In French, Cognac is technically classified as an "eau-de-vie de vin" – a category which covers all spirits distilled from wine. The spirit's full, official name is in fact "Eau-de-Vie de Cognac" or "Eau-de-Vie des Charentes", but the shorter version has become so widely used that these full names are almost never seen on labels.
Although not particularly well known, the Charentais is one of France's largest vineyard areas. It is composed of two administrative departments (Charente and Charente-Maritime), each of which generates more wine per year than the whole of Burgundy.
While a certain proportion of this is basic table wine (sold as IGP / Vin de Pays or Vin de France), the vast majority is produced specifically for distillation into Cognac.
Legally protected and regulated since May 1936, Cognac was among the very first AOC titles confirmed when the INAO (France's national appellations body) was created in the mid-1930s.
Prior to this, the title was already protected by a decree of 1909, which began the official delimitation of the Cognac catchment area.
There are six sub-appellations here, reflecting the six different vine-growing areas that have been recognized and delimited over the years. In ascending order of prestige, these are: Bois Ordinaires; Bons Bois; Fins Bois; Borderies; Petite Champagne; and Grande Champagne.
The vines grown for Cognac production cover many thousands of hectares in the Charentais. The finest Grande Champagne and Petite Champagne sub-districts are located nearest to the town of Cognac itself.
The vineyards are cultivated by a significant number of small growers, who typically sell their produce to the large Cognac houses – the largest and most famous of which are Hennessy, Martell and Rémy Martin.
There are, of course, some artisanal producers and local co-operatives who vinify and distill their own grape harvests. However, these constitute only a tiny fraction of total Cognac production.
Cognac quality designations and barrel maturation
Cognac quality is graded in several official tiers, which reflect how long the spirit spent in barrel. Barrel maturation is an essential part of how Cognac is made.
Although brandy doesn't develop in bottle, the time it spends in oak allows it to take on greater complexity and smoothness – as well as the deep amber color that is all part of the Cognac attraction.
The official tiers – as well as their strictly controlled names and alternate titles – are:
- VS (Very Special) minimum of two years in casks. Other titles in this category include "3 Etoiles" or "3 stars", Sélection", "De Luxe" or "Millésime";
- Supérieur (including "Cuvée Supérieure" and "Qualité Supérieure") is a three-year aged category;
- VSOP (Very Special Old Pale) minimum of four years. This includes the labels "Réserve", "Vieux", "Rare" and "Royal";
- Vieille Réserve as well as "Réserve Rare" and "Réserve Royale" cover Cognacs aged for a five-year period;
- Napoléon (as well as "Très Vieux", "Très Vieille Réserve", "Héritage", "Très Rare", "Excellence" and "Suprême") is now the category for Cognac aged for at least six years;
- XO is reserved for those cuvees aged for ten years or more. This figure was raised from six years in 2018 and also covers the labels "Extra", "Ancestral", "Ancêtre, "Or", "Gold", "Impérial" or "Extra Old";
- XXO, or "Extra Extra Old", was added to Cognac AOP regulations in 2019 and covers Cognacs aged for 14 years or more. The year before, Hennessy had introduced the first XXO only to have its production halted by the regional authorities in Nouvelle-Acquitaine. With their owners, the LVMH group, they consequently pushed for the category to be enshrined in law;
- The phrase Hors d'Age is used for Cognacs aged beyond any of the official age statements. It was previously aligned with XO, now more with XXO.
Cognac grape varieties
The grape varieties used in Cognac have been carefully chosen for the task. Cognac production requires grapes which are relatively high in acidity and low in sugar.
Low sugar levels in the grapes mean low alcohol levels in the base wines. This allows them to be distilled for longer before they reach their intended alcoholic strength of 72 percent by volume; the more they are distilled, the purer the spirit.
High acidity acts as a natural antiseptic, keeping the grapes and wines free from bacterial spoilage. Sulfur, the wine industry's ubiquitous anti-bacterial agent, cannot be used in Cognac production, as the distillation process would concentrate it to unpleasant levels, leading to aromas of cabbage and rotten eggs.
Good disease resistance is another requirement for grapes used in Cognac. The Charentais' relatively cool, wet climate makes for a high risk of rot in the vineyards, and again, imperfections would be amplified by distillation.
Thus grapes in the region are harvested relatively early, helpfully providing the low sugar and high acid levels required in the base wine.
Ugni Blanc – disease-resistant, high in acid, low in sugar – satisfies all three of the requirements above. As a result, it is by far the most important variety in Cognac. Roughly 95 percent of the base wines distilled into Cognac are made from Ugni Blanc grapes.
The remaining five percent is taken up mostly by Folle Blanche and Colombard, although the appellation laws also permit the use of Semillon and Montils. The even rarer and relatively fragile Folignan (a cross of Ugni Blanc and Folle Blanche) is also allowed but it may make up no more than ten percent of the base blend.
The vey rare Jurançon Blanc, Meslier Saint-François and Sélect were permitted in the vineyards of Cognac until the 2020 harvest. They are now phased out of production.
