Brandy Flashcards
1
Q
Brandy
Defined by the EU
A
- Distillation of wine, not pomace
- min 36% abv
- min 6 mo oak aging
2
Q
Base for distillation for Brandy
A
Wine
3
Q
Hybrid grape variety authorized for Armagnac production
A
Baco Blanc
4
Q
Year Cognac AOC was first defined
Year it was finalized
A
- 1909
- 1938
5
Q
Where is Cognac located in France?
A
Northeast of Bordeaux
6
Q
Cognac
6 Geographic Designations
(added 1938)
A
- Grande Champagne
- Petite Champagne
- Borderies
- Fins Bois
- Bons Bois
- Bois Ordinaires (Bois à Terroirs)
7
Q
Cognac
Grande and Petite Champagne
Soils
A
Limestone and high % of Soft Chalk
8
Q
Cognac
Outlying Regions
Soils
A
-
Higher % hard limestone, sand and clay
- Fins Bois: “groies” (hard red limestone) and clay
- Bons Bois, Bois Ordinaires: Sand
9
Q
Cognac
Permitted Grapes
A
encépagement
- Ugni Blanc (accounts for 98% of vineyard land)
- Folle Blanche
- Colombard
- Montils
- Sémillon
- max 10% Folignan (Folle Blanche x Ugni Blanc)
10
Q
Cognac
Distillation Procedure
A
2x in a copper Charentais pot still
- Copper boiler must be heated over an open flame
- Still for the 1st distillation must not exceed a capacity of 140 hl (5% tolerance), with a volume of base wine not exceeding 120 hl
- Still used to distill the bonne chauffe must not exceed a capacity of 30 hl (5% tolerance), with a volume of spirit not exceeding 25 hl
- Post 2nd distillation, max 72.4% alcohol
- Distillation must be completed by March 31 of the year following the harvest
11
Q
brouillis
A
1st distillation of Cognac
- Product is a spirit of 28-32% ABV
- It will be distilled again
12
Q
bonne chauffe
A
- bonne chauffe -* 2nd distillation of Cognac
- vs. brouillis - 1st distillation
13
Q
bonne chauffe
4 parts
A
bonne chauffe
- Tête - ‘heads’
- Coeur - ‘hearts’
- Secondes - ‘second cuts’
- Queue - ‘tails’
14
Q
Cognac
Age Indications
A
Age refers to the youngest eau-de-vie in the blend
-
VS/***/ de Luxe / Grand Choix / Surchoix: (Very Special)
- min 2 yrs
-
Supérieur
- min 3 yrs
-
VSOP / VO / Réserve (Very Special/Superior Old Pale)
- min 4 yrs
-
VVSOP / Grande Réserve
- min 5 yrs
-
Napoléon / Extra / Royal / Très Vieux / Vieille Réserve
- min 6 yrs
-
XO (Extra Old)
- min 10 yrs
- Was min 6 yrs until 2018 - original deadline of 2016 was protested to ensure consisteny of stocks)
-
XXO
- min 14 yrs
15
Q
Cognac
Vintage
A
- Vintage indicates year of harvest, not year of distillation
- Legal, but rare
16
Q
Cognac
with Subzone on the label
A
- 100% of the eaux-de-vie must originate in the stated subzone
- i.e. “Grande Champagne”
17
Q
Cognac
“Fine Champagne”
A
- min. 50% from Grande Champagne
- remainder sourced from Petite Champagne
18
Q
Cognac
“Fine”
A
“Fine”
- Term may be applied to either Grande Champagne or Petite Champagne (“Grande Fine Champagne” and “Petite Fine Champagne”)
- Does not provide any additional information
19
Q
Cognac
4 major houses
A
- Remy Martin
- Hennessy
- Martell
- Courvoisier
20
Q
Armagnac
3 Regions
A
- Bas-Armagnac AOC
- Haut-Armagnac AOC
- Ténarèze AOC
21
Q
Where is Armagnac AOC located?
A
Southeast of Bordeaux
22
Q
Armagnac
Primary Grapes
A
- Ugni Blanc
- Colombard
- Folle Blanche (Picpoul)
- Baco Blanc (the only hybrid grape authorized in any French AOP appellation)
- Blanc Dame, Graisse, Jurançon Blanc, Mauzac, Mauzac Rosé, Meslier Saint-François
23
Q
Blanche Armagnac
- Year achieved AOC status
- Aging requirements
A
Blanche Armagnac
- 2005
- Bottled after 3 mo in an inert container
24
Q
Armagnac
Age Indications
A
Age refers to the youngest Armagnac in the blend
-
VS/***
- 1-3 yrs
-
VSOP / Napoléon
- min 4 yrs
-
XO
- min 10 yrs
-
Hors d’Age
- min 10 yrs
-
XO Premium
- min 20 yrs
-
Vintage
- Indicates year of harvest, not year of distillation
- Min 10 yrs oak
25
Armagnac
Former Aging Requirements
(prior to 2013)
* **VS/\*\*\*: min 2 yrs**
* **VSOP: min 5 yrs**
* **XO: min 6 yrs**
26
Armagnac
Min Alcohol
**40%**
27
Armagnac
Vintage
Aging Requirements
**10 years**
28
Armagnac
2 producers
* **Larressingle**
* **Château Laubade**
29
3 other brandy production areas of France
* **Fine de Bordeaux**
* **Fine de Borgogne**
* **Fine de la Marne**
30
Weinbraund
* Producer
* Grapes
* Distillation Procedure
Weinbraund - German Brandy
* **Asbach**
* **Cognac grapes**
* **Charentais pot still**
31
Brandy de Jerez
* Grapes
* Type of still
* Aging requirements
* Type of barrels
Brandy de Jerez - Sherry region
* **Airen, Palomino**
* **Copper stills**
* **Aged in a solera system**
* **American oak sherry casks**
32
Brandy de Jerez
* *solera*
* *s**olera reserva*
* *solera gran reserva*
* ***Solera*: aged 1 yr avg**
* ***Solera Reserva*: aged 3 yrs avg**
* ***Solera Gran Reserva*: aged 10 yrs avg**
33
Brandy de Jerez
3 Producers
* **Domecq**
* **Emilio Lustau**
* **Osborne**
34
Name for pommace based spirits
* France
* Italy
* Portugal
* **France -** **Mar**
* **Italy -** **Grappa**
* **Portugal -** **Bagaceira**
35
1st producer to distill a single grape variety for grappa
**Giannola Nonino**
* **Used Picolit**
36
Grappa
Label indicatations for wood-aged examples
Most Grappa is clear
* **Riserva**
* **Stravecchia**
* **Vecchia**
* **Invecchiata**
37
Grappa
Wood Aged Examples
* **Riserva**
* **Stravecchia**
* **Vecchia**
* **Invecchiata**
38
Grappa
Quality Producer
**Jacopo Poli and Giannola Nonino**
* **1st to distill a single varietal—Picolit—for grappa**
39
Where is Calvados?
**Normandy region of northern France**
40
Calvados
3 areas of production
* **Calvados**
* **Calvados Domfrontais**
* **Calvados Pays d'Auge**
41
Perry
**Pear Cider used in the production of Calvados**
42
Calvados Pays d'Auge
**Limits pear cider to a max of 30%**
43
Calvados Domfrontais
* **Min 30% pear cider**
* **Aged min 3 years in cask**
* **Must be produced using a continuous still**
44
Calvados
Age Indications
* **Fine / Trois Étoiles / Trois Pommes / VS**
* **2 yrs**
* **Vieux / Réserve**
* **3 yrs**
* **Vieille Réserve / VO / VSOP**
* **4 yrs**
* **XO / Hors d'Age / Très Vieille Réserve / Très Vieux / Extra / Napoléon**
* **6 yrs**
45
Calvados
"Production Fermière"
"Production Fermière" (Produit Fermier)
* **Estate Calvados** - produced on the same estate where the fruit was harvested and fermented
46
Calvados
Authorized Pruning Methods
* **"Haute Tige" (high stem)**
* **Branches at least 1.6 m off the ground for apple trees**
* **Branches at least 1.8 m off the ground for pear trees**
* **Min. 10% (or at least 50 trees) of the estate must be trained in the "haute tige" fashion**
* **"En Basse Tige" (low stem)**
* **Branches begin at less than 1.6/1.8 (apple/pear) m off the ground**
47
Calvados
Max Planting Density
* **"Haute Tige" Apple Trees**
* **250 trees / ha**
* **"Haute Tige" Pear Trees**
* **150 trees / ha**
* **"En Basse Tige" Apple and Pear Trees**
* **1000 trees / ha**
* **Irrigation is prohibited**
* **(all if planted after 1997)**
48
Eua de vies
* Kirschwasser
* Poire William
* Framboise
* Mirabelle
* Quetsch
* Boukha
* Barack Palinka
* Kirschwasser: **(Kirsch)** **black cherries**
* Poire William: **Williams (Bartlett)** **pear** **perry**
* Framboise: **raspberry**
* Mirabelle: **(Mirabelle)** **plum**
* Quetsch: **(Questch)** **plum**
* Boukha: **fig** **(from Tunisia)**
* Barack Palinka: **apricot** **(Hungary)**
49
Californian brandy
Quality producer
**Germain-Robin**
* **Artisan producer in Ukiah**
* **Must be made with 100% Californian grapes**
* **California brandy historically been of lesser quality, but newer entries from producers like Germain-Robin are generating praise**
