Cognac

Cognac and Armagnac are classed as spirits and are the two most prestigious brandies made in France. Brandy is the spirit produced from the distillation of wine made from grapes. The distillation works by heating the wine, which causes the various components within the wine to boil and therefore turn to vapour. These different components vaporise at different temperatures and so therefore it is possible to collect the vapours and condense them back to liquid. The spirit for human consumption, ethanol, boils at around 75.8 degrees centigrade so this can be driven off leaving the other constituents, mostly water, behind.

COGNAC

The Cognac region lies just north of the vineyards of Bordeaux. Because of its proximity to the coast and ports customers in England were keen to buy the wines of the region from as early as the 15th Century, but because of their lightness of style they didn't travel well so they found a more ready market if they were distilled. It wasn't until the 18th Century that many foreign merchants came to the region to establish the companies that we recognise today. The Martells came from Jersey, the Hennessys and Hardys from Ireland, the Hines from Dorset and the Otards from Scotland.

Cognac is the third largest vineyard area in France and the vines are cultivated by a number of small growers who sell their produce to the distilling firms. The ideal wine for distilling should be high in acidity, so the dominant grapes grown in the area tend to produce wines which by themselves would not be nice to drink. They are also low in alcohol, only 8-10% vol. The main grape used is called Ugni Blanc

The area of Cognac is subdivided into six districts -

Grande Champagne

Petite Champagne

Borderies

Fins Bois

Bons Bois

Bois Ordinaires

The term Champagne does not relate to the Champagne region but is called that because of the chalky soils which they both have. The chalkier the soil the more suited to Cognac production. These districts may appear on the label if all the wine used in it's production is from that area or if the term Fine Champagne is used it indicates that the Cognac is a blend from the Grande and Petite Champagne which are the best areas.

Different Styles

At the end of the distillation process the spirit is collected in oak casks and is then aged for a minimum of two years. During the ageing period the strength of the spirit will reduce naturally, often to about 60% vol. It will also mellow and soften, and take on colour and flavours from the wood. During ageing the individual Cognacs are regularly blended together so as to achieve the continuity that is needed for the big brands. Prior to shipping a final blend to the house style will be made and the spirit will be reduced to 40% vol. with distilled water. The colour can also be adjusted at this stage by the addition of a small amount of caramel.

The classifications you see on a bottle is a guarantee of it's age, though in practice spirits labelled as such will generally be much older :

*** or VS - 2 years old

VSOP - 4 years old

XO - 6 years old

Our Hine Range for example well exceeds the minimum specification Hine Signature aged for 3-4 years Hine VSOP aged for 6 years Hine Rare and Delicate VSOP aged for 10 years Antique XO aged for 20-25 years

ARMAGNAC

The region of Armagnac is also near Bordeaux but to the South East rather that the North. It has a longer history than Cognac, dating back to the 12th Century, but because it is further inland distribution problems meant that it was only consumed locally until the middle of the last century.

The vineyard areas are divided in to three: Bas Armagnac, Haut Armagnac, Tenareze

The Bas Armagnac area to the west of the region has a rich topsoil over sand and clay which produces wines which are low in alcohol, high in acidity and give the best spirit which is often bottled and sold under single domain names with a vintage.

The Tenareze area has a mixture of rich topsoil and chalk which produces full-flavoured brandies

The Haut Armagnac has chalky soil, but in contrast to the Cognac region gives the poorest wines for distillation, although ironically these are the best quality wines and can be sold as wine.

GRAPES

Ugni Blanc, Folle Blanche, Colombard, Blanquette and Baco Blanc 22A are the grapes used in Armagnac production

STYLE

The equipment used in the distillation of Armagnac is different to that of Cognac and leaves a spirit which is generally lower in alcohol (60%vol.) and with a high proportion of flavouring. The ageing process is also different as the spirit is aged in casks made from the local sappy "black" Monlezun oak from the forests of Bas Armagnac. The finished product is said to have more rustic characters than Cognac and it tends to be more soft and round, particularly with age. The finest Cognac will always have an edge on the palate, but the higher quality Armagnacs will seem more mellow.

Armagnac matures quite quickly and has lower age requirements than for Cognac :

*** 1 year old

VSOP 4 years old

XO 5 years old