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Is Cognac Better Than Whisky?

Posted / in Brandy Education, Learning about Brandy, News, The History of Cognac and tagged

An impossible question to answer, it is of course down to personal taste, but we do have a few facts to consider.  Cognac is made from grapes and whisky from grain so cognac can develop a variety of fruitful aromas and flavours which whisky cannot.  Both spirits are aged in barrels and improve over time but cognac is the more complex, takes longer to produce and inevitably, is more expensive.  Additionally, it is double distilled and must be made in accordance with strict regulations.  Whisky can be produced anywhere in the world but cognac must come from the designated Cognac region in France.  In the mid nineteenth century cognac was the most popular spirit in Britain.  Today it is renewing this popularity with very modern ‘rapper’ ambassadors like Jay-Z and Snoop Dog advocating cognac in their music and their personal lives.  In comparison, whisky has always had its fair share of celebrity endorsements and the recent launch of Haig Club by David Beckham is no exception.  Medicinally it’s said that cognac is better for your heart than whisky and rarely results in a hangover – great benefits certainly but for us, the sheer depth and intensity of flavour, fruitiness, warmth and complexity means that cognac will always be the King of Spirits.

A really magical example is the Hermitage 43 year old Cognac, sold by Brandyclassics.

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On Trade Business is Looking Up

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The Budget also gives a boost

Like-for-like sales in the On Trade sector grew by 1.6% in February, according to figures produced by the Coffer Peach Business Tracker.  This result marks the 23rd consecutive month of positive growth and illustrates the public’s continuing desire to go out to eat and drink.  Such consistent growth indicates that public confidence in the UK economy is improving at a steady rate.  This boost to the On Trade sector may well accelerate throughout the remainder of 2015 following the government’s recent Budget.  Duty on spirits was cut by 2%, a move which followed hard on the heels of the abolishment of the Alcohol Duty Escalator in 2014.  Described as a “momentous result” by WTSA campaigners, this recognition of market need by the government is extremely good news for the industry and Hermitage Cognacs which are sold in many of the world’s top hotels and restaurants.

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New Hermitage Cognac Vintages Available

Posted / in Brandy Bottle Reviews, News, News from the Brandy Houses and tagged

We are very excited about the addition of three, new, luxury Grande Champagne Cognacs to our Hermitage collection.  Our best-selling Hermitage 2000 has now sold out but any one of these new arrivals would be a perfect alternative.  Hermitage 2005 is very similar in style with its mocha, toffee and spice flavours and is remarkable for a cognac of its age.  Already a Masters winner at the recent Cognac Masters Awards, Hermitage Provenance 10 is “really expressive”, according to the judges, and will surely have everyone coming back for more.  And Hermitage 20 Year Old is a gorgeous, deep golden cognac with complex flavours and is beautifully presented in an elegant Helios carafe.

But don’t just take our word for it – try them for yourself.

 

The Charente Scene – Spring 2015 in the Cognac Producing Region

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The Oak Sensation

Just at the moment the emphasis on cognac production in the Charente region has changed slightly.  On a recent visit to the area we met with one of the major barrel makers who reported that they are currently reducing their production of barrels.  This is partly because most new barrel orders come at the end of the year and partly because they need to concentrate on bulk tank production.  With the on-going need for blended cognacs, large storage facilities, where blending can take place with the minimum risk of quality deterioration, are constantly in demand. These giant barrels can hold between 14,000 and 120,000 litres of cognac and the oak staves can be as much as three inches thick. Clearly such big tanks are not ideal for storage as the cognac exposure to the tannins in the wood is far less than in a normal sized barrel.  However, for the big houses this can be a cost effective method of cognac storage.

All Hermitage Cognacs are aged in much smaller barrels and you can read more about the ageing process here.

Hermitage Exports Cognac to China

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Last month we were delighted to welcome Logan and Ada from Zhongshan Yutian Wine Co. to our French offices, SARL Hermitage, in Chez Richon, Segonzac.  After a highly successful visit touring our facilities and the Cognac region, a Memorandum of Understanding was signed covering the regular supply of Grape Brandies and Hermitage Cognacs to China over the next 12 months.  The first order is due to be dispatched shortly and we expect to sign a formal contract later this year.

Find out more about our Export Trade products here.

 

Hermitage Chez Richon Cognac 2000

Posted / in Brandy Bottle Reviews, News, News from the Brandy Houses, The Bottle Story and tagged

About six years ago we decided to sell a late vintage cognac.  From our Chez Richon cellars we chose a 2000 vintage which had around 6000 bottles available.  The cognac epitomised our style of powerful flavours, which tend to be on the side of mocha and roasted walnuts but with some good staying power on the palate.  Hermitage Cognac 2000 was an immediate success.  Our customers loved it, partly for its rich qualities and distinctive flavours and partly because it demonstrated that good cognacs don’t have to be expensive. Little did we know then just how well this wonderful nectar would be received.   Helped along by wine and spirit journalist Ollie Smith, who regularly shouted its praises through his column in the Daily Mail, our customers also vocalised their thoughts and kindly told us how good it was.

The judges at The Cognac Masters 2009 obviously loved Hermitage Cognac 2000 too and awarded it a Gold Medal.  Such accolades made it very popular indeed and eventually the last bottle was sold to a hotel near Basingstoke in January 2015. We would of course like to thank everyone who bought and enjoyed it but please don’t worry, there is now a Hermitage 2005 Grande Champagne available to replace it.  I think that for all the reasons you liked the Hermitage 2000 you are going to like this one even more.

Gift’s for Mother’s Day

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Mother’s Day is such a great tradition – one day of the year when we can all take time out to thank our Mums and spoil them with special gifts and gratitude.

At Brandyclassics our shelves are stocked high with ideas for Mother’s Day Presents.  We have drinks for every taste but one that is always popular is Pineau des Charentes.  Very young cognac is mixed with grape juice and then aged to produce a rich, sweet aperitif, just delicious served cold or as a dessert wine – a real treat for any Mum.

Or, if you prefer an after dinner drink, our deliciously fresh, cream Calvados liqueur makes a welcome change from the whisky varieties and our Hermitage 10 year old Cognac has wonderful apricot aromas with vanilla and toffee flavours.  You will be spoilt for choice finding a gift here this Mother’s Day.

David on Technical Topics – Cognac Grape Varieties

Posted in Brandy Education, How to make Cognac, Learning about Brandy and tagged

Most people regard the Ugni Blanc as the cognac grape variety but there are in fact 8 different varieties allowed in the production of cognac.  The Ugni Blanc is also known as the St Emillion des Charente, but the Colombard, Folle Blanche, Jurançon, Blanc Ramé, Bouilleaux, Belzac Blanc and Chalosse grapes are also permitted.  More than 95% of all cognacs are made from the Ugni Blanc which was originally an Italian variety called Trebbiano Toscano, from the foothills of the Emilia Romagna near Piacenza.  It is regarded by many as being so widely used that it probably produces more wine than any other variety in the world albeit under a number of different names.  Its popularity is contrasted by its qualities which can be summed up as pale lemon, little nose, notably high acid, medium alcohol and body and short. It produces a quite unremarkable and characterless wine but it has two important qualities for making cognac.  Firstly it maintains its acidity right up to even quite late harvests and secondly it produces huge yields.  These qualities produce a relatively neutral base for distillation.

The Ugni Blanc vines are planted about 2.8 metres apart and usually stand around 1-1.5 metres tall. They are cultivated along wires in rows to make it easier for machines to spray and harvest them.  The yield can vary according to the weather but most vineyards produce more than 30,000 litres of wine per annum which will make at least 3000 bottles of cognac.  The wine produced from these grapes, apart from being fairly neutral is only around 8 – 10 % abv making it very suitable for the distillation process.

More adventurous growers will combine the Ugni Blanc with Folle Blanche and Colombard grapes.  The latter can provide some delightful peachy aromas in the cognac. Our award winning Hermitage 10 Year Old is an excellent example of this grape combination as it has aromas of dried peach and apricot with flavours of vanilla, toffee and a little citrus. The firm of Ragnaud Sabourin, in Grande Champagne, actually uses all eight varieties in its delightful, but expensive, 1903 ‘Cognac Paradis’.

Our Hermitage 10 Year Old Cognac is on offer this month so now is the perfect time to taste it and see if you can tell that it has been made using different cognac grape varieties.

To read more Technical Topics, go to the Brandy Education page of our Blog.

Brandy Prices Reduced as Exchange Rate Improves

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Recent improvements in the £ / € exchange rate have been of great importance to importers like us so we feel that it is only right and proper to share our good fortune with you. We are extremely grateful to all our customers who have loyally supported us throughout the recession years and now we would like to give you something in return.

Traditionally this time of the year sees many cognac and armagnac prices increase and indeed in many cases they have but, to reflect the recent strength of the pound, we are cutting our prices across the board by 1%.  As we know in all walks of life – every little helps – so click here to find our new brandy prices.

David on Technical Topics – Cognac Vines

Posted / in Brandy Education, How to make Cognac and tagged

Having spent a very cold weekend in the garden pruning trees, shrubs and roses, I gave some thought to those people who have to be in the cognac vineyards at this time of the year pruning the vines.

In theory, there is no reason why the vines cannot be pruned as soon as the leaves have died back but at that time of the year, distillation is in full swing so lack of time prevents it.  Most of the distillations have been completed by the New Year and it is then that the work outside begins in order that new shoots can emerge in the spring.   Most vines are cut back to the main stems.  These are usually trained along wires to enable easy access for the machines which need to operate in straight lines during spraying and harvesting.

The harvest is tough on those who have to go out and do the pruning. It is often very cold, often raining and sometimes even snowing but, it has to be completed by early spring. There are thousands of vines in every hectare and at Chez Richon, for example, most of this work is done by a single person. Madame Forgeron, works from 8 in the morning until 5 in the evening.  She takes a packed lunch and works tirelessly 7 days a week for about 3 months – quite an undertaking, especially since she’s 70!

To read more Technical Topics go to our Brandy Education page.