Cognac, a French lifestyle

Cognac, a French lifestyle

Coming from the best vineyards and transported on ships to Northern European countries, the Poitou, La Rochelle, and d'Angoumois have been greatly appreciated by the English, the Dutch, and the Scandinavians since the 13th Century...

A little bit of history

Starting in the 17th Century, they were transformed in eau-de-vie (literally, "water of life") and improved by ageing in oak casks. Cognac is born. And this is how the adventure of a city that was to become the capital of a world class business began.

> 3rd Century

Expansion of the Saintonge vineyards. The roman Emperor Probus extends ti all Gauls the privilege of owning vineyards and growing wines.

> 12th Century

Guillaume X, Duke of Guyenne and Count of Poitiers, creates a large vineyard knowns as the " vignoble de Poitou".

> 13th Century

Dutch ships bringing salt from the area to Northern European countries also carry wine from the "Vignoble de Poitou". This early wines trade helps develop a business mentality in the Charente region. The success of local wines leads to the expansion of the vineyard of Poitou, into the Saintonge and Angoumois areas. The city of Cognac becomes renowned for its wine trade adding to a reputation for storing salt since 11^th

century.

> 16th Century

Dutch ships come to Coganc and Charentais ports in search of the famous wine of the "Champagne" and "Borderies" areas. The wines from the vineyads in Aunis suffer from excessive production and their dropping quality. Because of their weakness, they can't survive long sea trips. The Dutch start using theim in their newly established distillerie where they are transformed into burnt wine hence the name Brandy. It is drunk with water in an attempt to recreate the original wine.

> 17th Century

At the beginning of the century, double distillation makes its appearance in the region. It will allow the transformation of local wines into eau-de-vie, and their transportation by sea without damage. Given its concentration, eau-de-vie is much cheaper to ship than wine. The first distillation stills in the Charente were built by the Dutch. They are progressively modified until French distillers refine the method of double distillation also known as Charentaise distillation.

Delays in the handling of ship cargos leads to the realisation that eau-de-vie improves when its spends extended time in oak casks (made with wood from the Limousin region) and that it can even be consumed straight from the cask.

> 18th Century

From the end of the17th century, and most especially from the beginning of the 18^th century, the market becomes organised. In order to meet demand, 'Local Offices"- most of them of an Anglo-Saxon origin- are created in the main towns of the region. Some of them still exist nowadays. They collect eau-de-vie and established long-term commercial relationships with buyers in Holland, England, northern Europe, and later in America and the Far-East.

> 19th Century

Starting in the middle of the 19^th century, many trading houses begin to ship eau-de-vie in bottles instead of casks. In turn, this new form of commerce gives birth to related industries such as glassmaking, case making, corks and printing. The Vignoble now occupies nearly 280 000 hectares. Around 1875, the Philloxera arrives in the Charente and destroy most of the vineyard leaving only 40 000 hectares by 1893. This tragedy will lead to the creation of a Viticulture Committee which is established in 1888. It will become today's Station viticole -Cognac 's technical center-in 1892.

> 20th Century

The vineyards are slowly replanted using american rootstock immune to Philloxera.

Fragils traditional grapes varieties are little by mittle replaced by the Ugni Blanc, which is moreresistant and it is now used for more than 90% in the production of Cognac.On May 1^st, 1909, the geographical area for production is delimited by the governement. By 1936, Cognac is recognized as a Controlled Appellation of Origin. During the 2^nd World War, a wine and eau-de-vie distribution brreau is created to protect the stock of Cognac.. When the war ends, it is replaced by the "Bureau National Interprofessionnel du Cognac " and in 1848, the Station Viticole is placed under its authority. Henceforth, all the stages involved in Cognac elaboration are subject to regulations destined to protect the product and thus its reputation is increasingly known and respected.

> 21th Century

Cognac is exported in 150 countries. Regardless of the way it is consumed, it is from the Far East to the American continent, and in Europe, synonym of great quality, a symbol of France, and her lifestyle.

Like all luxury products, the success of Cognac is dependent of the international environment. That is why all the producers make every effort to protect Cognac's unrivalled quality, its uniqueness and its authenticity in the face of global competition.

The Delimited Région

The Cognac Delimited Region is located at the north of the Aquitaine basin, bordering the Atlantic Ocean. To the West, it borders the Gironde estuary and the islands of Ré and Oléron and to the Eastit neighbours the region of Angoulême and the Massif Central foothills.

The landscape is formed by plains and small hills with smooth reliefs. The Charente river crosses the region, nourished by other streams: the Né, the Antenne, the Seugne rivers...

The production area covers the Charente-Maritime and most of the Charente departments, and several districts of the Dordogne and Deux-Sèvres. It has a homogenous and mild seaside climate. Annual average temperature in the area is of about 13ºC (55 ºF), and winters are normally mild. The Delimited Region has a total area of over one million hectares (1 095 119 ha), but the actual vineyards only occupy 79 636 ha. Approximately 95% of them are used for Cognac production.

Growing areas (The Crus)

The Cognac Delimited Region is composed by six crus refering to the differents appellations:

> Champagnes
Clayey, chalky thin soils on top of soft chalk from the Cretaceous. From the surface down, the limestone content is very high and in excess of 60% in some places. Montmorillonite clay provide these fertile soils with good structure and water reserve. Despite their thinness, these soils do not suffer from lack of water as the sub-soil acts as a giant sponge through which water may slowly rise as the summer dryness increases.

> The Grande Champagne Appellation
Grande Champagne is planted with about 13 159 ha of vines used in the production of Cognac white wines. These wines produce fine, light Cognacs with a predominantly floral bouquet, requiring long ageing in casks to achieve full maturity.

> The Petite Champagne Appellation
Petite Champagne has 15 246 devoted to Cognac production. The resulting eaux-de-vie are very similar to those of Grande Champagne, but without their finesse.

> The Borderies
The Borderies is the smallest of the six Crus. Its soil contains clay and flint stones resulting from the decomposition of limestone. Lying North-East of Cognac, its 3 987 ha of vines produce fine, round Cognacs, smooth and scented with an aroma of violets. They reach optimum quality after a shorter ageing period than Cognacs from the Grande and Petite Champagne.

> The Bois

The Fins Bois Appellation
Most of this area is covered by clayey, chalky soils known as «groies» very similar to those of the Champagne Crus, except for their red colour and hard stones from the Jurassic. Lying in a lower area known as the "Pays Bas" (Low Countries) north of Cognac, heavy clayey soils can also be found (60% clay). The Fins Bois surround the first three crus. Their 31 001 ha produce round, smooth Cognacs that age fairly quickly, with a bouquet that recalls the scent of freshly pressed grapes.

The Bons Bois Appellation
In the Bons bois crus, we find sandy soils on coastal locations, in certain valleys, and most especially in all the southern part of the vineyard. These are sands that have eroded from the Massif Central. Vines are quite dispersed, mixed with other crops, surrounded by forests of pine trees and chestnuts. The Bons Bois form a vast belt, of which 9 308 ha are destined to Cognac production.

The Bois à Terroir or Bois Ordinaires
This growing area has less of 1 101 ha of vines destined to Cognac white wine production. The soil, almost exclusively sandy, lies along the coast or on the islands of Ré or Oléron, producing fast-ageing eaux-de-vie with a characteristic maritime flavour.

The Fine Champagne Appellation
Fine Champagne is not a cru, but rather a Controlled Appellation of Origin composed of a blend of Grande and Petite Champagne eaux-de-vie, with a minimum of 50% of Grande Champagne.

Harvest and vinification

It all starts with the grape varieties (Ugni blanc is the main one), selected to produce the white wines destined exclusively for Cognac production. This is followed by the traditional harvesting, pressing the grapes, and making the wine...

Taking together all the growing areas, the Cognac Delimited Region comprises about 6 200 vineyards that produce Charentes white wine used in the production of Cognac. The variety most widely planted is Ugni Blanc (although Folle Blanche and Colombard are also found). This late maturing variety has a good resistance to "grey mould" and produces a wine with two essential features: a high acidity level and, generally speaking, a low alcohol content. Since the phylloxera plague suffered at the end of the 19th century, all the varieties used have been grafted onto various vinestocks according to the type of soil.

Mid-october : the Harvest

On average, vines are planted 3 meters apart. All types of pruning are permitted. The most commonly used is the "Double Guyot" method. Some harvesters continue to harvest by hand, but the great majority now use a harvesting machine. These machines have existed for about 30 years and are perfectly suited to the needs of the region's growers. Harvesting may begin as soon as the grape reaches maturity, generally at the beginning of October and conclude at the end of the month.

Pressing and fermentation :The Natural Method
The grapes are pressed immediately after harvesting in traditional basket plate presses or pneumatic bladder presses. The use of continuous presses are forbidden. Fermentation of the juice follows immediately. Chaptalisation (the addition of sugar) is forbidden by law. Pressing and fermentation are closely supervised, as they have a determining influence on the final quality of the eau-de-vie.

From wine to eau-de-vie
About 5 to 7 days after the beginning of fermentation, the wines for Cognac contain about 9% alcohol.
With their high acidity and low alcohol content, they are perfect for distillation, which must be completed by the next March 31st.

Once alcoholic fermentation is completed, the white wine has to be distilled to make the eau-de-vie.
The distillation method has not changed since the birth of Cognac. The special Charentais copper stills "à repasse" that were used then are still in use today.

Cognac distillation is performed in a two-stage process:
• Stage one: a first distillate is obtained, referred to as "brouillis", with an alcohol volume of 28 to 32%.
• Stage two: The "brouillis" is returned to the boiler for a second heating, known as "la bonne chauffe ».

Cognac distillation

Why is Distillation Necessary?

Alcohol is a product of the fermentation of sugars, found in its natural form in fruit as fructose and glucose. Alcohol is also associated to many other components and must therefore be isolated from them. This operation is performed by distillation. The principle of distillation is based on the volatility differences of these components. In a distilled eau-de-vie we only find those volatile substances that make up the main features of the bouquet.

Which Wines Are Distilled?

Cognac is obtained by the distillation of white wines harvested in the Controlled Appellation area. These wines have a high acidity and a low alcohol content.

Distillation is carried out in two "chauffes", that is, in two separate heatings, using a special Charentais copper still. It is made of a uniquely shaped boiler heated on a naked flame topped by a still-head in the shape of a turban, an olive, or an onion, and prolonged by a swan-neck tube that turns into a coil and passes through a cooling tank referred to as "the pipe".

The Distillation Method

Unfiltered wine is poured into the boiler and brought to the boil. Alcohol vapours are freed and collected in the still-head. They then enter the swan-neck and continue into the coil. Upon contact with the coolant, they condense, forming a liquid known as "brouillis". This slightly cloudy liquid with an alcohol content of 28 to 32 % alcohol is returned to the boiler for a second distillation, known as the "bonne chauffe". For this second heating, the boiler capacity must not exceed 30 hectoliters, and the load volume is limited to 25 hectoliters.
The master distiller must then carry out the delicate operation known as "cutting" or "la coupe":
the first vapours that arrive, called "the heads", have the highest alcohol content, and are separated from the rest. Then comes "the heart", a clear spirit that will produce Cognac.
Afterwords the distiller gets rid of "the second cut" when the alcoholometer registers 60%. And finally he eliminates the tails. The "heads" and "second cuts" are redistilled with the next batch of wine or "brouillis". The success of the distilling cycle, which lasts about 24 hours, lies in the constant supervision it requires and in the extensive experience of the master distiller, who may also intervene in the distillation techniques (proportion of fine lees, recycling of "tails" in batches of wine or "brouillis", temperature curves...), thus conferring Cognac facets of his personality.

NOTE
The distillation season for white wines destined for the production of Cognac closes on March 31st following the harvest.

The work of time

The long work of maturing Cognac, which may at times last decades, is made possible thanks to the wood's porosity. It allows indirect contact between the spirit in the casks and the air outside. This way, the substances extracted by the Cognac from the wood, known as "dry extracts", alter the Cognac's physical appearance, giving it a colour ranging from golden yellow to fiery brown.
With time, the transfer of the natural characteristics of the oak gradually produces «rancio» aromas and develops the bouquet of Cognac.

A corner of paradise

The oldest Cognacs are usually kept away from the other cellars, in a dark cellar known as "the Paradise".
Once they have reached maturity, the Master Blender decides to end their ageing process and places them first into very old casks and then into large glass containers called "demijohns", where they may rest for many decades with no air contact.

The Angle share

While Cognac is ageing in casks, absorbing the best of the oak and developing its most exquisite flavours, it is in contact with the air and gradually loses some of its alcohol and some volume, but without excess.
Cognac: The Angel's ShareThis natural evaporation is poetically referred to as "The Angel's Share". It is the equivalent of more than twenty million bottles per year that disappear into the atmosphere: a high price that Cognac producers do not hesitate to pay in their quest for perfection.
These alcohol vapours feed a microscopic fungus known as "torula compniacensis" that covers and blackens the stone walls of the cellars, giving them their characteristic colour.

Elaboration

The blending process

Making Cognac is the work of the Master Blender. Like the "master nose" and his perfumes, the Cognac Master Blender (Maître de Chai) subtly blends together eaux-de-vie of different ages and from different crus. Rigorously, with experience and intuition, he strives to achieve consistency in his blends and loyalty among the followers of his House.

The Master Blender buys eaux-de-vie and follows their development from the moment they come out of the pot stills.
He monitors their ageing, tastes them regularly, and decides whether it is time to change them from one oak cask or from a chai - ageing warehouse - to another so they become rounder or dryer.
It is also he who progressively adds distilled or demineralized water to the eau-de-vie in order to slowly reach the desired alcohol content for its release into the market. Cognac's minimum alcohol content must be 40%. This delicate operation is referred to as "reduction".

This task requires an extensive experience and allows each Master Blender to fine-tune the product's quality. By creating a blend of the various eaux-de-vie, combining different ages andThe work of the master blender requires extensive experience. It allows each Cognac House to control the quality of its spirit. By blending eaux-de-vie of different ages and from different crus, the master blender creates genuine harmonies, like a painter or a musician. This patient craftsmanship will allow each consumer to recognize and appreciate the Cognac he/she loves.