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In France, a Cognac Tasting Tour at the Source In France, a Cognac Tasting Tour at the Source
(4 days later)
With an alcohol by volume strength of 70 percent, the aroma alone of the eau-de-vie, the double-distilled brandy that would eventually be blended into a Cognac, was enough to make me feel tipsy. I stood in the 13th-century cellars of Delamain, a Cognac house in Jarnac, France, inhaling the sting of the colorless liquid and found myself clutching an oak cask for support.With an alcohol by volume strength of 70 percent, the aroma alone of the eau-de-vie, the double-distilled brandy that would eventually be blended into a Cognac, was enough to make me feel tipsy. I stood in the 13th-century cellars of Delamain, a Cognac house in Jarnac, France, inhaling the sting of the colorless liquid and found myself clutching an oak cask for support.
Delamain’s master blender, Dominique Touteau, cautioned me against a taste. “Even a tiny sip will burn your throat,” he said.Delamain’s master blender, Dominique Touteau, cautioned me against a taste. “Even a tiny sip will burn your throat,” he said.
I had come to the Cognac region to learn more about the eponymous spirit, and understanding this essential ingredient was part of my orientation. I’ve had a longtime association with Cognac, the drink. As a child and into my teenage years, my father occasionally made me a concoction of Cognac, honey and hot water to relieve a sore throat and clear congestion.I had come to the Cognac region to learn more about the eponymous spirit, and understanding this essential ingredient was part of my orientation. I’ve had a longtime association with Cognac, the drink. As a child and into my teenage years, my father occasionally made me a concoction of Cognac, honey and hot water to relieve a sore throat and clear congestion.
My appreciation for Cognac is now more fun, less medicinal. I sip it with ice as an after-dinner digestif and imbibe with cocktails in which it is the primary liquor. But, until I went to Cognac in southwest France last December, I didn’t know much about the brandy apart from that it’s made with white wine grapes, primarily a variety called Ugni Blanc, and that I liked its refined taste.My appreciation for Cognac is now more fun, less medicinal. I sip it with ice as an after-dinner digestif and imbibe with cocktails in which it is the primary liquor. But, until I went to Cognac in southwest France last December, I didn’t know much about the brandy apart from that it’s made with white wine grapes, primarily a variety called Ugni Blanc, and that I liked its refined taste.
My ignorance wasn’t the exception, according to my guide, Madeleine Marchand, the founder of the Bordeaux-based travel company Bordeaux Excellence, who used to work at Remy Martin to distribute Cognac in eastern Asia.My ignorance wasn’t the exception, according to my guide, Madeleine Marchand, the founder of the Bordeaux-based travel company Bordeaux Excellence, who used to work at Remy Martin to distribute Cognac in eastern Asia.
“There’s an air of mystery around Cognac,” she said. “It’s a popular spirit and on every restaurant menu, but people aren’t aware of its intricacies or history the way they are about wine.”“There’s an air of mystery around Cognac,” she said. “It’s a popular spirit and on every restaurant menu, but people aren’t aware of its intricacies or history the way they are about wine.”
The first thing to know, she said, is that for a brandy to be called a Cognac, it must be produced in the Cognac region, comprised of six subregions with a patchwork of vineyards. On a drive through these — Grande Champagne, Petite Champagne, Borderies, Fins Bois, Bons Bois and Bois Ordinaires — she explained that although Grande and Petit Champagne are considered the most premier, most of the more than 200 Cognac producers rely on eaux-de-vie made with grapes from several subregions to craft their blends.The first thing to know, she said, is that for a brandy to be called a Cognac, it must be produced in the Cognac region, comprised of six subregions with a patchwork of vineyards. On a drive through these — Grande Champagne, Petite Champagne, Borderies, Fins Bois, Bons Bois and Bois Ordinaires — she explained that although Grande and Petit Champagne are considered the most premier, most of the more than 200 Cognac producers rely on eaux-de-vie made with grapes from several subregions to craft their blends.
The landscape I saw has had vines since Roman times, but the origins of Cognac go back only to the 16th century when Dutch merchants came to the region to buy white wines. These delicate wines were hard to preserve over the long distances they had to travel, and to keep them from spoiling, French distillers heated the liquid in copper pots and then cooled it. This process turned it into an eau-de-vie, a concentrated alcohol solution that wouldn’t easily go bad.The landscape I saw has had vines since Roman times, but the origins of Cognac go back only to the 16th century when Dutch merchants came to the region to buy white wines. These delicate wines were hard to preserve over the long distances they had to travel, and to keep them from spoiling, French distillers heated the liquid in copper pots and then cooled it. This process turned it into an eau-de-vie, a concentrated alcohol solution that wouldn’t easily go bad.
Somehow, however, it was discovered that distilling the wine again and aging it in oak barrels — the reason for Cognac’s amber hue — created an enjoyable libation. These eaux-de-vie, like the one I sniffed at Delamain, have an alcoholic strength of around 70 percent when they’re first stored. Their potency drops over time, and the Cognac comes to fruition at an alcoholic strength of 40 percent by blending eaux-de-vie of different ages.Somehow, however, it was discovered that distilling the wine again and aging it in oak barrels — the reason for Cognac’s amber hue — created an enjoyable libation. These eaux-de-vie, like the one I sniffed at Delamain, have an alcoholic strength of around 70 percent when they’re first stored. Their potency drops over time, and the Cognac comes to fruition at an alcoholic strength of 40 percent by blending eaux-de-vie of different ages.
No tour buses intruded on our scenic drive because many houses don’t have formal tours for visitors. Many are even closed on weekends when leisure travelers are apt to go, but their lack of commercialism combined with their rich history is their appeal.No tour buses intruded on our scenic drive because many houses don’t have formal tours for visitors. Many are even closed on weekends when leisure travelers are apt to go, but their lack of commercialism combined with their rich history is their appeal.
We made our way to the town of Cognac, where several larger brands are based, to see Hennessy, on the left bank of the Charente river and one of the world’s biggest Cognac houses.We made our way to the town of Cognac, where several larger brands are based, to see Hennessy, on the left bank of the Charente river and one of the world’s biggest Cognac houses.
Hennessy has guided tours, complete with a short movie about the brand, but Marc Cordier, who was then the director of distilling, would be showing us around.Hennessy has guided tours, complete with a short movie about the brand, but Marc Cordier, who was then the director of distilling, would be showing us around.
Mr. Cordier said we would first go to the river’s right bank to see the warehouses where the eau-de-vie casks age.Mr. Cordier said we would first go to the river’s right bank to see the warehouses where the eau-de-vie casks age.
On the ride over, he told us that despite being part of the luxury conglomerate LVMH, the company still has family roots. Richard Hennessy, an Irishman who moved to France to serve in the French army, founded it in 1765, and Maurice Richard Hennessy — belonging to the eighth generation of the family — is an ambassador for the brand today. And the current master blender, Renaud Fillioux de Gironde, is the eighth-generation Fillioux to have that title.On the ride over, he told us that despite being part of the luxury conglomerate LVMH, the company still has family roots. Richard Hennessy, an Irishman who moved to France to serve in the French army, founded it in 1765, and Maurice Richard Hennessy — belonging to the eighth generation of the family — is an ambassador for the brand today. And the current master blender, Renaud Fillioux de Gironde, is the eighth-generation Fillioux to have that title.
The warehouse was a spectacle of hundreds of casks, each labeled with a storage date and the name of the distiller, lined up in long aisles. These were a sliver of Hennessy’s inventory. “We have around 350,000 casks in 50 warehouses,” Mr. Cordier said. “The art of our Cognac is combining different eaux-de-vie from them to create blends for our core line that are consistent every year.”The warehouse was a spectacle of hundreds of casks, each labeled with a storage date and the name of the distiller, lined up in long aisles. These were a sliver of Hennessy’s inventory. “We have around 350,000 casks in 50 warehouses,” Mr. Cordier said. “The art of our Cognac is combining different eaux-de-vie from them to create blends for our core line that are consistent every year.”
Back on the left bank, I tried three Cognacs that are part of this core line. There was the light and lively V.S., short for very special or a blend in which the youngest eau-de-vie has aged for at least two years. The V.S.O.P., a very superior old pale where the minimum age of the youngest eau-de-vie is four years, had more boldness with notes of toasted cinnamon. But, the X.O., meaning extra old or at least 10 years of aging for the youngest eau-de-vie, outdid both. The impressive blend is crafted with 100 eaux-de vie and has a full-bodied mouth-feel and hints of cocoa.Back on the left bank, I tried three Cognacs that are part of this core line. There was the light and lively V.S., short for very special or a blend in which the youngest eau-de-vie has aged for at least two years. The V.S.O.P., a very superior old pale where the minimum age of the youngest eau-de-vie is four years, had more boldness with notes of toasted cinnamon. But, the X.O., meaning extra old or at least 10 years of aging for the youngest eau-de-vie, outdid both. The impressive blend is crafted with 100 eaux-de vie and has a full-bodied mouth-feel and hints of cocoa.
Hennessy was only the beginning of the centuries-old Cognac houses I saw. Most producers in the region have been around since the 1700s and 1800s and are carrying on long-existing family traditions. Many of these smaller labels are in Jarnac, a town with a jumble of narrow streets that is a 15-minute drive from Cognac.Hennessy was only the beginning of the centuries-old Cognac houses I saw. Most producers in the region have been around since the 1700s and 1800s and are carrying on long-existing family traditions. Many of these smaller labels are in Jarnac, a town with a jumble of narrow streets that is a 15-minute drive from Cognac.
Louis Royer, for example, was established in 1853 by a local who grew up in the very neighborhood where the company is based today. Jerome Royer, a fifth-generation Royer, lives down the street, and his son Nicolas works in the United States to promote the Cognac.Louis Royer, for example, was established in 1853 by a local who grew up in the very neighborhood where the company is based today. Jerome Royer, a fifth-generation Royer, lives down the street, and his son Nicolas works in the United States to promote the Cognac.
Rather than relying on guides, executives from the house lead visits whenever they can, and, in our case, it was the export manager, Jean-Cyrill Vincent. He led us on a river path to the contemporary tasting room with gleaming wood floors, which the notable French interior decorator Andree Putman designed in 1992.Rather than relying on guides, executives from the house lead visits whenever they can, and, in our case, it was the export manager, Jean-Cyrill Vincent. He led us on a river path to the contemporary tasting room with gleaming wood floors, which the notable French interior decorator Andree Putman designed in 1992.
Here, he poured me a generous glass of the line’s highly regarded X.O. An aroma of dried fruit wafted from the tulip snifter, and the drink’s subtle sweetness intermingled with spice. It was like a dessert and I couldn’t leave any behind.Here, he poured me a generous glass of the line’s highly regarded X.O. An aroma of dried fruit wafted from the tulip snifter, and the drink’s subtle sweetness intermingled with spice. It was like a dessert and I couldn’t leave any behind.
A doorway to the side of the room led to the 19th-century cellars storing a large portion of Louis Royer’s 20,000 eau-de-vie casks. They didn’t have a sprawling grandeur, but their honeycomb pattern arrangement, a homage to the Royer family tradition of beekeeping, was still a sight to see.A doorway to the side of the room led to the 19th-century cellars storing a large portion of Louis Royer’s 20,000 eau-de-vie casks. They didn’t have a sprawling grandeur, but their honeycomb pattern arrangement, a homage to the Royer family tradition of beekeeping, was still a sight to see.
Later that afternoon, we went back in time almost 100 years at Hine, a house founded in 1763 by the Englishman Thomas Hine, where the Cognacs are made exclusively with Grande and Petite Champagne eaux-de-vie. The brand has been based in the Hine family house since the 19th century, and with its numerous historical items, a visit is almost like having a museum to yourself.Later that afternoon, we went back in time almost 100 years at Hine, a house founded in 1763 by the Englishman Thomas Hine, where the Cognacs are made exclusively with Grande and Petite Champagne eaux-de-vie. The brand has been based in the Hine family house since the 19th century, and with its numerous historical items, a visit is almost like having a museum to yourself.
“We’re a tiny company so our employees lead visits, but there is a time and space constraint on how many people can come here,” explained Marie-Emmanuelle Febvret, a marketing and communication manager for Hine.“We’re a tiny company so our employees lead visits, but there is a time and space constraint on how many people can come here,” explained Marie-Emmanuelle Febvret, a marketing and communication manager for Hine.
She ledme through the interior courtyard to a room hanging with portraits, in both classic and Andy Warhol-like interpretations, of the six generations of Hine men behind the Cognac. The family no longer owns the brand, she said, but Bernard Thomas Hine is the honorary chairman and travels the world to promote the line. She led me through the interior courtyard to a room hanging with portraits, in both classic and Andy Warhol-like interpretations, of the six generations of Hine men behind the Cognac. The family no longer owns the brand, she said, but Bernard Thomas Hine is the honorary chairman and travels the world to promote the line.
We then went to the sumptuous former living quarters with dark wood paneling and rich fabrics in varying shades of deep reds. The family’s salon is now a dining room where Hine’s top customers are invited for meals, and the living room where the original Royal Warrant from 1962 designating Hine as the official Cognac supplier to Queen Elizabeth II in England hung on the wall (the house still has that honor).We then went to the sumptuous former living quarters with dark wood paneling and rich fabrics in varying shades of deep reds. The family’s salon is now a dining room where Hine’s top customers are invited for meals, and the living room where the original Royal Warrant from 1962 designating Hine as the official Cognac supplier to Queen Elizabeth II in England hung on the wall (the house still has that honor).
This historical tour aside, the Cognac I sampled was worth the visit alone. In years when the weather leading up to the harvest is mild and sunny, Hine’s cellar master, Eric Forget, may set aside some Grande Champagne eaux-de-vie casks to be aged into single vintage Cognacs. It so happened that 1978, when I was born, was a prime year. Sure, I was biased, but the drink seemed to dance with its buttery texture and taste of fresh vanilla pods.This historical tour aside, the Cognac I sampled was worth the visit alone. In years when the weather leading up to the harvest is mild and sunny, Hine’s cellar master, Eric Forget, may set aside some Grande Champagne eaux-de-vie casks to be aged into single vintage Cognacs. It so happened that 1978, when I was born, was a prime year. Sure, I was biased, but the drink seemed to dance with its buttery texture and taste of fresh vanilla pods.
What could top this Cognac?What could top this Cognac?
Maybe nothing, but I did have another label to visit. In an 18th-century house on a cobblestone side street, we climbed a short flight of stairs to meet Charles Braastad, a descendant of the Irishman James Delamain, who founded his storied Cognac brand in 1759. Mr. Braastad is a director today and runs it out of this two-level residence. “We’re small,” he said. “The bigger brands produce in two days what we do in a year.”Maybe nothing, but I did have another label to visit. In an 18th-century house on a cobblestone side street, we climbed a short flight of stairs to meet Charles Braastad, a descendant of the Irishman James Delamain, who founded his storied Cognac brand in 1759. Mr. Braastad is a director today and runs it out of this two-level residence. “We’re small,” he said. “The bigger brands produce in two days what we do in a year.”
The jewel-box brand is so tiny that the production happens in one room down the hallway from his office. The scene before me there of a half-dozen employees filling, sealing and labeling glass bottles by hand resembled a homespun operation, not an enterprise where the least expensive Cognac — the elegant Pale and Dry X. O. — costs around $130 a bottle.The jewel-box brand is so tiny that the production happens in one room down the hallway from his office. The scene before me there of a half-dozen employees filling, sealing and labeling glass bottles by hand resembled a homespun operation, not an enterprise where the least expensive Cognac — the elegant Pale and Dry X. O. — costs around $130 a bottle.
At the medieval cellars across the street, Mr. Touteau, the master blender, said that Delamain has a unique way to craft its brandies. “After aging the Cognacs for 25 years, we blend them and age the blend for two more years so the flavors marry,” he said. “Then, I add in even more eaux-de-vie to achieve the perfect blend.”At the medieval cellars across the street, Mr. Touteau, the master blender, said that Delamain has a unique way to craft its brandies. “After aging the Cognacs for 25 years, we blend them and age the blend for two more years so the flavors marry,” he said. “Then, I add in even more eaux-de-vie to achieve the perfect blend.”
But before any of the aging, blending or bottling figures in, all Cognac starts as that colorless eaux-de-vie with the potent aroma. And now, at the end of my trip, it was time to see this beginning of a Cognac.But before any of the aging, blending or bottling figures in, all Cognac starts as that colorless eaux-de-vie with the potent aroma. And now, at the end of my trip, it was time to see this beginning of a Cognac.
Visits to most Cognac houses require advance booking. A local tour company can help with arrangements.Visits to most Cognac houses require advance booking. A local tour company can help with arrangements.
Bordeaux Excellence can organize visits to houses that are difficult to get into. Full-day tours with a car and driver from Bordeaux start at 550 euros, or about $638. Information: 33-5-5644-2768.Bordeaux Excellence can organize visits to houses that are difficult to get into. Full-day tours with a car and driver from Bordeaux start at 550 euros, or about $638. Information: 33-5-5644-2768.
Cognac Wine Tours also organizes visits to houses. Full-day tours from 350 euros. Information: cognacwinetours.com; 33-5-4536-1774.Cognac Wine Tours also organizes visits to houses. Full-day tours from 350 euros. Information: cognacwinetours.com; 33-5-4536-1774.
Hennessy offers guided tours. Call 33-5-4535-7268 for more information. Book online through lesvisites.hennessy.com. Prices from 18 euros.Hennessy offers guided tours. Call 33-5-4535-7268 for more information. Book online through lesvisites.hennessy.com. Prices from 18 euros.
Hine accepts visitors selectively or through some tour companies. Call 33-5-4535-5959 to arrange.Hine accepts visitors selectively or through some tour companies. Call 33-5-4535-5959 to arrange.
Delamain accepts visitors selectively or they must be booked through a tour company. Call 33-5-4581-0824, or email delamain@delamain-cognac.com to arrange.Delamain accepts visitors selectively or they must be booked through a tour company. Call 33-5-4581-0824, or email delamain@delamain-cognac.com to arrange.
Louis Royer accepts visitors by appointment. Call 33-5-4581-0272 to book.Louis Royer accepts visitors by appointment. Call 33-5-4581-0272 to book.