Category: News

Another fantastic result for the Hermitage stable as three of our newest additions are awarded prestigious medals at this year’s International Wine and Spirits Competition (IWSC 2018).  GOLD OUTSTANDING Medals were received by our latest vintages:   Hermitage 1948 Grande Champagne Cognac.  Judges comments: “On the palate this cognac is extremely rich and concentrated.  Perfectly balanced.” Hermitage 1944 Grande Champagne Cognac.  Judges comments: “Absolutely superb!  Do not wait to drink this.”   All three of our winners are from the top cru as a GOLD Medal was also awarded to the Hermitage 30 Year Old Grande Champagne Cognac.  Judges comments:… Read more

We are really excited about the latest Hermitage 1944 Cognac to make it onto our shelves.   Distilled almost 75 years ago and aged for more than half a century, the Hermitage 1944 Grande Champagne Cognac is truly wonderful.  It has a rich complexity of aromas and flavours which last for ages on the palate and they are all wrapped up in a rich rancio …. what more could you wish for?   This really is a little bit of cognac heaven.

We tend to take the humble wine cork for granted but it is, in many cases, the critical factor in preserving our wines and spirits.  It protects them from the air outside their glass containers and preserves the qualities of the valuable nectars which are stored within. Many people will argue that synthetic or metal screw top closures are more effective and in the cheaper ranges, particularly of wines, they probably are.  Connoisseurs, however, still believe that natural cork has an important role to play. Cork is the bark of the Quercus suber or “cork oak” tree.  A medium-sized, evergreen… Read more

The Bureau National Interprofessionnel de l’Armagnac (BNIA) has increased the minimum age requirement for Armagnac XO from 6 to 10 years, in line with a recent change to the cognac definition (see previous news story).  The regulatory body said that it hopes the changes will help to raise the “value of the appellation” and emphasise the “real differences” between its classifications.  The minimum age of an armagnac (and cognac) is now as follows: VS                                                                3+ years VSOP                                                          4+ years Napoleon                                                  6+ years XO                                                              10+ years

Just like in Cognac, the Armagnac region suffered from the severe spring weather with the heaviest rainfalls recorded since 1952!  Thankfully the barometer has now stabilised and trellising has begun.  This essential activity supports the vegetation ensuring good aeration of the grapes and minimal shoot damage by wind.  Ripening is also optimised, as leaf exposure to the sun improves and thus, encourages photosynthesis.  Of great ecological importance is the efficiency of phytosanitary treatment – the arrangement of the leaves on trellised plants helps this to improve. Finally, trellising also facilitates passage between the vines reducing time spent on viniculture and… Read more

The Cognac Region has once again been hit by severe hailstorms. At the end of May hailstones, some the size of golf balls, were seen in the south of Charente-Maritime, the Borderies, the west of Matha and the Rouillac area. In total, more than 10,000 hectares in the Cognac region were affected.  However, an original estimate that 25% of the total crop was damaged has now been revised to 5-6% maximum.  Although some areas were severely affected at the time, it now appears that the actual damage done is less than was originally anticipated.  Harvest hopes have also been given a… Read more

For years the BNIC has strictly regulated every aspect of cognac production but now the wind of change maybe starting to blow.  Recently we have seen the production of cognac finished in sherry and bourbon casks.  The appellation permits finishing as long as the cask previously contained wine or wine distillate … not sure how bourbon fits in to this?  One producer discovered that cognac was once aged in a variety of woods including chestnut, acacia, mulberry and wild cherry.  His experiments in wood finishing were successful and in keeping with the BNIC rules named his range ‘eau-­de-­vie de vin’. … Read more

Pineau des Charentes is a combination of freshly pressed grape juice and cognac. It comes in two colours, white and red (sometimes known as rosé) and as with cognac, the flavour is affected by its age.  Young Pineau is fruity and light whilst older Pineau offers more complex and concentrated flavours with distinctive fresh fruit tones morphing into dried fruit and nuts.  Produced exclusively in France’s Cognac region, it has been protected under AOC status since 1945.  As a result, this spirited wine benefits from the long-standing expertise and historical know-how of Cognac cellar-masters.  It is unique with its aromatic… Read more

Another company seeking to recreate a cognac from a past era (see The Bottle Story) is Larsen.  A barrel of their 40 year old Cognac has been transported to a 20-metre-high sea fort, at the mouth of the River Charentes, where it will remain for several months. The aim is to replicate the ageing conditions that Cognac would have undergone hundreds of years ago and see how maritime weather affects the finished product.   Larsen’s Cellar Master said: “Traditionally, in the 18th and 19th centuries, shallow boats were loaded with barrels of Cognac before crossing oceans to markets all over the… Read more

At Brandyclassics our philosophy has always been to provide as much support and guidance to our customers as possible.  After months of planning we have relaunched our website, displaying images both larger and differently and with a clearer background.  We hope the easier navigation will help you find the information and products you need and will be especially useful for those wanting to buy our cognacs and brandies on their portable devices. To top it all, we have added more exciting, award winning brandies to our shelves.  The ever increasing range of cognacs, armagnacs and calvados, are there to help… Read more