Cognac from France

Cognac, named after the town of Cognac in France, is a brandy, which is produced in the region surrounding the town. Cognac must be made from at least 90 percent Ugni Blanc, Folle Blanche, or Colombard grapes. The rest of the cognac can consist of ten selected grapes. However, most cognac is made from Ugni Blanc only. It must be distilled twice in copper pot stills and aged at least one half to two years in French oak barrels in order to be called cognac.

Cognac is made from "eaux-de-vie", waters of life, produced by doubly distilling the white wines produced in any of the growth areas. The wine is a very dry, acidic, thin wine, not really suitable for drinking, but excellent for distillation. Cognac may only be made from a strict list of grape varieties. Distillation takes place in traditionally shaped Charentais copper stills, also known as an alembic, the design and dimensions of which are also controlled. Two distillations must be carried out, the resulting "eau-de-vie" is a colorless spirit of about 70% alcohol.

Cognac may not be sold to the public, or indeed called Cognac, until it has been aged for at least two years, counting from the end of the period of distillation, 1 April following the year the grapes were harvested.

During the aging, a large percentage of the alcohol and water in the "eaux-de-vie" evaporates through the porous oak barrels. This is termed locally the part des anges, or "the share of the angels", a phrase also used in Scotch Whisky production. A black fungus, Torula compniacensis Richon, thrives on the alcoholic vapors and normally grows on the walls of the aging cellars.

The final product is diluted to 40 percent alcohol content with pure and distilled water. Major manufacturers add a small proportion of caramel to color their cognac, at least the less expensive qualities, it is claimed that this does not affect the flavor.

The age of the cognac is calculated as that of the youngest eau-de-vie used in the blend. Cognac 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 flavors absent from an "eau-de-vie" from a single distillery or vineyard. Each cognac house has a master taster "maitre de chai" who is responsible for creating this delicate blend of spirits, so that the cognac produced by a company today will taste exactly the same as a cognac produced by that same company 50 years ago, or in 50 years time. In this respect it may be seen to be similar to a blended whisky or non vintage Champagne, which also rely on blending to achieve a consistent brand flavor.

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 cognac, 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. The success of artisanal cognacs, and of single malt whiskies, has impelled some larger producers to market single vineyard cognac from vineyards that they own.

Grades

The unofficial grades used to market cognac are,

VS, Very Special, or three stars, where the youngest brandy is stored at least two years in cask.
VSOP, Very Superior Old Pale, Reserve, where the youngest brandy is stored at least four years in cask.
XO, Extra Old, Napoleon, Hors d'Age, where the youngest brandy is stored at least six years in cask.