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Category: News

New Hermitage Cognac Celebration Vintages

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Hermitage Cognac Celebration VintagesWe are really looking forward to 2018 as two more Hermitage celebration vintages are added to our stores. An exceptional Borderies 1958 cognac was the first to arrive and it has just been joined by a rare, Grande Champagne gem from 1938. Wonderful, single estate, vintage cognacs but particularly special for those with a 60th or 80th celebration this year.

The full range of Hermitage celebration vintages comprises:

1928, 1938, 1948, 1958, 1988, with 1968 arriving next month.

And if it’s armagnac you’re after, we have the following vintages in stock:

1918, 1928, 1938, 1948, 1958, 1968, 1978, 1988, & 1998

The Cognac Region – Winter 2018

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The CharenteFor the 3rd year running, cognac exports have increased with a 10% growth in volume and a 15% growth in value.  The US retained its position as the largest cognac market.  China has led the return to growth in the Far East.  Prosperity in Europe has also returned thanks mainly to renewed interest from Russia and the Baltics.  Naturally, this good news has led to speculation of more cognac house takeovers in the Cognac region. Some major non-cognac companies may be looking to extend their portfolio in this area as a good investment.  It is also understood that hefty price increases should be expected this year, especially amongst the older cognacs.  Beware, new price lists are imminent!

Rappers, Hip-Hop and their Cognac

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Why is it that cognac attracts so many rappers to promote its cause?  Maybe they are attracted to the meticulous craft it embodies or the respect it commands in the spirits world?  Courvoisier recently launched a new campaign starring American rapper A$AP Rocky.  Called ‘Honour Your Code’ it embodies the brand’s values of ‘dedication, vision and respect for tradition’.  “I think your code is equivalent to your standards and your morals. It’s whatever you believe in and you should always stand by it.” said A$AP Rocky.  It was a similar view that drew Jay-Z to Château de Cognac 6 years ago.  His proposition to create a new blend that would not only honour the region’s history but push the boundaries of traditional consumption resulted in the production and partial ownership of D’ussé Cognac.  So, these rap artists’ foray into the world of cognac not only helps to expose the spirit to a younger audience, they associate it with many traditional values.  More recently Jay-Z has been involved in the Hurricane Maria relief effort.  D’Ussé cognac was given away to all those donating items or money to the fund.  Now that is community spirited!

The Brexit Effect on Wine & Spirits

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Brexit EffectThankfully the Brexit talks finally seem to be getting somewhere as for the wine and spirits trade, no deal will be a bad deal.  The representative body of the EU drinks industry has called upon the EU and UK to agree to a ‘gold standard agreement’ and so minimise the Brexit Effect.  This will preserve tariff-free trade for wines and spirits to ensure fair competition and consumers’ confidence. A good outcome if agreed, but it is unlikely to be secured by March 2019.

In contrast, a positive forecast comes from the Travel Retail sector.  This term emerged when duty-free shopping within the EU was abolished 18 years ago.   Suddenly, the well­-known British practice of hopping across the Channel to stock up on duty-­free goods had gone.  And as a consequence,  a substantial amount of business was lost.  So, when the UK exits the EU on 29 March 2019, this market should be reinstated.  The UK will become a ‘third country’.  Under current EU law, European travellers can take advantage of duty-­free sales if travelling to a third country.  However, for UK travellers to also benefit, a change in UK law will be required.  The UK Travel Retail Forum are lobbying hard for this and very strong support has been received from the spirits industry.  That said, we would still prefer to see a free trade agreement in place.

Olly Smith recommends Brandyclassics

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Hermitage Provenance 10 - Olly SmithThe Mail on Sunday’s drinks writer and well known TV personality, Olly Smith, has featured a few products from the Brandyclassics website in his column over recent months.  He began with recommending our Hermitage Provenance 10 Cognac for Bonfire Night suggesting that one should “Dive into this liquid flame, whose quality will set your very soul alight”.  He is not the only one to enjoy this wonderful cognac.  It has been flying off our shelves ever since!

With Christmas approaching Olly moved into our ArBlanche de Cassagnoles - Olly Smithmagnac range.  Firstly he advocated the ever popular Delord 20 Year Old Bas Armagnac describing it as his Top Pick – “plums and almonds rolled in cinnamon, the scent of sheer Christmas!”.  A long time favourite of ours this Armagnac is pleasingly presented in a green basquaise bottle.

And finally last weekend, he chose to feature our Blanche de Cassagnoles.  A white armagnac from the Tenareze region it has beautiful prune flavours despite the water-clear appearance.  Ideal for Christmas cocktails, flambés and other sorts of cooking.

Hermitage Cognac Marie Louise

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Crystal Decanter CognacOur latest release, Hermitage Cognac Marie Louise, is a 60-Year-Old Grande Champagne from one of the region’s top artisan producers. This astonishing creation has been described as “lining one’s mouth with velvet” and is a precious and rare investment.  At 43% abv it has all the complex aromas and flavours one would expect from such a well-aged cognac.

It is offered in a limited first run of 50 one litre decanters produced by Cumbria Crystal.  They are the last producer of completely hand-blown and hand-cut, full-lead luxury English crystal in the UK. The intensity and depth of flavours created by its careful distillation and ageing have created a masterpiece of smoothness and an intensely rich rancio found only in the rarest of cognacs. This truly great cognac is named after Marie Louise, the second wife of Napoleon Bonaparte. She bore his son who was given the title ‘Roi de Rome’ and who later became Napoleon II.

Victoria MooreOur finest release to date, Hermitage Cognac Marie Louise made it into the Saturday Telegraph two months in a row.  Initially, on 4 November, Victoria Moore wrote a fascinating piece about our MD, David Baker, Hermitage Cognacs and of course Cognac Marie Louise.  On 2 December she included details of the wonderful 60 plus year old cognac in the Luxury supplement.

Hermitage Cognac Marie Louise is available from Hedonism Wines, Corney and Barrow, Chelsea Vintners and our Brandyclassics website and is proving to be a real hit this Christmas.    

New Cognac Presentations in Time for Christmas

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gfit presentationsOur range of Hermitage Cognacs is ever increasing so we have designed some new cognac presentations to suit.

The latest addition is a bespoke presentation box for our extremely popular Hermitage Cognac Café 20 – the perfect accompaniment to coffee, it can also be enjoyed at any time of the day. The Café 20 now comes packaged in a ‘wedgewood’ blue box depicting early 20th century French café culture.

Our Hermitage 20 Year Old Grande Champagne and Hermitage 30 Year Old Grande Champagne Cognacs are both supplied in the extremely elegant ‘Helios’ carafe. Their new presentation box features the Alembic still, an iconic symbol of the cognac production process.

We hope you like them too.

Armagnac Popularity on the Rise

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armagnac popularityThe 2017 International Wine & Spirits Competition held in London this summer revealed how our drinking tastes are evolving, reports The Telegraph.  Expert spirits writer Neil Ridley says that our understanding of what we are drinking is constantly improving and he named the top 5 trends to look out for.  One of those is the slow but steady rise in demand for French spirits.  The increase in  Armagnac popularity is particularly evident.   “It is a misunderstood French brandy with huge amounts of history and provenance.  It sits somewhere between single malt whisky and cognac and has a lot to offer a connoisseur or someone new. You can find amazing, aged armagnacs at a fraction of the price of an aged whisky or rum” says Ridley. It certainly matches our experience that vintage armagnacs are becoming increasingly popular. Of course, this means that the prices are gradually increasing too.

We have most Armagnac vintages from 1930 – 1994 and a few others too.

Pineau des Charentes set to take the US by Storm

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area of Pineau des Charentes productionThis summer, the Pineau des Charentes Committee launched its first marketing campaign in the US.  Americans, already enjoy the truly craft, French cognac so are expected to embrace this little-known relative.  Pineau des Charentes is produced exclusively in the French Charentes region and gained the Appellation d’Origine Contrôlée status in 1945.  There are now about 500 producers. Pineau is made by adding freshly pressed grapes to newly distilled cognac eau-de-vie, at a ratio of about 3:1.  It must be aged in oak for at least a year and can be white or rosé.   Some producers, such as Chateau de Beaulon, still refer to their pineau as red.  Made from Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc and Merlot grapes, it is ruby red in colour, rather than pink.

While Pineau is fruity and light, Old and Vintage Pineau offer a complex mix of flavours such as nuts, honey and dried fruits.  An artisanal, authentic drink, Pineau des Charentes is completely natural with no sugar added.  It combines the fruitiness of wine with the warmth of cognac and is best served cold.  Try it as an aperitif, in a cocktail or as a dessert wine.

Organic Cognac Production is Increasing

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Today, less than 1% of the Cognac appellation is farmed organically, but the number of producers using these methods is increasing.  To make organic cognac a farmer must cultivate his grapes organically for at least 3 sequential years.  That means no chemical pesticides, herbicides, or fertilisers.  Instead farmers must rely on pre-war farming methods.  For example the use of copper and sulfur, nettle and horsetail infusions, mechanical weed removal and manure and compost fertilisers.  The application of manure and freshly grown fertilisers such as barley and faba beans certainly enriches the precious “terroir”.  Organic farmers claim that their cognacs produce different aromas.  We have yet to be convinced but public demand for the green “organic” certification is on the increase.  Even the big houses ask their producers to not use weed killer and employ more sustainable farming methods.  So, although only a few have chosen to qualify for certification, many more, such as Chateau de Beaulon are employing some organic methods, which can only be good for the “terroir” in the years to come.