Cognac Flashcards
What is the river that flows through the region of Cognac?
Charente
What soil exists in higher concentrations in Grande Champagne and Petite Champagne compared to the other regions?
Campanian Soft Chalk
How would you describe the Cognacs produced in Grande Champagne and Petite Champagne?
Grande Champagne: Floral with finesse.
Petite Champagne: Floral with less finesse when compared to Grande Champagne.
How would you describe distillates produced from Borderies?
Nutty and rich with Aromas of Violets and Lilacs
How would you describe distillates produced from Fins Bois?
Round and Fruit Forward with notes of Stonefruit with very distinct grape aroma and flavor.
How would you describe distillates from Bons Bois?
Thin and fruity, ages quickly
How would you describe the distillates from Bois Ordinaires?
Thin and Poor
How many times is Cognac distilled and what is the traditional still?
Twice in a Charentais Alembic still.
What was Henri Coquand’s contribution to Cognac?
He was responsible for mapping out the different regions of Cognac based on soil differences and the taste each region produced in the 1930s.
When was the Cognac region officially demarcated into six different zones?
1938
How long are the best eaux de vies from Grande Champagne aged until their peak?
Between 35-50 years though some can age for much longer.
Jarnac and Segonzac are two major cities in what Cognac zone?
Grande Champagne
What percentage of Cognac’s total output in eaux de vies comes from Grande Champagne?
17%
What are three top expressions produced in the Grande Champagne zone of Cognac?
Delemain Pale & Dry
Frapin XO Chateau de Fontpinot
Remy Martin Louis XIII
Hine Antique XO
Petite Champagne eau de vie is said to have the scent of what?
White Flowers
What are three top expressions from Petite Champagne?
Normandin Mercier VSOP
Chateau de Montifaud XO
Bertrand XO
What is considered the smallest zone of Cognac and produces the least amount of distillate annually?
Borderies
What is the coolest zone of Cognac?
Borderies
What are a couple of notable expressions from the Borderies zone of Cognac?
Camus XO Borderies
Park Borderies Single Vineyard
Which zone of Cognac is responsible for the largest output of Cognac?
Fins Bois
What are a couple of notable expressions of Fins Bois?
Leyrat VSOP Reserve
Fevrier Reserve Familiale
Pineau des Charentes and Cognac-based liqueurs are often produced from distillates from what zone?
Bons Bois
What is a notable expression produced exclusively from Bons Bois fruit?
Godet Single-Cru Bons Bois 15 years
In what zone of Cognac are the islands of Ré and Oleron?
Bois Ordinaires
The port city of La Rochelle is located in what zone of Cognac?
Bois Ordinaires
What was Cognac called in the early 1500s?
Eau Ardente, aka burning water
When did Cognac production shift from wine production to spirit distillation?
1700s
Which Cognac firm created the term XO?
Hennessy
Which Cognac firm created the term VSOP?
Martell
What are the Big Four of Cognac?
Hennessy
Martell
Remy Martin
Courvoisier
Who is the 8th generation distiller at Hennessy?
Renaud Fillioux de Gironde
Who produces XO Cordon Bleu and from what zones of Cognac is it produced?
Martell
Sourced from Borderies and Fins Bois
From what zones is the production of Remy Martin from exclusively?
Grande and Petite Champagne
What is the style of Remy Martin and what is this due to?
Richer style resulting partly from inclusion of lees during distillation and larger proportions of new oak used during maturation.
Why did Camus almost collapse?
Due to its high reliance on the Russian market this house almost went under with the collapse of the Russian Czars.
What is the 5th largest house in Cognac?
Camus
Who is the largest landowner in Borderies?
Camus
Who is the largest landowner in Borderies?
Camus
What is the style of Remy Martin and what is this due to?
Richer style resulting partly from inclusion of lees during distillation and larger proportions of new oak used during maturation.
