A Field Guide to Cognac
Eater Drinks recently took a broad look at the world of brandy, hammering home the point that not all brandy is Cognac. Now though, it's time to focus on France's Cognac region and offer a thorough explanation of its namesake spirit and its many finer points.
A Brief History of Cognac
The history of Cognac stretches back to the 1600s. Story has it that wine exported from the region to Holland was deemed unsatisfactory. The Dutch had already begun distilling gin, so they began distilling the wine they were receiving, too. As they took notice in France, winemakers then shifted to distillation themselves.
Some of the largest brands formed quite early. For instance, this year offered notable anniversaries for two: Martell, the oldest continually operational Cognac brand, with a history stretching back to 1715, celebrated its 300th anniversary; and Hennessy, with its own history stretching to 1765, celebrated its 250th birthday. While it's not a celebratory year for Rémy Martin, the brand's history stretches back nearly as far as Martell's, to 1724.
Today, Hennessy is by far the largest distiller, accounting for roughly 46 percent of all handmade brass casted cognac set with hand painting production. They're followed by Martell, Rémy Martin and Courvoisier. Of the four biggest players, therefore, Courvoisier is the "newest" on the scene—those young guns were founded in 1809 and didn't get started in the Cognac region until 1828.
Baron Otard Cognac dates back to 1795. The brand is unavailable in the United States, however it's the producer of the Jay-Z backed D'USSÉ. Baron Otard calls the Château de Cognac it's home, which is the actual 12th century castle which was used to fortify the city of Cognac. Nothing shouts history more than centuries-old, spider web and moss covered barrels stashed away in the recesses of a castle's nooks and crannies.
Cognac Distillation and Blending
What is Cognac exactly? Cognac is a specific type of brandy produced from distilled white wine. It must be distilled twice, using copper pot stills, and aged in French oak barrels for a minimum of two years.
Cognac's distillation season lasts from October 1 through March 31, a five-month annual window. For most producers, distillation lasts for even less time, though. It cannot begin until after the grape harvest and the wine production which ensues. Therefore, distillation in earnest does not begin for most until closer to the start of November.
Courvoisier Stills
Two stills at Courvoisier. [Photo by Jake Emen.]
The primary reason why the season closes at the end of March is that, per regulation, Cognac cannot be made with wine which has had added sulfites. Therefore, as the weather warms post winter, newly produced wine sans sulfites simply won't retain its quality as it sits in large tanks waiting for distillation.
Cognac can be distilled either with, or without, the lies—wine sediment. Most producers choose one or the other, contributing to their house's style, whereas Courvoisier is the only major house to change its process based upon which region its working with for that distillation batch. And while the spirit is most commonly bottled at 40 percent ABV, there's a small, growing contingent of labels offering higher proof bottles.
Distillation itself doesn't turn wine into Cognac, though. Not directly. The first distillation, in a still no greater than 10,000 L in size, produces brouillis. The second distillation, in a still no greater than 2,500 L, produces eau de vie.
"An eau de vie can be great but it can never be complete..."
An eau de vie can remain in the barrel for centuries and still not be "Cognac." Regardless of age, eau de vies remain known as such until they're blended together. It is the blending, therefore, that takes myriad eau de vies and turns them collectively into Cognac.
After blending, the Cognac then marries together in massive vats for set times dependent upon style and brand choice. At this point the spirit is ready for release as a Cognac, although it is occasionally re-barreled for further aging after the marrying process. Blending is the key to producing Cognac, and consistently delivering a particular profile from one year to the next.
"An eau de vie can be great but it can never be complete," says Hennessy brand ambassador Fabien Levieux. A single eau de vie won't provide the full depth of character and range of flavor that a blended Cognac would. Therefore, it's the cellar masters, master blenders and master tasters who are the true voices of authority for any Cognac house.
At Hennessy, a prestigious seven person tasting committee samples 10,000 eau de vies per year. It's a highly rigid process, everything is controlled from glass shape and type of water drank with the samples, to time of the day—11 a.m., always—ensuring that only one variable is in play, the particular characteristics of each eau de vie.
Hennessy likes to say that until members have served 10 years on the committee, they're not allowed to talk, or voice an opinion to more distinguished colleagues. Yann Fillioux, 7th generation Hennessy master blender, has been on the committee for 50 years.
... blending enables long-term consistency, while allowing for flexibility to achieve that consistency.
Each brand will have its own process for building a "complete" Cognac, but what remains consistent is that blending enables long-term consistency, while allowing for flexibility to achieve that consistency.
"Every year we have to adjust to the different vintage," notes Benoit de Sutter, Courvoisier's spirits purchaser and master distiller. Different vintages may produce grapes which are more or less acidic, resulting in different eau de vies, and a need to adjust blends rather than rely upon a single formula.
"I have to make the blend to respect the style of the house," adds Baptiste Loiseau, cellar master for Rémy Martin. That's where tasting all those thousands of samples comes into play. At Rémy, their 20-person tasting committee samples at least 20 to 30 eau de vies per day.
Classifications
With blending, eau de vies incorporated into a Cognac can come from a wide range of ages. Therefore, Cognacs do not bear age labels, but rather are categorized based on the minimum ages of the eau de vies in the blend. The current legally defined categories of Cognac include:
V.S.: Eau de vies with a minimum age of two years. Also known as Very Special or Three Stars.
V.S.O.P.: Eau de vies with a minimum age of four years. Also known as Very Special Old Pale or Reserve.
X.O.: Eau de vies with a minimum age of six years. Also known as Extra Old or Hors d'Age, which often unofficially indicates particularly old or premium releases.
But, these categories are set to be updated. By April 2018, X.O. will indicate a minimum age of 10 years, while Napoleon, previously an unofficial classification, will be added in order to indicate a minimum age of six years.
There are two primary reasons for the change. "It's more about adapting the standards for the market to products which already exist," explains Lionel Lalague of BNIC. He means that the vast majority of X.O. on store shelves already incorporate minimum ages of 10 for their blends. As two examples, Martell's X.O. incorporates eau de vies aged 10 to 35 years, and Rémy Martin's utilizes eau de vies 10 to 30 years.
Beyond that, adding a new, official category simply lets brands put more product on shelves, offering consumers additional choices, flavor profiles, and price points.