Cognac

Cognac is a form of brandy. But, we're covering it today because it is made from wine grapes. So, let's dive in.

It's a region, barely to the north of Bordeaux that is known as an Appellation d’Origine Protégée (AOP). In France, that means it has rules and regulations and more rules and regulations.

As is the case in essentially every wine region in France, the grapes that may be used are limited. In Cognac AOP, the three grapes that may be used are Ugni Blanc, Folle Blanche, and Colombard. Others include just a splash of lesser known grapes and some use a bit of Semillon. Many Cognacs use exclusively Ugni Blanc.

Now we get to why we can cover this in a wine blog. Before Cognac becomes Cognac, it is wine. That's right, the Ugni Blanc and other grapes are fermented into a highly acidic, low alcohol, quite tart wine. From there, the wines undergo malolactic fermentation converting the overly acrid malic acid to softer, creamier lactic acid.

Yesterday began the process of distillation. That's right; distillation begins on November 1 and must end by March 31. The distillation takes place in a charentais, a special form of copper still. At the end of distillation, the Cognac has a maximum alcohol content of 74.2% (why such a strange number I have no idea). This intermediate product is clear and transparent and has an aroma much like you would expect from a flaming peach.

On April 1, the aging process starts. It is done in oak and it is from that oak that Cognac gets its flavros and color. Distilled products aged for less than 2 years may not be called Cognac.

The classification system is entirely dependent on the amount of aging. A VS (very special) Cognac will have been aged for a minimum of 2 years. A VSOP (very superior old pale) Cognac will have been aged for at least 4 years. And, an XO (extremely old) Cognac will have been aged for a minimum of 10 years (it used to be 6 years, but that was increased late last decade).

There are some other names and designations, a few of which are official and most of which are branding. Here are the ones that the French monitor:

  • Extra (VSOP aged at least 6 years)
  • Napoleon (between VSOP and XO)
  • Vintage (all grapes from a single harvest)
  • Tres Veille Reserve (significantly older than XO)
  • Familie Reserve (special reserve of the family)
  • Heritage (at least 40 years of aging and often more than that)
One of the things that I find interesting is the anglicized labeling. Cognac is not at all popular in France. It is largely made there to sell to the American public, thus all the English-language branding, and the pricing to sell to an American marketplace.

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