (from the end
of October till the last days in November)
have an alcohol content of around 8%vol.
They are just perfect for distillation.

The distillation
 The Cognac region has a limestony soil
and a maritime and temperate climate that
is humid, hot and sunny enough to ripen
the grapes. Despite all these assets, the
wines that are produced would not
deserve their reputation if it were not for
the alchemy that takes place in the pot still
and that produces the cognac. The alcohol
is produced during fermentation from the
sugars that are naturally present in the
fruit. It is found associated with many other
components ; it has to be separated from
these complex mixes, process which is
achieved by distillation. The process of
separation which takes place during
distillation is based on the difference in
volatility between all components. The
only volatile substances that make it into
the spirit become the main elements of the
bouquet.

The pot-still
 The Pot still is entirely made of
copper because copper has a
catalysing effect and it does not
affect the taste of the spirits. The
bottom of the main cauldron -
where the liquid to be distilled is
placed - is in permanent contact
with the bare flame of the furnace.
The wine is uniformily heated with
its dregs over a large surface. The
Alcohols and ethers evaporate. The
onion shaped top canalises the
vapours into the swan neck,
through the "chauffe-vin" cooling
them slightly before they reach the
cooling tank known as "the pipe".
The vapours travel through a long
coil, condense and are collected in
liquid form in an oak cask.

Double distillation
 Distillation is carried out in two steps : two heating cylcles
called "chauffes". The first "chauffe" which lasts between 8
and 10 hours produces a cloudy liquide called "brouillis" with
an alcohol content of 24 to 30 %vol. The "brouillis" is then
redistilled. This second heating is called "la bonne chauffe"
and lasts about 12 hours. This time, only the best, that is "the
heart" of the distillation, is kept. The distiller separates the
"heart" from the "heads" and the "tails" through a process
called "cutting". The heads and the tails are mixed with the
next batch of wine or brouillis in order to be redistilled. Thus
only the heart, a clear spirit averaging between 68 and 72%
vol., is kept for ageing to become Cognac.

Cognac was born out of a dream...
 As for every famous product, Cognac has its legend. It is said
that the secret of double distillation was discovered in the
16th century by the Knight Jacques de la Croix-Maron. It is
thanks to a nightmare that Cognac saw the light of day :
Satan, wanting to have his soul, tried to boil it but did not
succeed. It is when the devil threatened to reboil it that the
knight awoke suddenly and became convinced that by
distilling his wine a second time, he would allow his wine to
express itself in a new brouillis.

The ageing
 The distilled wine must age before becoming Cognac. This
ageing takes place in 270 to 450 litre oak casks. The natural
level of humidity in the cellars is one of the main influencing
factors on the ageing of the spirits due to its effect on
evaporation. The charentais coopers have traditionally used
wood from the Limousin and the Tronçais forests. The
Tronçais forest, in the Allier department of France, provides
soft, finely grained wood which is particularly porous to
alcohol. The Limousin forest produces medium grained wood,
harder and even more porous. Today, the Cooperage
industries of the Cognac region, with their ancestral know-
how, export all over the world

The angels’ share
 In order to develop all its qualities
and also to reduce its alcohol
content, Cognac must mature for
many years in oaks casks.
 During this ageing, Cognac loses
between 3 to 4 % of its volume
every year. This evaporation
represents 27 million bottles per
year for the Cognac region !
Although it is a loss, it is a
necessity for the maturing process
and is poetically known as "the
angels’ share".

The evolution of Cognac in casks
 A Cognac’s age is determined solely by the number of years that
it has matured in wooden casks. The fundamental principle
behind this fact is that in a glass bottle Cognac stops ageing. A
Cognac that has come straight from the pot still has an alcohol
content of about 70%. As it ages, Cognac concentrates the
aromas and the colours as it darkens to a warm shade of amber.
During the first few years (from 0 to 5 years), the bouquet
mellows and becomes less aggressive. The spirit turns to a
shade of yellow that darkens more and more. The odour of
Oakwood develops. Next, the taste becomes more pleasant and
smoother. The oakwood fragrance introduces scents of flowers
and vanilla...
 Beyond 10 years of age, Cognac reaches maturity and has a
much darker colour. The bouquet is at its best and the famous
"rancio" appears.

The assembly
 From beginning to end, the making of
cognac (or ’elaboration’) is the
subject of a complex alchemy. The
quality of each and every cognac
depends as much on the
"assemblies"as on the care given to
the vine, the grape harvest, the wine
making, the distillation and the ageing
in casks. The cognac that you drink is
in fact the fruit of "assemblies" of
different vintages and different ages.
It is these assemblies that produce
the harmony in the taste

 The "assemblies" are the result of unwritten ancestral
know-how. They are the secret of the "maîtres de chai" or
"cellar masters", persons of exception who watch over
the cognac from its exit from the still to the bottling. It is
the cellar masters who, after years of patient training by
the elders, decide to decant casks or to change cellars in
order to best develop the quality of the spirit. They also
decide when and how to assemble the spirits. It is often
said of the cellar masters that they alone represent the
true value of Cognac houses.
 The assembly is done in several steps that are spread
throughout the entire ageing process. The cellar masters
do not use any instruments of measure, they rely entirely
on their judgement of taste and smell. Their senses are
so accurate that they are always right.

Historic parts
 The relationship that Cognac has with foreign
countries is not new and its evolution has relied
on this relationship for centuries.
 Cognac is famous the world over and numbers
speak for themselves. Out of the 126,5 million
bottles of cognac sold in 1996, 119 million
(94,3%) were exported. The United states of
America are the greatest amateurs with over 27,7
million bottles, followed by Japan (with 18,2
million), the United Kingdom (12 million), and
Hong-Kong (11,2 million).

International commerce
 The origins of cognac are closely related to the commerce of two
products : salt and wine.
 Vineyards have existed in Saintonge as far back as the gallo-roman
times. The vineyards of Saintonge were probably planted during the
last part of the third century AD
 Probus, the roman emperor, extended the privilege of owning
vines and making wine to all Gauls, but the extent of the plantation
was still very limited. The real extension came during the 12th century
when salt shipments for Norway started to include local wines. The
vineyards began to appear inland especially on the banks of the
Charente River. The wine, unfortunately, would not travel very well
and was also very bulky. The Dutch transporters, along with the
French wine producers from Charente thought of distilling the wine.
The product became indeed considerably reduced in volume but also
more stable and resistant to transportation.

 For practical reasons, the spirits were stored in oak casks, it
was then realized that the spirits had matured with age in the
casks and could be drunk pure. During the 12th century, the
product was improved yet again when double distillation was
discovered.
 At the end of the 13th century sales abroad tripled with the
signing of the first international sales treaties. Later, the Dutch
became the main suppliers for a large part of Europe but also
for the States. The English remain remained important clients.
Many merchants in fact established sales counters to sell their
goods straight from the ship.

The phylloxera virus crisis
 If there is one crisis that really affected
the history of cognac it is that of the
invasion of the phylloxera virus during
the 1870’s. The origins of the disease
are still unknown. The phylloxera is a
minute six legged insect that is only just
visible to the naked eye. It has two long
antennae and looks a bit like a tic or a
louce or even a cicada when it has
wings.
 The animal attacks the vine from above
and from below. It lays its eggs on the
leaves. The eggs cause a rash. Other
eggs on the roots produces nymphs
that attack the fine root hairs. The roots
rot away slowly and the plants dies
progressively.

 Phylloxera spread devastatingly across the
region. Many vineyards were destroyed and land
values plummeted. Before the arrival of
phylloxera, a hectare (247 acres) was worth 7000
french francs. After the crisis it was not worth
more than 600 french francs...
 In order to rebuild the devastated vineyards, a
new method was used for the first time in 1876.
Vines from Texas, which are resistant to
phylloxera, were used as hosts for grafting.

Reading a label
 Cognac labels are the result of much creative and aesthetic research
in the same way as are bottles and decanters.

 The indications on ageCognac, which has a worlwide
reputation to protect, has established very strict rules to
protect consumers but also to prevent its production and
presentation from being counterfeited. This implies
compliance to many rules beit for distillation, for stocking,
for ageing or for assembly, etc.
 A cognac that is ready to be commercialised must be at
least two and a half years old starting from the 1st
October of the year of harvest. For the different classes of
Cognac, it is the age of the youngest spirit that determins
its class.

 ***, V.S. (Very Special), Sélection, de Luxe. The youngest spirit
of the assembly may not be less than four and a half years old.
But often, the spirits are much older.
 V.S.O.P., Réserve... The youngest spirit in the assembly for Very
Superior Old Pales, also called Reserve Cognacs is between four
and a half and six and a half years old.
 Napoléon, Impérial, Hors d’âge, Vieille Réserve, X.O. All terms
like Napoleon, XO or "very old" are assemblies of spirits that are
at least six and a half years old. However, most Cognacs are well
above this minimum imposed by the regulation. In fact some of
the most prestigious names assemble spirits that are each at
least dozens of years above the minimum required

The indications on vintages
 The term "Fine" is authorised by the law of 1938 and qualifies a vintage
spirit. For example, a "Grande Fine Champagne" qualifies a Grande
Champagne vintage cognac assembled with spirits that come solely
from the Grande Champagne region.
 On the other hand, the "Fine Champagne" appelation qualifies a cognac
with at least 50% of Grande Champagne spirits and the rest from Petite
Champagne.
 The appelations by vintage. A "Grande Champagne" or "Fine Grande
Champagne" cognac is assembled with 100% Grande Champagne
spirits.
 A "Petite Champagne" or "Fine Petite Champagne" cognac is
assembled with 100% Petite Champagne spirits.
 A "Fine Champagne" cognac is the result of an assembly of Grande and
Petite Champagne spirits with a minimum of 50% from Grande
Champagne.
 A "Borderies" or "Fine Borderies" cognac contains 100% of spirits from
the Borderies area.
 A "Fin Bois" or "Fine Fins Bois" cognac contains 100% of spirits from the
Fins Bois area.
 A "Bons Bois" ou "Fine Bons Bois" cognac contains 100% of spirits from
the Bons Bois area.

Tasting of cognac

First step : visual aspect
 The eye must judge
the spirit in three
ways : transparency,
colour and viscosity
(the liquid must not
be cloudy nor have
sediments). By tilting
the glass, one can
observe the "legs" or
"tears" effect which is
a sign of good age.

Second step : the scent
 Firstly, the connoisseur will
detect the very volatile and very
subtle scents that are often
hidden to the novice : he carries
the glass to within an inch of the
nostrils and tames the burning
vapours, he then smells a little
closer before inhaling at length
all the released smells with the
nose in the glass.
 Secondly, the connoisseur
discovers the less volatile
aromatic components : he stirs
and tosses the liquid inside the
glass to allow the spirit to
release new scents. He repeats
this action several times to
make the pleasure last and to
discover a whole new bouquet
every time.

Third step : the taste
 The tasting must obey strict rules : The
taster takes small sips at a time (1 to 2
ml). He holds each sip in the front of
the mouth and appreciates the "taste"
(balance between softness, acidity and
bitterness) and the "touch" (feeling of
roundness, warmth, strength,
astringency, body, oiliness, volume,
etc...). The second, longer sip will
suffuse the whole mouth and will bring
into full bloom the flavours and the less
volatile notes that complete the
bouquet

The different vintages

 The cognac region is characterised by the great
diversity of its soils : uncovered champagne
plains with chalky soil, stony red-soiled plains
and green valleys separating hillsides and
marshlands, crossed by woods of various
species of trees. There is only one zone which
carries the "Appellation d’Origine Contrôlée", but
there is more than just one type of cognac. This
zone is itself divided into different vintage regions
which have each their own characteristics.
 The 5 vintage regions spread in concentric
circles around Segonzac and Cognac. They are
the heart of the country which produce the most
beautiful spirit in the world.

The Grande-Champagne 13,766 hectares* of vineyards
 Situated in the heart of the cognac region, Grande-
Champagne is the most prestigious cognac vintage. It has
a very specific type of soil called the campus (where many
fossils are to be found) The quality, complexity and
longevity of the spirits that see the day on the hillsides just
to the south of Segonzac, "the capital of the Grande-
Champagne vintage region", are unequalled anywhere in
the world. There, the climatic conditions are the most
favourable, protected to the west from the vicissitudes of
an oceanic climate and to the east from the continental
climate. Grande-Champagne spirits distinguish themselves
by the floral dominance of its fragrance which is
reminiscent of the vine’s flower, dried vine shoot or even
dried lime tree leaves. Its bouquet is remarkable. After
ageing, the aromas grow and mature. Floral scents turn
into fruity aromas.
 * 1 hectare = 2,47 acres

The Petite-Champagne 16.171 hectares
 This large semi-circle covers an area whose soil,
called "santonian" (chalk of Saintes) is very rich
in limestone. A few regions in the Petite-
Champagne produce a Cognac that may equal
and even surpass the quality of some Grande-
Champagne Cognacs (especially on the Archiac
hillsides). It also distinguishes itself by a
dominating floral and somewhat fruity scent but
the bouquet is much shorter.

The Borderies 4.160 hectares
 This enclave of vineyards to the north of Cognac
produces excellent nutty flavoured spirits on a
decalcification soil. Some houses use it as a
base for their best cognacs. A collection of suave
scents brings to mind the floral fragrance of a
bunch of violets or irises. Very finely scented,
Borderies spirits have the added ability to age
and mature faster than that of Champagne

The Fins Bois or Fine Woods 34.265 hectares
 Forming a large ring with various types of soil,
this region produces cognacs of many different
qualities. The best of them see the light on hard
limestony soils to the north-east and south-east.
Fins Bois spirits are heavier and age rapidly but
their fruitiness, roundness and smoothness on
the palate are what give them their charm.
 * 1 hectare = 2,47 acres

The Bons Bois and Bois Ordinaires
19.979 hectares
 (Good Woods and Ordinary Woods)
 This belt which marks off the cognac region is
made of clay soils that are poor in limestone.
Less length in the mouth and age much to rapidly

Cocktails
 ALEXANDER
 B&B
 BETWEEN THE SHEETS
 FRENCH CONNECTION
 SIDE CAR
 OLYMPIC
 STINGER

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