Cognac production falls under Frenchappellation d'origine contrôlée (AOC) designation, with production methods and naming required to meet certain legal requirements. Among the specified grapes,Ugni blanc, known locally as Saint-Émilion, is most widely used.[7] The brandy must be twicedistilled in copperpot stills and aged at least two years in Frenchoak barrels fromLimousin orTronçais,Allier orNevers – the majority coming from the first two.[6] Cognac matures in the same way as whiskies and wines barrel-age, and most cognacs spend considerably longer "on the wood" than the minimum legal requirement.
Cognac is often drunk in glasses such as thesnifter, which has a large tapered bowl and short stem. Such glasses allow the drinker to enjoy the aroma of the drink by placing their hand underneath the bowl and warming the cognac inside, causing it to produce more fumes.[8][9]
Cognac is a type of brandy, and after the distillation and during the aging process, is also calledeau de vie.[10] It is produced by twice distilling wine made from grapes grown in any of the designated growing regions.
The white wine used in making cognac is very dry, acidic, and thin. Though it has been characterised as "virtually undrinkable",[11] it is excellent for distillation and aging. It may be made only from a strict list of grape varieties. For it to be considered a truecru cognac, the white wine must be made from at least 90% Ugni blanc (known in Italy asTrebbiano),Folle blanche andColombard, while up to 10% of the grapes used can be Folignan,Jurançon blanc,Meslier St-François (also called Blanc Ramé), Sélect,Montils, orSémillon.[12][13] Cognacs that are not to carry the name of acru are freer in the allowed grape varieties, needing at least 90% Colombard, Folle blanche, Jurançon blanc, Meslier Saint-François, Montils, Sémillon, or Ugni blanc, and up to 10% Folignan or Sélect.
After the grapes arepressed, the juice is left to ferment for 2–3 weeks, with the region's native wild yeast converting the fruit sugars intoalcohol; neither sugar nor sulphur may be added.[14] At this point, the resulting wine is about 7 to 8% alcohol.[14]
Distillation takes place in traditionally shaped Charentais copperalembicstills, the design and dimensions of which are also legally controlled. Two distillations must be carried out; the resultingeau de vie is a colourless spirit of about 70% alcohol.[11]
Once distillation is complete, it must be aged in Limousin oak casks for at least two years before it can be sold to the public. It is typically put into casks at analcohol by volume strength around 70%.[11] As the cognac interacts with the oak barrel and the air, it evaporates at the rate of about 3% each year, slowly losing both alcohol and water (the former more rapidly, as it is more volatile).[11] This phenomenon is called locallyla part des anges, or "the angels' share". When more than fifty years pass in the oak barrel, the cognac's alcohol content decreases to 40% in volume.[11] The cognac is then transferred to "large glass bottles called bonbonnes", then stored for future "blending."[11] Since oak barrels stop contributing to flavor after four or five decades, longer aging periods may not be beneficial.[11]
The age of the cognac is calculated as that of the youngest component used in the blend. The blend is usually of different ages and (in the case of the larger and more commercial producers) from different local areas. This blending, ormarriage, of differenteaux de vie is important to obtain a complexity of flavours absent from aneau de vie from a single distillery or vineyard. Each cognac house has a master taster (maître de chai), who is responsible for blending the spirits, so that cognac produced by a company will have a consistent house style and quality.[15] In this respect, it is similar to the process of blendingwhisky or non-vintage Champagne to achieve a consistent brand flavor. A very small number of producers, such asGuillon Painturaud andMoyet, do not blend their final product from different ages ofeaux de vie, so produce a "purer" flavour.[16]Hundreds of vineyards in the Cognac AOC region sell their own cognac. These are likewise blended from theeaux de vie of different years, but they are single-vineyard cognacs, 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.
VS (Very Special) cognac is aged for at least two years in caskXO (Extra Old) cognac is aged at least ten years"Champagne cognac" is produced from grapes grown in theGrande Champagne andPetite Champagne zones of the Cognac region of France
According to the Bureau National Interprofessionnel du Cognac (BNIC), the official quality grades of cognac are:
V.S. (Very Special) or ✯✯✯ (three stars) designates a blend in which the youngest brandy has been aged for at least two years in a cask.[17]
V.S.O.P. (Very Superior Old Pale) orReserve designates a blend in which the youngest brandy is aged for at least four years in a cask.[17][18]
Napoléon designates a blend in which the youngest brandy is aged for at least six years.[17] It is not to be confused with "the Cognac of Napoleon", a sobriquet forCourvoisier.
X.O. (Extra Old) The minimum age of the youngest brandy used in an X.O. blend was increased to 10 years in April 2018; this rule was originally scheduled for implementation in 2016, but was postponed due to inadequate stocks.[19] The Napoleon designation, previously unofficial, is used to specifically denote those blends with a minimum age of six years that do not meet the revised X.O. definition.[20]
X.X.O. (Extra Extra Old) is a specific indication given to wine spirits that have been aged for at least 14 years.[21]
Hors d'âge (Beyond Age) is a designation which BNIC states is equal to X.O., but in practice the term is used by producers to market a high-quality product beyond the official age scale.
Most names of the grades are in English because the historical cognac trade, particularly in the 18th century, significantly involved the British.[22]
Cognac is also classified bycrus, tightly defined geographic denominations where the grapes are grown. Their distinctive soils andmicroclimates produceeaux de vie with characteristics particular to their specific location.
Grande Champagne (13,766 hectares; 34,020 acres) The soils in Grande Champagne and Petite Champagne are characterized as shallow clay-limestone, over limestone and chalk.[23]
Petite Champagne (16,171 hectares; 39,960 acres)Petite Champagne eaux de vie have similar characteristics to those from Grande Champagne. Cognacs made from a mixture ofGrande andPetite Champagne eaux de vie (with at least 50% Grande Champagne) may be marketed as "Fine Champagne".[23]
Borderies (4,160 hectares; 10,300 acres) The smallestcru. This denomination's soil contains clay and flint stones resulting from the decomposition of limestone.[23]
Fins Bois (34,265 hectares; 84,670 acres) Heavier and faster agingeaux de vie ideal for establishing the base of some blended cognacs. The soils here are predominantly red clay-limestone and very stony, or otherwise heavy clay soils.[23]
Bons Bois andBois Ordinaires (together 19,979 hectares; 49,370 acres). Further out from the four central growth areas are these two growing regions. With a poorer soil and very much influenced by the maritime climate, this area is 20,000 hectares.
Bois à terroirs The soils of Les Bois (Bons Bois, Bois Ordinaires, and Bois à terroirs) are sandy, spanning coastal areas and some valleys.[23]
The Bureau National Interprofessionnel du Cognac (BNIC) is a French organization that sets and enforces standards for Cognac production, promoting it in foreign markets.[25] In 2017, an agreement between the European Union and Armenia was signed, whereby Armenian producers will abandon the usage of the protected geographic name "cognac" from 2043.[26] The name "cognac" will be prohibited for the domestic Armenian market from 2032.[26]
In addition to being drunk as a beverage, cognac is also used toflambé and flavor foods. Pastry dishes often pair cognac with flavors such asapple,raisin,prune,vanilla, andchocolate.[27]
^Boyle, Tish (2012).Plating for Gold: A Decade of Desserts from the World and National Pastry Team Championships. Hoboken, N.J: John Wiley & Sons. p. 29.ISBN978-1-118-05984-5 – viaPerlego.
