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ADV Somm 2022: Service + Tasting > Brandy > Flashcards

Brandy Flashcards

1
Q

How does the EU define brandy?

A

A distillation of wine to a minimum of 36% alcohol and a minimum oak aging of 6 months

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2
Q

What are the 6 regions of Cognac? List high quality to lowest quality.

A

Grande Champagne
Petite Champagne
Borderies
Fins Bois
Bons Bois
Bois Ordinaire

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3
Q

What is the preferred soil type and in which regions is this soil most prominent? How does the soil change in the outlying regions?

A

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

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4
Q

What is the main grape planted in Cognac? What percentage of plantings belong to this grape?

A

Ugni Blanc
98%

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5
Q

What practices and requirements define the Cognac distillation process?

A
  • 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
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6
Q

What are the requirements for labelling Cognac by its sub-region?

A

100% of the eau-de-vie must be from said sub-region

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7
Q

What does “Fine Champagne Cognac” indicate?

A

100% of the eau-de-vie comes from Grande Champagne and/or Petite Champagne; with at least 50% from Grande Champagne

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8
Q

What would designation would indicate that a Cognac is at least 2 years old?

A

VS / *** / de Luxe / Grand Choix / Surchoix

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9
Q

What does VS stand for? What other terms could be used interchangeably for this designation?

A

Very Special
*** / de Luxe / Grand Choix / Surchoix
(all indicate Cognac is min. 2 years old)

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10
Q

What does VSOP stand for? What designations can be used interchangeably and what do they all mean?

A

Very Special (or Superior) Old Pale
VO / Reserve
All indicate min 4 years of age

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11
Q

What does the Cognac designation Superiore indicate?

A

min 3 years old

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12
Q

What does the Cognac designation VVSOP indicate? What is another term that might be used for this category?

A

min 5 years age
Grande Reserve

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13
Q

What terms would designate a Cognac is a min of 6 years old?

A

Napoléon / Extra / Royal / Très Vieux / Vieille Réserve

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14
Q

A Cognac with the designate “Napoleon” is a minimum of what age?

A

6 years

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15
Q

What does XO stand for? What is the age requirement for a Cognac labelled this way?

A

Extra Old
min 10 years (6 years, prior to 2018)

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16
Q

What is the minimum age requirement for XXO?

A

min 14 years

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17
Q

Age designations for Cognac are based on the youngest age in the blend - true or false?

A

True

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18
Q

What is the interchangeable - accepted but not really used - name for Cognac AC?

A

Eau-de-Vie des Charentes

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19
Q

What is the oldest, continually operated Cognac brand? What year does it date to?

A

Martell
1715

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20
Q

Who is the largest Cognac producer and what % of production do they account for?

A

Hennessey; 46%

21
Q

At approximately what ABV is Cognac usually bottled at or around?

A

40%

22
Q

Trivia: describe the eau-de-vie selection process at Hennessey.

A

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.

23
Q

From which 2 subregions does Remy Martin source all of its grapes?

A

Petite Champagne, Grande Champagne

24
Q

From what subregion does Martell source the majority of their grapes?

A

Borderies

25
Q

Courvoisier sources the majority of their grapes from what subregion?

A

Fins Bois

26
Q

What is the largest producing sub-region of Cognac?

A

Fins Bois

27
Q

Bois Ordinaires account for approximately what % of Cognac production?

A

1%

28
Q

Of Cognac’s “Big Four” - which is the newest and when were they founded?

A

Courvoisier - 1809 and not active in Cognac until 1828. Newbs

29
Q

The bulk of Cognac sold in the US is of what age statement?

A

VS (nearly 3/4)

30
Q

How much Cognac is exported vs how much remains in France?

A

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

31
Q

What is Jay Z’s cognac label and who makes it?

A

D’Usse
Baron Otard Cognac (itself not avl in the US)

32
Q

Who makes Louis XIII? What is it? Why is it so coveted?

A

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

33
Q

Trivial information: what 3 crystal makers produce the bottles for Louis XIII?

A

Baccarat, Saint-Louis, and Cristallerie de Sèvres

34
Q

Approximately how much does Remy’s Louis XIII retail for?

A

$3699 at Daly City Total Wine (8/16/20)

35
Q

Who owns Martell?

A

Pernod Ricard

36
Q

Recommend an organic Cognac?

A

Jean-Luc Pasquet, Peyrat, or Leopold Gourmel

37
Q

Food pairings for cognac?

A

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

38
Q

How does the EU define brandy?

A

A distillation of wine not pomace with an ABV of at least 36% and a minimum oak aging period of 6 months

39
Q

What are Armagnac’s 3 regions of production?

A

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

40
Q

What are the primary grapes used in the blend for Armagnac?

A

Ugni Blanc
Colombard
Folle Blanche
Baco Blanc

41
Q

How is Armagnac distilled?

A

Can either be distilled in a continuous still or double distilled in a copper alembic still. 95% of Armagnac produced used the continuous still

42
Q

What is Blanche Armagnac?

A

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

43
Q

What is the aging requirement for Armagnac VS/***?

A

Rests in barrel for 1 to 3 years
*the guidelines were updated/simplified for the 2013 and on

44
Q

What is the aging requirement for Armagnac VSOP?

A

Rests in barrel for min. 4 years
*the guidelines were updated/simplified for the 2013 and on

45
Q

What is the aging requirement for Armagnac Hors d’Age?

A

10+ years aging
*the guidelines were updated/simplified for the 2013 and on

46
Q

Describe Gascony as a region as you might to a guest.

A

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

47
Q

As a generalization, why is Armagnac better in years that are typically deemed bad years for wine?

A

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

48
Q

Name a producer from each of Armagnac’s subregions?

A

Bas-Armagnac: Chateau de Tariquet, Labordolive, Chateau de Briat
Haut-Argmangac: don’t bother
Teneraze: Chateau de Pellehaut

49
Q

Who are the 2 most significant negotiants in Armagnac?

A

Darroze
Laubade

ADV Somm 2022: Service + Tasting (20 decks)

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