Cognac Flashcards
What is the full name of cognac?
eau-de-vie de Cognac
eau-de-vie des Charentes
When were the boundaries of Cognac first delimited by law?
1909
What are the six crus of Cognac?
Grande Champagne
Petite Champagne
Borderies
Fin Bois
Bons Bois
Bois Ordinaires
Which growing districts in Cognac have the highest amounts of chalk in the soil?
Grande Champagne
Petite Champagne
What does bois mean?
Forest
What is the origin of the term Borderies related to Cognac?
In the cognac area, it refers to sharecroppers’ farms that used to be located in the area now referred to as Borderies.
What is the name of the river that flows through the Cognac region?
The Charente.
What is the soil like in Grande Champagne?
Well-drained chalk soil layered over limestone and sandstone bedrock.
What two growing districts are considered the highest in quality in Cognac?
Grande Champagne (highest)
Petite Champagne (second)
Which is larger, Grande Champagne or Petite Champagne?
Petite Champagne
Describe Grande Champagne Cognac.
Intense and elegant, with fruity and floral aromas.
Which growing area of Cognac produces cognac that may take twenty to thirty years to mature?
Grande Champagne.
What percentage of Cognac is produced in Petite Champagne?
Nearly 22% - second highest plantings in region.
Which Cognac growing regions are entirely south of the Charente River?
Grand Champagne and Petite Champagne
Which Cognac growing region is located to the north of the Charente River?
Borderies.
Which Cognac growing region is the smallest geographically?
Borderies
What is the soil like in Borderies?
Predominantly clay with some chalk.
In which Cognac growing region do the grapes ripen quickest (due to more sunshine)?
Borderies
Describe Cognacs produced from grapes in the Borderies region.
They can be quite aromatic and may provide weight and floral notes when added to a blend.
Which growing area in Cognac accounts for the most plantings, and what percentage of grapes used for Cognac is planted in the region?
Fins Bois
40%
Describe Fins Bois.
Wide diversity of soils, maritime climate. Produces brandies that are fruity and well-balanced and mature within 15 years.
Where is Fins Bois?
It encircles Grande and Petite Champagne as well as Borderies.
Where is Bon Bois?
It surrounds the Fins Bois in a large loop.
What percentage of Bon Bois is planted to grapes for use in Cognac?
5%
What is the soil type of Bon Bois?
Mostly heavy clay, some patches of chalk and limestone, especially near Petite Champagne.
How are the grapes of Bon Bois described?
Not as ordinary as Bois Ordinaires and not as fine as Fins Bois.
What is the westernmost growing region in Cognac?
Bois Ordinaires.
What is another name for Bois Ordinaires?
Bois à Terroirs.
Describe the brandies from Bois Ordinaires.
Heavier, coarser, and less preferred for creating quality cognac.
What is the primary grape used in Cognac?
Ugni Blanc
What is Ugni Blanc also known as in the Cognac region?
Saint Emilion
What is Ugni Blanc known as in Italy?
Trebbiano Toscano
What percentage of the standard base wine used for cognac is Ugni Blanc?
90%
When are the grapes harvested, pressed and fermented for cognac?
Harvested in October and November, pressed immediately, and fermented into a thin wine with low alcohol and high acidity.
What is Boisé?
A liquid (type of oak extract) produced by boiling chips of new oak. Adds oak flavor and some coloration to cognac.
What is a Bonifacateur?
A cognac term used liberally for material used as an addition in blending.
What is the more traditional example of a bonificateur?
A small amount of a very high quality spirit (reserved, extended age, or otherwise exemplary) added to cognac to add depth and dimension.
Why is boisé allowed in cognac?
Even though it is a flavoring, it is allowed under the exception that it is a “traditional production method.”
What is the French term for the first stage of distillation of cognac?
Première Chauffe.
What is the name of the two stage process for Cognac distillation?
À repasse
What is the term for the distillate produced by the first stage of distillation of cognac?
Brouillis
What is the normal ABV for Brouillis?
28-32%
What is the French term for the second stage distillation of cognac?
Bonne Chauffe.
What are the different portions of the second distillation (Bonne Chauffe) run when making cognac?
Tête (heads)
Coeur (heart)
Secondes (second cuts)
Queue (tails)
What part of the distillation will be taken off to be used for cognac?
The coeur (heart)
At what strength is the heart (coeur) of cognac taken off the still?
Between 58-70% (max allowed is 73.7%)
What is the effect on cognac of adding the secondes back into the base wine and then redistilling?
It results in a lighter style of spirit, less concentrated with congeners. Favored by Martell Cognac House.
What is the effect on cognac of adding the têtes and secondes to the brouillis?
Results in a deeper, richer spirit. Favored by the Rémy Cognac House.
What is the effect of dividing the secondes (adding half to base wine and half to brouillis) have on Cognac?
Produces a spirit somewhere between the lighter style of Martell and the richer style of Rémy. Hennessey Cognac House often uses this method.
What is a Charentais?
The term used for the traditional alembic or pot still used in cognac production.
Is sulfuring allowed in cognac production?
No.
What is the minimum time that cognac must mature in oak?
2 years.
From what oak are most barrels for aging most cognac made?
Limousin
Besides Limousin oak, what other types of oak may be used for aging cognac?
Alliers or Tronçais
What is a Chai?
A well-ventilated aboveground warehouse used for storing Cognac.
What are the changes to volume and ABV due to Cognac’s climate?
A loss of 3-4% per year volume, as well as a decrease around 2% ABV per year.
What are bonbonnes?
Large glass containers (known elsewhere as demijohns) enabling cognac to maintain its required ABV of 40% while continuing to age.
What is a paradis?
A section of a cognac cellar where bonbonnes are often stored.
What are the levels of cognac?
*** (3 stars, VS, Very Special)
Superieur
VSOP, Reserve, Vieux, Very Superior Old Pale
Vieille Reserve, Reserve Rare, Reserve Royale
Napoleon, Tres Vieille Reserve, Heritage
XO, Extra, Ancestral
Hors d”age (“Beyond Age”)
XXO, Extra Extra Old
What are the aging requirements for *** (three star), Selection, VS, Very Special Cognac?
Minimum 2 years in oak.
What are the requirements for Superieur Cognac?
Minimum 3 years in oak.
What are the requirements for VSOP, Reserve, Vieux, Very Superior Old Pale Cognac?
Minimum 4 years in oak.
What are the aging requirements for Vieille Reserve, Reserve Rare, Reserve Royale Cognac?
Minimum 5 years in oak.
What are the aging requirements for Napoleon, Tres Vielille Reserve, Heritage Cognac?
Minimum 6 years in oak.
What are the requirements for XO, Extra and Ancestral cognac?
Minimum 10 years in oak.
What are the requirements for Hors d’Age (Beyond age) Cognac?
Minimum 10 years in oak, but most in this category have been aged for much longer.
What are the requirements for XXO, Extra Extra Old cognac?
Minimum of 14 years in oak.
What is Esprit de Cognac AOC
A spirit produced from a third distillation run during the production of cognac. It is not allowed to be bottled or sold as a beverage alcohol, but is allowed for use in the production of sparkling wine (including Champagne).
What are the four main cognac houses?
Hennessy
Martell
Remy Martin
Courvoisier
What is Remy Martin?
One of the “big four” Cognac houses.
When was Remy Martin founded?
1724.
What spirits producer did Remy Martin fully merge with in 1991?
Cointreau.
Who makes Louis XIII?
Remy Martin.
Where are all of the grapes used by Remy Martin grown?
Grande Champagne and Petite Champagne.
Who owns Hennessy?
It is part of LVMH
Who was given an royal charter in 1738 to continue planting grapes despite a ban by Louis XV?
Remy Martin.
What is Hennessy?
The largest cognac producer in the world.
What percentage of the cognac market does Hennessy produce?
Over 40%.
When was Hennessy founded?
1765.
Who is Hennessy named after?
Richard Hennessy, and Irishman who launched it as a brandy exporting business.
What is Martell?
A cognac brand that claims to be the oldest of the great Cognac Houses.
When was Martell founded?
1715.
Who was Martell named after?
A British merchant from the Channel Islands who founded the company
Who owns Martell?
Pernod-Ricard.
What is Courvoisier?
The smallest of the four largest cognac houses.
When was Courvoisier founded?
1843.
What beverage was featured in a release of a rap song by Busta Rhymes in an attempt to market to young African American consumers?
Courvoisier
Who currently owns Courvoisier?
Beam Suntory.
What percentage of cognac is produced by the four largest cognac houses?
Nearly 80%
What does elevage refer to in cognac production?
The maturation and finishing of cognac.
What is an Acquit Regional Jaune d’Or?
A “golden certificate”, warranting that a cognac has been produced and distilled in Cognac.
When was the Acquit Regional Jaune d’Or requirement created?
1929
What is Otard?
A respected brand of Cognac focused on the European market.
When was Otard founded?
1794.
Which brand of Cognac was practically synonymous with cognac in the American South in the early to mid 1800s?
Otard.
Which brand of Cognac was first to trade with the United States?
Otard.
What is Pierre Ferrand?
A cognac house located in Ars, France.
What is unique about Pierre Ferrand?
It controls the entire process of cognac production itself.
How do most Cognac producers source their wine?
They buy grapes, wine, and/or brandy from other producers.
What is Maison Augier?
Considered to be the oldest of the cognac houses.
What is a montant?
The first aroma from cognac that hits the nose.
What is the “second nose”?
The second aroma to hit the nose while tasting cognac.
