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French · VI The Beverage Tradition

Cognac

Charente et Charente-Maritime, Poitou-Charentes

‹ The Beverage Tradition

I

Origin

Cognac is the eau-de-vie of wine distilled twice in copper and aged in oak, produced in a delimited region around the towns of Cognac and Jarnac in the Charente and Charente-Maritime. The Appellation d'Origine Contrôlée Cognac is divided into crus, among them Grande Champagne, Petite Champagne, Borderies, Fins Bois, Bons Bois and Bois Ordinaires. Its trade grew from the export of the region's wines and spirits by sea, and it is carried today by the growers, distillers and négociant houses of the Charente.

II

Description

Cognac is made chiefly from the white grape Ugni blanc (Vitis vinifera), grown on chalky, limestone-rich soils and pressed into a thin, acidic wine of low alcohol. The wine is distilled twice in the traditional charentais copper pot still, the alambic charentais, and the clear distillate, the eau-de-vie, is then aged in oak casks, usually of Limousin or Tronçais oak. Ageing colours it amber and builds its aromas of dried fruit, vanilla, spice and rancio. Blending, the work of the cellar master, joins eaux-de-vie of different ages and crus into the finished spirit, which is sold under the age statements VS, VSOP and XO.

III

The Thread

—Both are grape brandies aged in oak under a protected appellation, and both owe their character to the still and the cask. Cognac is distilled twice in a pot still and is finer and more floral, while Armagnac is traditionally distilled once in a continuous column and is rounder and more rustic. This pairing is a see also within France and is given for comparison only. French, · Gascony
—Both are grape spirits matured in wood and blended from batches of differing age. Brandy de Jerez is aged in casks that have held sherry, usually through a solera system of fractional blending, which gives it a sweeter, more nutty profile than the vintage-and-cru blending of Cognac. Spanish, · Andalusia
—Both are spirits distilled from wine or must of the grape in a pot still, with the quality of the base fruit setting the quality of the spirit. Pisco is typically rested in neutral vessels and bottled without oak colour, so it keeps the pure grape aroma that Cognac trades for the depth of long cask ageing. Peruvian
—Both are distilled from the grape and serve as a digestif at the end of a meal. Grappa is distilled from the pomace left after pressing and is often sold unaged and sharp, whereas Cognac is distilled from the wine itself and is shaped by years in oak. Italian
IV

Flavour Context

Cognac is taken after the meal as a digestif, in a tulip or balloon glass at room temperature, alongside coffee, dark chocolate or dried fruit. In the kitchen it is used to flambé and deglaze, as in a sauce for sautéed kidneys, a pan sauce for lobster à l'américaine, or a game terrine, where it carries fat and adds depth. The structural reason is its combination of alcohol, which dissolves fat-soluble aromas and lifts them, with the sweet, oaked, fruit notes that round richness and bind a sauce.

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