Cognac ( ,
also , ) is a variety of
brandy named after the
commune
A commune is an alternative term for an intentional community. Commune or comună or comune or other derivations may also refer to:
Administrative-territorial entities
* Commune (administrative division), a municipality or township
** Communes of ...
of
Cognac, France. It is produced in the surrounding
wine-growing region in the
departments of
Charente and
Charente-Maritime
Charente-Maritime () is a department in the Nouvelle-Aquitaine region on the southwestern coast of France. Named after the river Charente, its prefecture is La Rochelle. As of 2019, it had a population of 651,358 with an area of 6,864 square kil ...
.
Cognac production falls under French
appellation d'origine contrôlée
An appellation is a legally defined and protected geographical indication primarily used to identify where the grapes for a wine were grown, although other types of food often have appellations as well. Restrictions other than geographical bou ...
(AOC) designation, with production methods and naming required to meet certain legal requirements. Among the specified grapes,
Ugni blanc, known locally as Saint-Émilion, is most widely used. The brandy must be twice
distilled in copper
pot stills and aged at least two years in French
oak barrels from
Limousin
Limousin (; oc, Lemosin ) is a former administrative region of southwest-central France. On 1 January 2016, it became part of the new administrative region of Nouvelle-Aquitaine. It comprised three departments: Corrèze, Creuse, and Haute-Vienn ...
or
Tronçais. Cognac matures in the same way as whiskies and wines barrel-age, and most cognacs spend considerably longer "on the wood" than the minimum legal requirement.
Production process
Cognac is a type of brandy, and after the distillation and during the aging process, is also called ''
eau de vie
An ''eau de vie'' (French for spirit, §16, §17 literally " water of life") is a clear, colourless fruit brandy that is produced by means of fermentation and double distillation. The fruit flavor is typically very light.
In English-speakin ...
''. It is produced by twice distilling grapes produced in any of the designated growing regions.
Grapes
The white wine used in making cognac is very dry, acidic, and thin; though it has been characterised as "virtually undrinkable",
it is excellent for distillation and aging. It may be made only from a strict list of grape varieties. For it to be considered a true ''cru'', the wine must be at least 90% Ugni blanc (known in Italy as
Trebbiano),
Folle blanche and
Colombard
Colombard (also known as French Colombard in North America) is a white French wine grape variety that is the offspring of Chenin blanc and Gouais blanc.winepros.com.au. This makes the grape the sibling of the Armagnac Meslier-Saint-François ...
, while up to 10% of the grapes used can be Folignan,
Jurançon blanc
Jurançon (; oc, Juranson) is a commune in the Pyrénées-Atlantiques department in Nouvelle-Aquitaine, France.
Population
See also
*Jurançon AOC, a wine from this commune
*Communes of the Pyrénées-Atlantiques department
The followi ...
,
Meslier St-François Meslier is originally a French surname, and can refer to the following:
*''People:''
** Jean Meslier (1664–1729), Catholic priest who was discovered after his death to have written a ''Testament'' attacking religion.
** Illan Meslier (born 2000) ...
(also called Blanc Ramé), Sélect,
Montils
Montils () is a commune in the Charente-Maritime department in southwestern France. The 17th–18th actor Louis Deseschaliers was born in Montils.
Geography
The Seugne flows north-northwest through the western part of the commune.
Population
...
, or
Sémillon
Sémillon is a golden-skinned grape used to make dry and sweet white wines, mostly in France and Australia. Its thin skin and susceptibility to botrytis make it dominate the sweet wine region Sauternes AOC and Barsac AOC.
History
The Sémil ...
.
Cognacs which are not to carry the name of a ''cru'' are freer in the allowed grape varieties, needing at least 90% Colombard, Folle blanche, Jurançon blanc, Meslier Saint-François, Montils, Sémillon, or Ugni blanc, and up to 10% Folignan or Sélect.
Fermentation and distillation
![Cognac pot still - 20091205](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/8/8b/Cognac_pot_still_-_20091205.jpg)
After the grapes are
pressed, the juice is left to ferment for 2–3 weeks, with the region's native, wild yeasts converting the fruit sugars into
alcohol; neither sugar nor sulphur may be added.
At this point, the resulting wine is about 7 to 8% alcohol.
Distillation takes place in traditionally shaped Charentais copper
alembic stills, the design and dimensions of which are also legally controlled. Two distillations must be carried out; the resulting ''eau de vie'' is a colourless spirit of about 70% alcohol.
Aging
Once distillation is complete, it must be aged in Limousin oak casks for at least two years before it can be sold to the public. It is typically put into casks at an
alcohol by volume strength around 70%.
As the cognac interacts with the oak barrel and the air, it evaporates at the rate of about 3% each year, slowly losing both alcohol and water (the former more rapidly, as it is more volatile).
This phenomenon is called locally ''la part des anges'', or "the angels' share". When more than ten years pass in the oak barrel, the cognac's alcohol content decreases to 40% in volume.
The cognac is then transferred to "large glass bottles called bonbonnes", then stored for future "blending."
Since oak barrels stop contributing to flavor after four or five decades, longer aging periods may not be beneficial.
Blending
The age of the cognac is calculated as that of the youngest component used in the blend. The blend is usually of different ages and (in the case of the larger and more commercial producers) from different local areas. This blending, or ''marriage'', of different ''eaux de vie'' is important to obtain a complexity of flavours absent from an ''eau de vie'' from a single distillery or vineyard. Each cognac house has a master taster (''maître de chai''), who is responsible for blending the spirits, so that cognac produced by a company will have a consistent house style and quality. In this respect, it is similar to the process of blending
whisky
Whisky or whiskey is a type of distilled alcoholic beverage made from fermented grain mash. Various grains (which may be malted) are used for different varieties, including barley, corn, rye, and wheat. Whisky is typically aged in wooden ca ...
or non-vintage Champagne to achieve a consistent brand flavor. A very small number of producers, such as
Guillon Painturaud and
Moyet, do not blend their final product from different ages of ''eaux de vie'', so produce a "purer" flavour.
Hundreds of vineyards in the Cognac AOC region sell their own cognac. These are likewise blended from the ''eaux de vie'' of different years, but they are single-vineyard cognacs, varying slightly from year to year and according to the taste of the producer, hence lacking some of the predictability of the better-known commercial products. Depending on their success in marketing, small producers may sell a larger or smaller proportion of their product to individual buyers, wine dealers, bars and restaurants, the remainder being acquired by larger cognac houses for blending.
Grades
![Vegu cognac boutrand biron 70s 2010](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/2/2c/Vegu_cognac_boutrand_biron_70s_2010.jpg)
According to the Bureau National Interprofessionnel du Cognac (BNIC), the official quality grades of cognac are:
* V.S. (Very Special) or ✯✯✯ (three stars) designates a blend in which the youngest brandy has been aged for at least two years in a cask.
* V.S.O.P. (Very Superior Old Pale) or Reserve designates a blend in which the youngest brandy is aged for at least four years in a cask.
* Napoléon designates a blend in which the youngest brandy is aged for at least six years.
*XO (Extra Old) The minimum age of the youngest brandy used in an XO blend was increased to 10 years in April 2018; this rule was originally scheduled for implementation in 2016, but was postponed due to inadequate stocks. The Napoleon designation, previously unofficial, is used to specifically denote those blends with a minimum age of six years that do not meet the revised XO definition.
* XXO (Extra Extra Old) is a specific indication given to wine spirits that have been aged for at least 14 years.
* Hors d'âge (Beyond Age) is a designation which BNIC states is equal to XO, but in practice the term is used by producers to market a high-quality product beyond the official age scale.
Most names of the grades are in English because the historical cognac trade, particularly in the 18th century, significantly involved the British.
Producing regions
![Map of Cognac Regions3](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/6/62/Map_of_Cognac_Regions3.svg)
Cognac is also classified by ''
crus'', tightly defined geographic denominations where the grapes are grown. Their distinctive soils and
microclimate
A microclimate (or micro-climate) is a local set of atmospheric conditions that differ from those in the surrounding areas, often with a slight difference but sometimes with a substantial one. The term may refer to areas as small as a few squ ...
s produce ''eaux de vie'' with characteristics particular to their specific location.
* ''Grande Champagne'' () The soils in Grande Champagne and Petite Champagne are characterized as shallow clay-limestone, over limestone and chalk.
* ''Petite Champagne'' () ''Petite Champagne eaux de vie'' have similar characteristics to those from Grande Champagne. Cognacs made from a mixture of ''Grande'' and ''Petite Champagne eaux de vie'' (with at least 50% Grande Champagne) may be marketed as "
Fine Champagne".
* ''Borderies'' () The smallest ''cru''. This denomination's soil contains clay and flint stones resulting from the decomposition of limestone.
* ''Fins Bois'' () Heavier and faster aging ''eaux de vie'' ideal for establishing the base of some blended cognacs. The soils here are predominantly red clay-limestone and very stony, or otherwise heavy clay soils.
* ''Bons Bois'' and ''Bois Ordinaires'' (together ). Further out from the four central growth areas are these two growing regions. With a poorer soil and very much influenced by the maritime climate, this area is 20,000 hectares.
* ''Bois à terroirs'' The soils of Les Bois (Bons Bois, Bois Ordinaires, and Bois à terroirs) are sandy, spanning coastal areas and some valleys.
The cognac-producing regions called Champagne should not be confused with the northeastern region of
Champagne
Champagne (, ) is a sparkling wine originated and produced in the Champagne wine region of France under the rules of the appellation, that demand specific vineyard practices, sourcing of grapes exclusively from designated places within it, ...
, a
wine region
This list of wine-producing regions catalogues significant growing regions where vineyards are planted. Wine grapes mostly grow between the 30th and the 50th degree of latitude, in both the Northern and Southern hemispheres. Grapes will sometimes ...
that produces
sparkling wine by that name, although they do share a common
etymology
Etymology ()The New Oxford Dictionary of English (1998) – p. 633 "Etymology /ˌɛtɪˈmɒlədʒi/ the study of the class in words and the way their meanings have changed throughout time". is the study of the history of the Phonological chan ...
.
Companies and brands
Close to 200 cognac producers exist.
According to one 2008 estimate
a large percentage of cognac—more than 90% for the US market—comes from only four producers:
Courvoisier
Courvoisier () is a brand of cognac, with production based in the town of Jarnac in the Charente region of France. It is the youngest and smallest of the "big four" cognac houses (the others are Hennessy, Rémy Martin, and Martell).
Courvo ...
(owned by
Beam Suntory
Beam Suntory, Inc. is an American-founded, Japanese multinational company that produces alcoholic beverages. It is a subsidiary of Suntory, based in Osaka, Japan.
It is the third largest producer of distilled beverages worldwide, behind Diageo ...
),
Hennessy
Jas Hennessy & Co., commonly known simply as Hennessy (), is a French producer of cognac, which has its headquarters in Cognac, France.
It is one of the "big four" cognac houses, along with Martell, Courvoisier, and Rémy Martin, who together ma ...
(
LVMH),
Martell (
Pernod Ricard), and
Rémy Martin
Rémy Martin () is a French firm that primarily produces and sells cognac. Founded in 1724 and based in the commune of Cognac, it is among the oldest cognac producers still in existence. and one of the "big four" cognac houses (along with Henne ...
(
Rémy Cointreau
Rémy Cointreau is a French, family-owned business group whose origins date back to 1724. The group has an international portfolio of spirits (cognac, liqueurs and spirits): Rémy Martin and Louis XIII cognacs, Cointreau liqueur, METAXA Greek spi ...
).
Other brands meeting the AOC criteria for cognac include
Bache-Gabrielsen/Dupuy,
Braastad,
Camus,
La Fontaine de La Pouyade, Château Fontpinot,
Delamain, Pierre Ferrand,
Frapin,
Gautier,
Hine
''Hine'' is a surname deriving from Middle English.
Etymology
According to the '' Oxford Dictionary of Family Names in Britain and Ireland'', the modern name ''Hine'' and its variants derive from the Middle English word ''hine'' (with the addit ...
,
Marcel Ragnaud,
Monnet,
Moyet,
Otard
Otard, is a French cognac house founded in 1795 by Jean-Baptiste Antoine Otard. It was founded at the Château de Cognac, and is also sold under the name Château Royal de Cognac. Baron Otard Cognac owned by the Otard family until it was bought by ...
,
Meukow, and
Cognac Croizet.
In 2017, an agreement between the European Union and Armenia was signed, whereby Armenian producers will abandon the usage of the protected geographic name "cognac" from 2043.
The name "cognac" will be prohibited for the domestic Armenian market from 2032.
Cognac-based drinks
*
Alexander
Alexander is a male given name. The most prominent bearer of the name is Alexander the Great, the king of the Ancient Greek kingdom of Macedonia who created one of the largest empires in ancient history.
Variants listed here are Aleksandar, Al ...
*
Between the Sheets
*
Chambord Chambord can refer to:
* Chambord (liqueur), a brand of raspberry-flavored liqueur
* Château de Chambord, a French ''château'' built in the 16th century
* Chambord, Loir-et-Cher, the French commune where the ''château'' is located
* Chambord, ...
: a liqueur made from cognac infused with black and red
raspberries
The raspberry is the edible fruit of a multitude of plant species in the genus ''Rubus'' of the rose family, most of which are in the subgenus '' Idaeobatus''. The name also applies to these plants themselves. Raspberries are perennial with ...
and Madagascar
vanilla
Vanilla is a spice derived from orchids of the genus ''Vanilla (genus), Vanilla'', primarily obtained from pods of the Mexican species, flat-leaved vanilla (''Vanilla planifolia, V. planifolia'').
Pollination is required to make the p ...
*
Domaine de Canton: a cognac based
ginger liqueur
*
French Connection
The French Connection was a scheme through which heroin was smuggled from Indochina through Turkey to France and then to the United States and Canada, sometimes through Cuba. The operation started in the 1930s, reached its peak in the 1960s, and ...
*
Grand Marnier
Grand Marnier () is a French brand of liqueurs. The brand's best-known product is Grand Marnier Cordon Rouge, an orange-flavored liqueur created in 1880 by Alexandre Marnier-Lapostolle. It is made from a blend of Cognac brandy, distilled esse ...
: a liqueur made from cognac and distilled essence of
bitter orange
Bitter orange, Seville orange, bigarade orange, or marmalade orange is the citrus tree ''Citrus'' × ''aurantium'' and its fruit. It is native to Southeast Asia and has been spread by humans to many parts of the world. It is probably a cross be ...
*
Pineau des Charentes: a sweet ''apéritif'', composed of ''eau-de-vie'' and grape
must, made in the
Charente region
*
Sazerac
The Sazerac is a local variation of a cognac or whiskey cocktail originally from New Orleans, named for the ''Sazerac de Forge et Fils'' brand of cognac brandy that served as its original main ingredient. The drink is most traditionally a combi ...
*
Sidecar
A sidecar is a one-wheeled device attached to the side of a motorcycle, scooter, or bicycle, making the whole a three-wheeled vehicle. A motorcycle with a sidecar is sometimes called a ''combination'', an ''outfit'', a ''rig'' or a ''hack''.
...
: a cocktail traditionally made with cognac, an orange liqueur, and
lemon
The lemon (''Citrus limon'') is a species of small evergreen trees in the flowering plant family Rutaceae, native to Asia, primarily Northeast India (Assam), Northern Myanmar or China.
The tree's ellipsoidal yellow fruit is used for culin ...
juice
*
Stinger
A stinger (or sting) is a sharp organ found in various animals (typically insects and other arthropods) capable of injecting venom, usually by piercing the epidermis of another animal.
An insect sting is complicated by its introduction of ve ...
See also
*
Armagnac (brandy)
Armagnac (, ) is a distinctive kind of brandy produced in the Armagnac region in Gascony, southwest France. It is distilled from wine usually made from a blend of grapes including Baco 22A, Colombard, Folle blanche and Ugni blanc, traditionally ...
*
Cocktails made with brandy
References
External links
*
Cognac and Armagnac– The official website of France
*
Cognac official website– Bureau National Interprofessionnel du Cognac (BNIC)
*
The BNIC Cognac encyclopedia
{{DEFAULTSORT:Cognac (Brandy)
Brandies
Charente
Charente-Maritime
French distilled drinks