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Decanter Magazine Features Hermitage Cognacs 1885, 1920, 1923 & 1944

DecanterDavid Longfield has written in Decanter magazine describing the excitement of  tasting some of our most precious nectars with MD, David Baker.  All produced over 75 years ago, these Grande Champagne vintages are some of the best we have ever stocked.  Here is a snippet of the article to whet your appetite.  The entire piece can be read here.

Hermitage Cognac works with top Cognac houses to hunt out small parcels of such old spirits still preserved among the five or six hundred independent producers around the region, looking primarily for those with verifiable vintage dates or age statements that define how long they’ve spent in barrel.”

Longfield goes onto write “The barrel ageing, and the conditions of the cellars in which it takes place, are the critical factors, Baker says: ‘It’s really what fine Cognacs are all about.’  He continues: ‘This ageing process develops [over many years] into what we call “rancio” – a kind of madeirisation, a richness and sweetness. I think this is highly sought-after: a natural richness, not a sugary sweetness.’”

 

US Presidential Spirits Collection

US Presidential CollectionA unique collection of ‘Presidential Spirits’ was put up for auction in New York recently. The Lot comprised 39 bottles of cognac and armagnac each dating to a US Presidential term of office from 1789 to 1977. Part of a larger Dutch collection, the Lot included cognacs from 1789 (George Washington), 1842 (John Tyler) and 1865 (Abraham Lincoln). The US Presidential connection with cognac comes from events throughout history. The Marquis de Lafayette brought cognac when he crossed the Atlantic to assist George Washington in America’s fight for Independence and Thomas Jefferson developed an appreciation for cognac when witnessing the onset of the French Revolution. Architect of the European Union and scion of the famous cognac family, Jean Monnet served as an advisor to President Franklin Roosevelt and it was reported that General (and future President) Dwight Eisenhower sipped Cognac with Winston Churchill, as they planned the D-Day invasion that would liberate France during World War II. All pre-Phylloxera cognacs are steeped in history, not only in the origins of each bottle but also in the historical events occurring at the time of their distillation. Take a look at our specialist range of ‘Very Old Cognacs’ to find out more.