Brandy Flashcards
How does the EU define brandy?
A distillation of wine to a minimum of 36% alcohol and a minimum oak aging of 6 months
What are the 6 regions of Cognac? List high quality to lowest quality.
Grande Champagne
Petite Champagne
Borderies
Fins Bois
Bons Bois
Bois Ordinaire
What is the preferred soil type and in which regions is this soil most prominent? How does the soil change in the outlying regions?
Soft chalk - most prominent in Grande Champagne and Petite Champagne
As you move out to the outlying regions, the soils turn more hard limestone/clay/sand
What is the main grape planted in Cognac? What percentage of plantings belong to this grape?
Ugni Blanc
98%
What practices and requirements define the Cognac distillation process?
- 2 distillations in copper Charentais pot still (required)
- after the 2nd distillation, the spirit must not contain more than 72.4% alcohol
- distillation must be completed by March 31 of the year after harvest
What are the requirements for labelling Cognac by its sub-region?
100% of the eau-de-vie must be from said sub-region
What does “Fine Champagne Cognac” indicate?
100% of the eau-de-vie comes from Grande Champagne and/or Petite Champagne; with at least 50% from Grande Champagne
What would designation would indicate that a Cognac is at least 2 years old?
VS / *** / de Luxe / Grand Choix / Surchoix
What does VS stand for? What other terms could be used interchangeably for this designation?
Very Special
*** / de Luxe / Grand Choix / Surchoix
(all indicate Cognac is min. 2 years old)
What does VSOP stand for? What designations can be used interchangeably and what do they all mean?
Very Special (or Superior) Old Pale
VO / Reserve
All indicate min 4 years of age
What does the Cognac designation Superiore indicate?
min 3 years old
What does the Cognac designation VVSOP indicate? What is another term that might be used for this category?
min 5 years age
Grande Reserve
What terms would designate a Cognac is a min of 6 years old?
Napoléon / Extra / Royal / Très Vieux / Vieille Réserve
A Cognac with the designate “Napoleon” is a minimum of what age?
6 years
What does XO stand for? What is the age requirement for a Cognac labelled this way?
Extra Old
min 10 years (6 years, prior to 2018)
What is the minimum age requirement for XXO?
min 14 years
Age designations for Cognac are based on the youngest age in the blend - true or false?
True
What is the interchangeable - accepted but not really used - name for Cognac AC?
Eau-de-Vie des Charentes
What is the oldest, continually operated Cognac brand? What year does it date to?
Martell
1715
Who is the largest Cognac producer and what % of production do they account for?
Hennessey; 46%
At approximately what ABV is Cognac usually bottled at or around?
40%
Trivia: describe the eau-de-vie selection process at Hennessey.
A prestigious 7 person team tastes 10k+ batches per year. They taste at 11am each time with set factors, including the water they drink during tasting - so that the only variable is the eau-de-vie.
Anyone who has served less than 10 years on the team is not even permitted to speak or voice opinion. Yann Fillioux is the master blender - he’s been on the team 50+ years.
From which 2 subregions does Remy Martin source all of its grapes?
Petite Champagne, Grande Champagne
From what subregion does Martell source the majority of their grapes?
Borderies
Courvoisier sources the majority of their grapes from what subregion?
Fins Bois
What is the largest producing sub-region of Cognac?
Fins Bois
Bois Ordinaires account for approximately what % of Cognac production?
1%
Of Cognac’s “Big Four” - which is the newest and when were they founded?
Courvoisier - 1809 and not active in Cognac until 1828. Newbs
The bulk of Cognac sold in the US is of what age statement?
VS (nearly 3/4)
How much Cognac is exported vs how much remains in France?
98% is exported
*to be fair, Cognac was first made with a foreign market in mind and has never really been indoctrinated into the local culture
What is Jay Z’s cognac label and who makes it?
D’Usse
Baron Otard Cognac (itself not avl in the US)
Who makes Louis XIII? What is it? Why is it so coveted?
Remy Martin - named for the monarch reigning at the time the house was established. A blend of 50 to 100 year old eau-de-vie from the Grande Champagne region. Though the name came later, this prestige bottling started in 1874
Trivial information: what 3 crystal makers produce the bottles for Louis XIII?
Baccarat, Saint-Louis, and Cristallerie de Sèvres
Approximately how much does Remy’s Louis XIII retail for?
$3699 at Daly City Total Wine (8/16/20)
Who owns Martell?
Pernod Ricard
Recommend an organic Cognac?
Jean-Luc Pasquet, Peyrat, or Leopold Gourmel
Food pairings for cognac?
Age designation depending - but is surprisingly versatile, matching oysters, some seafood, anything umami. Creamy cheeses, strong blue cheese, aged parmesan. Red fruits like raspberries with their tart profile are a good match
How does the EU define brandy?
A distillation of wine not pomace with an ABV of at least 36% and a minimum oak aging period of 6 months
What are Armagnac’s 3 regions of production?
Haut-Armagnac: the largest subzone with the fewest vines.
Bas-Armagnac: Bas only in terms of altitude, not quality. Soils feature small pieces of limestone in sand
Armagnac-Teneraze: east of Bas-Arm; altitude shifts high, there’s more clay and limestone
What are the primary grapes used in the blend for Armagnac?
Ugni Blanc
Colombard
Folle Blanche
Baco Blanc
How is Armagnac distilled?
Can either be distilled in a continuous still or double distilled in a copper alembic still. 95% of Armagnac produced used the continuous still
What is Blanche Armagnac?
The AC for this debuted in 2005.
Young, clear Armagnac bottled after spending 3 months in an inert container after distillation. The final product must be colorless. The only addition allowed is distilled/de-mineralized water to adjust alcohol
What is the aging requirement for Armagnac VS/***?
Rests in barrel for 1 to 3 years
*the guidelines were updated/simplified for the 2013 and on
What is the aging requirement for Armagnac VSOP?
Rests in barrel for min. 4 years
*the guidelines were updated/simplified for the 2013 and on
What is the aging requirement for Armagnac Hors d’Age?
10+ years aging
*the guidelines were updated/simplified for the 2013 and on
Describe Gascony as a region as you might to a guest.
We are just east of Toulouse, about 1 1/2 hours SW of Bordeaux. This is a very agricultural region: rolling green hills of corn, sunflowers, wheat and grapes
As a generalization, why is Armagnac better in years that are typically deemed bad years for wine?
Higher alcohol levels in the base lead to a spirit with less finesse - this could be caused by warm years or ideal conditions or diminished yields. Alembic armagnacais stills struggle to distill base wines with 10%+ alc, so in hot years they often need to add water
Name a producer from each of Armagnac’s subregions?
Bas-Armagnac: Chateau de Tariquet, Labordolive, Chateau de Briat
Haut-Argmangac: don’t bother
Teneraze: Chateau de Pellehaut
Who are the 2 most significant negotiants in Armagnac?
Darroze
Laubade
