Monthly Archives: August 2011

It is always difficult to highlight one of our own cognacs, but we believe rightly that all cognacs are reviewed under an equal status, no matter whose label is on the bottle. The 1999 was introduced initially as a first young vintage, but in 2009 it was decided that we needed to sell a 2000 as a more attractive vintage for 2010. We currently have about 600 bottles remaining, but at present the current saleable stock of the 2000 vintage is now less than 200 bottles after a Russian order has absorbed 150 of them! A new 2000 will be available in about a year’s time.

The 1999 has all the characteristics of the 2000 but is very marginally sweeter. The coffee and mocha qualities are all there and its balance is quite extraordinary for such a young cognac and to prove it, it won a gold medal in the Cognac Masters - another great cognac! Our score 8/10

Cognac Hermitage 1999 Chez Richon Grande Champagne

Cognac Masters 2010 - Gold Award.
From Chez Richon,  Christophe, a good friend of Brandyclassics, is hugely experienced in dilution and has been known to take 5 years to bring a cognac down from distillation strength. This cognac has won a Gold Award at the 2010 Cognac Masters in the Vintage Category

Remy Cointreau’s revenue for the year ended 31 March 2011 grew 12%, driven by demand for Cognac in Asia and their travel retail business. It appears that cognac sales have risen 20% to €486 million throughout all their sales regions, but Asia have shown the largest growth, most notably in China where the market is buying everything it can get its hands on. China is currently the fastest growing sector of the cognac industry. Remy’s other brands did not do so well, with Metaxa sales declining and Mount Gay rum staying flat.

It appears that the Chinese are moving forward at an amazing rate with their willingness to buy cognacs. Their insatiable demand for luxury spirits is causing a big problem with producers, who are struggling to keep the older stocks in their cellars for maturation, as legal requirements do not protect cognacs after six and a half years of age.

Remy are not alone in their quest to sell to the Chinese markets, Hennessy lead the field as the biggest cognac supplier in China and the Far East, with Martell and Courvoisier following on behind. Only America has greater volume sales, but the highest value markets are dominated by the Chinese.

Visiting France again last week to locate more vintage cognacs, we were delighted to have found a number of exceptionally fine brandies. Top of our list is a seventy year old cognac from the region around Juillac la Coq. There is not a large quantity, some sixty litres in all, but it is exceptionally rare and we expect to be able to obtain at least half of it, which we are hoping to be sold as a special presentation.

We have also identified a fabulous 2002 vintage with an aroma and flavour of clover honey. This cognac is at over 60% and will have to be brought down, but we still feel that despite having to wait over a year for it to come down to around 50% alc it is worth waiting for. Indeed we will probably have to bring it down more to around 45-47% for it to be at its best.

Another cognac which requires some modest dilution is a very rare 1914 Borderies Cognac - this has a wonderful old toffee and roast walnut aroma and taste, it should be ready in about three months for drinking and will be a winner. We have one bonbonne of it at present but there are two more, so here’s hoping!

We have recently sold our last bottle of 1900 and were also pleased to obtain a further bonbonne from around Cognac. It is at 44.3% but we feel that this is about the right strength for the brandy and is available now.

Cognac Hermitage 1914 Borderies

Cognac Masters 2012 - Master Award
This exceptionally rare and sought after cognac was found in an old cellar to the north of Cognac. We were lucky in obtaining a complete bonbonne for bottling. Just don’t hang about, this is not going to last.

The Prunier family has been shipping cognacs since 1700.  The first member of the Prunier family to start the business was Jean Prunier (1665 – 1732). He was a freeman of the port of La Rochelle, which was the main shipping port for goods on the western coast of France. Jean Prunier was a renowned cognac expert, and living in La Rochelle he had the foresight to watch shippers at the port and was able to create connections with traders (or correspondents as they were called in other countries) and was able to sell their wines and brandies.

The family remained in La Rochelle and Jean was succeeded by his son Gabriel Prunier (1711–1790) and his Grandson, Jean Prunier (1741-1843). They acquired vineyards around the town of St-Jean-de-Angély in the north of the cognac region, but François Prunier (1768-1843), moved to the town of Cognac. He lived in the old quarters by the Charente river in what is now the oldest house in the town. Called the Maison de la Lieutenants or Sheriffs house, it was probably where the mayor of the town would have collected the taxes on the cognac sales from the region.

Alphonse Prunier, who died in 1918, was the last descendent of the Prunier family. She called in her nephew, Jean Burnez, to help running the business and he eventually took over the reins of the firm. He then passed them to Claude Burnez and his sister. Susan Burnez, Claude’s wife, was an English lady from Somerset who inherited the control and management interest for the other family menbers. She retired in 2010 and her Stepson Stéphane now controls the firms and its management.

Prunier have been mainly negoçiants and have specialised in very traditional cognacs, holding good stocks of rare and old cognacs in their warehouse in the town. They also still own the old Maison de la Lieutenants which has become the trade mark of this very old and famous firm.

Brandyclassics stock a wide selection of vintage cognacs from some of the most famous names in Cognac, including Prunier...

Prunier Vintage 1969

Prunier is one of the oldest houses in Cognac and has been shipping cognacs since 1700. Their style is drier than most but are a more modern example of some of the traditional skills of cognac blending.

Prunier 20 y.o.

Dry hazelnut and floral tones feature strongly in this really traditional cognac. There is an aroma of vine canes with some lemon peel. This is a true connoisseur cognac.

Prunier Vintage 1968

Prunier is one of the oldest houses in Cognac and has been shipping cognacs since 1700. Their style is drier than most but are a more modern example of some of the traditional skills of cognac blending.

Prunier 50 y.o.

The firms CEO is a hugely experienced blender of old cognacs. We have always maintained that this cognac is a wonderful example of a modern pre-phylloxera style.