France — spirits
Cognac
AOC Cognac in the Charente département, northwest France. Six crus ranked by chalk content: Grande Champagne (finest, most delicate — required for XO labelling in blends), Petite Champagne, Borderies (small zone; violet character; Courvoisier source), Fins Bois, Bons Bois, Bois Ordinaires. Ugni Blanc (Trebbiano) — high acid, low alcohol — ideal for distillation. Double distillation in copper alambic charentais. Ageing in Limousin or Tronçais oak.
Benchmark products
Vintage assessments
| Year | Rating | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 2023 | 85 | More balanced season after 2022 extremes; moderate heat with adequate rainfall. Classic, well-proportioned eaux-de-vie with good natural acidity and fruit. |
| 2022 | 88 | Exceptional drought summer; highest heat accumulation in decades. Record sugar levels but some stress visible. Outstanding aromatic intensity in resulting eaux-de-vie. |
| 2021 | 84 | Cold spring with late frost damage reduced yields; summer recovered well. Small crop of highly concentrated eaux-de-vie with intense character. |
| 2020 | 86 | Warm, generous summer; moderately dry conditions allowed full phenolic ripeness. Highly aromatic eaux-de-vie with notable floral and fruit character. |
| 2019 | 82 | Irregular season with some rain during harvest; yields lower than average but concentration high in the premier crus. Well-structured eaux-de-vie with good longevity potential. |
| 2018 | 90 | Hot, dry summer with ideal ripeness across Grande and Petite Champagne; high natural sugar accumulation produced eaux-de-vie of exceptional concentration and early aromatic complexity. |