Monthly Archives: March 2011

The geology of the cognac producing region is the single most important factor in the success of the famous drink. The spirits success rests solidly on chalk - a very special sort of chalk known as Campanian chalk, named after the Latin original of the word. This became known as Champagne and exists under most [...]

March 31st is the official end of the cognac year when all distillation must cease. In practice distillation will probably have finished around Christmas, but on the 1st April all cognacs become 'comtpe 0' - the official start of the cognacs long ageing process.
Cognacs put into barrels by 31st March 2011 will become 1 year [...]

Professor Louis Ravaz was the young professor who established the Station Viticole in Cognac and did much to re-establish the new vines after the Phylloxera around 1890, his definition of the Charente terroir is usefully described thus:
“The same variety of grape can be grown anywhere and in the same way as in the Charente: distillation [...]

The Chateau de Beaulon 12 year old VSOP is a cognac of the  Fin Bois cru. Although the Fins Bois is the fourth cru, one should not conclude that it produces fourth grade cognacs. Indeed there is an area of Cognacian Chalk that passes through the south west corner of the region that extends through to the town [...]

The Chancellor announced yesterday an increase in duty on all spirits, taking the level up to £25 a litre of pure alcohol. This equates to £7 a bottle at 40% alc. This means for an average bottle of cognac costing £30, more than £16.50 goes on duty and tax. And don’t forget that Vat is [...]

The Ugni Blanc is the main grape variety planted in the Cognac region. More than 95% of all cognacs are made from this plain and rather tasteless variety, which was first planted after the Phylloxera around 1890.
The variety triumphed and was a huge success, producing weak acidic wines in large volumes. The grape is probably [...]

It seems that the onward march of cognac is continuing. Despite the recession sales of cognac on a worldwide basis are only 5 million bottles short of the 2007 world record year. Indeed, volume sales were up 18% on the year to 153.1 million bottles, according to the Bureau National Interprofessionnel du Cognac (BNIC).
In value [...]

Perhaps the name of Jean Fillioux is not quite in the same league as Delamain or Hine, but whatever one wants to believe they do have a history which can be associated with equally great esteem.
They were founded in 1880 by Honoré Fillioux, who had in the past blended cognacs for Hennessy, a tradition which [...]

It is rare for us to get excited about a new armagnac but we feel rightly pleased with our new association with Eric Artiguelongue a notable cellar master in Arblade le Haut, Gers.
Brandyclassics have taken the exclusive distribution for these wonderful Clos des Saveurs armagnacs in the United Kingdom where we will be demonstrating the [...]

Due to rapid expansion, Chateau de Beaulon opened a new cellar in August 2010.
It is difficult to understate the success of Chateau de Beaulon in the last two or three decades. The firm are distillers and the credentials of it’s owner Christian Thomas can only be matched by the superb cognacs he produces, mainly from the [...]