Fine Champagne is a

cognac Cognac ( , also , ) is a variety of brandy named after the Communes of France, commune of Cognac, France. It is produced in the surrounding wine-growing region in the Departments of France, departments of Charente and Charente-Maritime. Cog ...

blend of eau-de-vie from the

Grande Champagne Grande Champagne is a French district, called a ''cru'', known for its cognac. It produces the finest cognacs in a zone of 34703 hectares, of which 17% is dedicated to production of cognac, which can be marked as Grande Champagne or Grande Fin ...

and

Petite Champagne Petite Champagne is a geographic zone of Cognac production of approximately 66,000 hectares, of which about 15,000 are dedicated to wines destined for cognac, which can be marked as Petite Champagne or Petite Fine Champagne. It is situated in th ...

''crus'' or growing areas. It is recognized as an appellation of origin related to the six crus of Cognac, but Fine Champagne is not a cru itself. Among the major cognac houses,

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 Hennes ...

is a specialist in this type of production, while other houses such as

Braastad Braastad is a brand of cognac. It's a range of product from the cognac House Tiffon. The name Braastad was introduced when Sverre Braastad (1879 – 1979) from Gjøvik, Norway, married the daughter of cognac producer Tiffon, Edith Rousseau, in ...

, De Luze,

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 ...

and Tiffon all produce and sell Fine Champagne cognacs.

Legal definition and labeling

According to the ''Bureau National Interprofessionnel du Cognac'' (BNIC - National inter-professional cognac office), cognac is the result of blending mature eaux-de-vie from different crus, but this is not mandatory. If a cru is mentioned on the label, this means that 100% of the eaux-de-vie which make up that cognac come from that cru. The ''Appellation Cognac Fine Champagne Contrôlée'' (Cognac Fine Champagne registered designation of origin) is ascribed to cognac of which the eaux-de-vie are exclusive to Grande Champagne and Petite Champagne, with a minimum of 50% Grande Champagne.

Origin and history

During the 19th century, Charentais geologist Henri Coquand devoted himself to numerous studies on the nature of cognac-producing soil, and his studies resulted in the official delimitation of the different crus. The origin of Cognac Fine Champagne appear to precede Coquand’s research. The name was used by Paul-Emile Rémy Martin, the owner of the Rémy Martin cognac house, who blended the Grande Champagne and Petite Champagne crus. Today, Rémy Martin states 1848 as the birth of their company's first Fine Champagne cognac.Fine Champagne origins
/ref> A register in their archives proves this name was used from 1820, and the first legal texts protecting the places' names date back to 1824.Gilles Bernard, ''Cognac: A la conquête du monde'', Presses Universitaires de Bordeaux onquering the world, Bordeaux university press2011, p. 117, 118 In 1927, Rémy Martin created VSOP Fine Champagne and since 1948, every cognac from Rémy Martin has the Cognac Fine Champagne designation.

Production and special features

The Cognac

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 boun ...

is divided into six crus corresponding to the growing areas called

Borderies Cognac ( , also , ) is a variety of brandy named after the commune of Cognac, France. It is produced in the surrounding wine-growing region in the departments of Charente and Charente-Maritime. Cognac production falls under French appe ...

Fins Bois Fins Bois is a wine producing sub-region within the Cognac appellation, geographically surrounding the sub-regions of Grande Champagne, Petite Champagne and Borderies, and which falls within both the Charente and Charente-Maritime Charente-Mari ...

, Bons Bois and Bois Ordinaires. The crus' delimitation, according to geological and sampling criteria of the eaux-de-vie, was carried out during the 19th century, registered in 1909 and integrated in the designation decree in 1938. Fine Champagne is produced from eaux-de-vie from two crus (Grande Champagne and Petite Champagne), which have very chalky soil. This terroir produces very aromatic eaux-de-vie, slow ripening, with a great ageing potential. Petite Champagne is known for its cognacs' potency, while Grande Champagne is known for its cognacs' finesse. The two main crus' soil, soft and chalky from the

Cretaceous The Cretaceous ( ) is a geological period that lasted from about 145 to 66 million years ago (Mya). It is the third and final period of the Mesozoic Era, as well as the longest. At around 79 million years, it is the longest geological period of th ...

period, has a great capacity to retain water, which ensures a regular supply to the vine. The level of organic material is significant and the top soil reflects the light encouraging the vine to thrive. The Fine Champagne cognac's plant material is mostly the

Ugni Blanc Trebbiano is an Italian wine grape, one of the most widely planted grape varieties in the world. It gives good yields, but tends to yield undistinguished wine. It can be fresh and fruity, but does not keep long. Also known as ugni blanc, it h ...

vine; the cognac designation decree also includes the

Folle Blanche Folle blanche, also known as Picpoule, Gros Plant, and Enrageat blanc, is a wine grape variety from southwest France. It was the traditional grape variety in Cognac and Armagnac production until the 20th century. Folle blanche is an offspring o ...

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 an ...

vines. The Ugni Blanc vine, also called Trebbanio, originates from Italy, it is known for its finesse, vivacity and acidity which is ideal for distillation. A late budding variety, the Ugni Blanc is less susceptible to late frosts. It is also found in

Armagnac 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 ...

, the Languedoc, Corsica, Italy and Bulgaria. Out of the 75,000 hectares in the Cognac appellation area, Grande Champagne has 13,800 hectares and Petite Champagne has 16,200 hectares. During the 1960s, l'Alliance Fine Champagne (The Fine Champagne Alliance) was started by André Hériard Dubreuil of Rémy Martin. This cooperative brings together a thousand wine growers from Petite Champagne and Grande Champagne.

The Fine Champagne Cognac Houses

Cognac houses that produce and sell Fine Champagne are: * A. De Fussigny, Grosperrin * Bache * Braastad * De Luze * Grosperrin * Hine * Le Roch *

* Tiffon

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Fine Champagne Cognac Distilleries in France French brands Luxury brands Charente Charente-Maritime French distilled drinks

Legal definition and labeling

Origin and history

Production and special features

The Fine Champagne Cognac Houses

See also

References