Spirits - French Flashcards
What is the ABV for Cognac’s base wine?
must be 7-12%
target range is 8.5% to 9.5% ABV
may NOT be chaptalized
List the areas of production for Cognac
Grande Champagne,
Petite Champagne,
Borderies,
Fins Bois,
Bons Bois, and
Bois Ordinaires (Bois à Terroirs)
Cognac soil type by region
Grande and Petite Champagne: limestone and soft chalk
Fins Bois: groies (hard red limestone) and clay
Bons Bois and Bois Ordinaires: sand
What are the main grapes for Cognac?
mostly Ugni Blanc, with
Colombard,
Folle Blanche,
Montils,
Sémillon,
plus a max. 10% Folignan (Folle Blanche x Ugni Blanc)
usuasly made from a single variety, unlike Armagnac
In what kind of still is Cognac distilled?
Cognac is distilled twice in an alembic Charentais copper pot still
What are the two fermentations in Cognac called?
The first distillation, or premiere chauffe produces a spirit of 28% to 32% ABV called the brouillis. Several batches of brouillis are returned to the boiler to be distilled again, to extract the “soul” of Cognac.
The second distillation, or bonne chauffe, is divided into several parts: the têtes (heads), coeur (heart), secondes (second cut), and queues (tails).
Cognac age designations
VS (Very Special) or *** indicates at least 2 years in cask,
VSOP (Very Special, or Superior, Old Pale) indicates at least 4 years in cask, and
XO (Extra Old) currently indicates at least 10 years in cask.
because Cognac is often a blend of several vintages, the age statement refers to the YOUNGEST portion of the blend
What is Fine Champagne Cognac?
min 50% eau-de-vie from Grande Champagne, remainder from Petite Champagne
What are the regions of production for Armagnac?
Haut-Armagnac, Bas-Armagnac, and Armagnac-Ténarèze.
Armagnac allowed grapes
Ugni Blanc, Baco Blanc, Blanc Dame, Colombard, Folle Blanche, Graisse, Jurançon Blanc, Mauzac, Mauzac Rosé, Meslier Saint-François,
Armagnac is usually a blend, unlike Cognac
Armagnac base wine ABV
7.5-12%
How is Armagnac distilled? How does it affect the resulting spirit?
Most Armagnac is distilled once in a copper continuous still. This produces a more flavorful, less pure, and less alcoholic spirit than double distillation in a pot still
it may also be distilled twice in a pot still
Armagnac continuous still - size
Continuous stills may include 2 or 3 boilers, but may not exceed 40 hl capacity
Spirit produced in the continuous still may not exceed 1.5 times the size of the boilers
Armagnac ABV after continuous still
52%-72% abv
Armagnac pot still - size
first: 140 hl (5% tolerance), volume of base wine not exceeding 120 hl
second 30 hl (5% tolerance), volume of spirit not exceeding 25 hl
Armagnac pot still - ABV after second distillation
65%-72% abv
Armagnac age designations?
VS or *** indicates that the spirit rested in barrel for between 1 and 3 years,
VSOP signifies 4 to 9 years of age, and
XO or Hors d’Age denotes spirits that spend at least 10 years in barrel.
What is petits eaux?
A mixture of distilled water and Armagnac added to the blend of Armagnac or Cognac prior to bottling, to achieve the appropriate strength of spirit
List 3 Armagnac producers
Delord
Chateau de Laubade
Chateau de Millet
Define Calvados? List the AOPs
an eau-de-vie distilled from apple and pear cider and produced in the Normandy region of northern France
Calvados AOC, Calvados Domfrontais AOC, and Calvados Pays d’Auge AOC.
Calvados distillation and aging?
Calvados is traditionally distilled twice in a copper pot still and aged in oak casks.
Fine / Trois Étoiles / Trois Pommes / VS: min. 2 years old
Vieux / Réserve: min. 3 years old
VO / VSOP / Vieille Réserve: min. 4 years old
Hors d’Age / XO / Très Vieille Réserve / Très Vieux / Extra / Napoléon: min. 6 years old
Describe the difference between the Calvados appellations
Calvados Pays d’Auge is the premier region of production and limits perry (pear cider) to a maximum 30%.
Calvados Domfrontais, the most recent appellation, requires a minimum 30% perry and a minimum three years of aging in cask.
Calvados Domfrontais is always produced by continuous distillation.
What are typical yields for cognac wine?
maximum?
How much distillate is this?
100 hl / ha
results in about 10 hl/ha of distillate
maximum 16 hl/ha of alcohol
because of this, vines aged 20-30 years are optimal, anything 35-40 years and older are pulled because production is too low
Why did Ugni Blanc replace Folle Blanche as the preferred grape for Cognac?
Folle Blanche was ideal because of it’s high acid and lower alcohol, resulting in aromatic, elegant distillate. However, the Folle Blanche vines did not take well to American rootstock following phylloxera- it’s bunches were too small and prone to rot. Ugni Blanc performed much better on the new rootstock
What are benefits and drawbacks of using copper stills in Cognac?
copper is a material that is easy to work with, an excellent conductor of heat, and unlikely to be damaged by fire or acidic substances. Copper also fixes the fatty acids in the wine, creating a hazy solid that can be filtered out after the first distillation. It reacts with many undesirable sulfur compounds, ensuring that they do not end up in the final brandy. Yet this reactivity is also the main drawback of using copper; stills typically have a life span of only around 50 years.
What is the premiere chauffe? How long does it take? abv after?
the first distillation in Cognac, takes up to 12 hours to distill and yields a brouillis that is about 26% to 32% ABV.
What is the bonne chauffe? How long does it take?
Second and final distillation in Cognac. The bonne chauffe takes up to 14 hours to distill, with 25 hectoliters of brouillis typically yielding about 7 hectoliters of brandy.
The first portion that comes out, the têtes, is full of impurities and often set aside. The coeur starts to flow at around 78% ABV and is cut off at around 60% ABV, yielding a brandy at a maximum average ABV of 73.7%. Typically, the coeur is drawn off at 17 to 20 degrees Celsius, since most of the unwanted compounds were removed when the brouillis was distilled.
what is the product of the premiere chauffe?
brouillis
Describe the character of Tronçais oak in Cognac production
Tronçais oak tends to be mostly sessile, from very tall, old trees. Its grain is extremely fine, about one millimeter, and its tannins are not as easily extracted as those of Limousin oak, but Tronçais oak does add fine aromas of wood, coconut, and clove
Describe the character of Limousin oak in Cognac production
The preferred style today
Limousin oak tends to be pedunculate, with a wider grain of about three to four millimeters, which allows it to let more air in and allows for more tannins to be extracted, making it less suitable for cheaper Cognacs, which can absorb too much tannin too quickly. Conversely, this higher concentration of tannins makes Limousin oak ideal for long-aging brandies
What type of barrel might you use for Cognacs aging longer periods?
Limousin is preferred- higher concentration of tannins
What is the most commonly used size of barrel to age Cognac?
350 L
270 L - 450 L are allowed to be used though
Why is a humid environment ideal for aging Cognac?
Humidity promotes more alcohol loss in the angel’s share without reducing the aromatic content of the brandy, accelerating aging and creating a mellow, rounded Cognac. A drier chai will promote more water loss, leading to a spirit that will retain a youthful character.
This is why Cognac’s chais are located close to the Charente River
name for Cognac barrel house
Chai
What are the 7 age designations of cognac?
Why is Perry typically off dry?
Compared to cider apples, pears for perry have a relatively higher content ratio of sorbitol to other sugars, such as fructose. Because sorbitol is not readily fermented by yeast, it is not converted to ethanol, so perry tends to have more residual sugar than cider produced from the fermentation of apples
What additives are allowed in Cognac and Armagnac?
Sugar, Caramel, and Oak Chips may be used for final adjustment and coloring
Distilled and de-mineralized water may be added to reduce alcohol prior to bottling
Part of Cognac cellar where producers mature the best and oldest Cognac
the paradis
What does the year indicate on vintage dated Cognac?
year of harvest, not the year of distillation
Cognac min alcohol
min 40% abv
same for Armagnac
Armagnac min abv
40%
same for Cognac
synonym for Ugni Blanc in Cognac and Armagnac
St. Emilion
(trebbiano toscano)
Cognac VS aging
also *** / Sélection / VS / De Luxe / Very Special / Millésime:
2 years from April 1 year following harvest
Cognac Superieur aging
3 years
Cognac VSOP aging
4 years
also Reserve / Vieux / Rare / Royal
Cognac Vielle Reserve aging
5 years
also Reserve Rare / Reserve Royale
Cognac Napoleon aging
6 years
also Très Vieille Réserve / Très Vieux / Héritage / Très Rare / ‘Excellence / ‘Suprême
Cognac XO aging
10 years
also Hors d’Age and Ancestral
Cognac XXO aging
14 years
Armagnac VS aging
1-3 years
also ***
Armagnac VSOP aging
4 years
also Napoleon
Armagnac XO aging
10 yeaars
Armagnac Hors d’Age aging
10 yeaars
Armagnac XO Premium aging
20 years
Vintage Armagnac rules
vintage indicates year of harvest, not year of distillation
min 10 years in oak
Armagnac max yields
12 hl/ha of pure alcohol (Cognac is 16)
Armagnac Tenareze AOC soil
clay-limestone and boulbenes
Haut Armagnac AOC soil
chalk, clay, limestone
Bas Armagnac AOC soil
silicious-clay soils, sand, and boulbènes
Blanche Armagnac AOC
what is it?
aging
additives
no color additives
distilled and de-mineralized water may be added to reduce alcohol prior to bottling
must be aged in inert containers for a min. 3 months (the final spirit must be colorless)
Esprit de Cognac AOC
what is it?
AOC for very strong Cognac- made from a 3rd distillation in Alambic Charentais still
min 80% abv
no aging requirements
ONLY used for production of sparkling wines to adjust final alcohol content
Fine de Bourgogne AOC
grapes
Blanc: Aligoté, Chardonnay, Melon, Pinot Gris, Pinot Blanc, Sacy, Sauvignon Blanc
Rouge: César, Gamay, Gamay de Bouze, Gamay de Chaudenay, Pinot Noir N, Tressot
BUT no grape may be mentioned on the label
Fine de Bourgogne AOC
base wine requirements
Created from the lees-saturated wine left over after racking.
Total amount sent to distillery must be less than or equal to 3% of total wine produced.
Fine de Bourgogne AOC
how is it distilled?
both copper pot and column stills may be used
min 72% after distillation
Fine de Bourgogne AOC
aging
min 3 years in oak barrels less than 60hl
Vielle: 4 years
Tres Vielle: 6 years
Hors d’Age: min 10 years
Marc d’Alsace AOC
aging
min 3 months aging
may not age in wood
Marc d’Alsace AOC
grapes
abv
Gewurztraminer
min 45%
what is Pommeau?
mix of apple juice and apple brandy - like a mistele - then aged for around 2 years at a min
made in Bretagne and Normandie
finished product is 16-18%
Lambig
a Breton brandy produced by distilling cider. ages min 2 years in oak. also called Fine Bretagne (like Calvados in Normandy)
Cognac still capacity - first distillation
The still used for the first distillation must not exceed a capacity of 140 hl (5% tolerance), with a volume of base wine not exceeding 120 hl
Cognac still capacity - bonne chauffe
The 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
Cognac - abv after bonne chauffe
(second distillation)
no more than 73.7% alcohol
when must Cognac distillation be completed?
by March 31 year following harvest
aims to keep base wines fresh, as sulfur dioxide is not allowed
what percentage of grapes must come from a Cognac subzone listed on the label?
i.e. Grande Champagne
100%
what is “early landed” Cognac
Comes from the phrase “early landed, late bottled”. Cognac that is partially aged in the AC but shipped in barrel to another country to continue aging/be bottled (historically England)
*a common historic practice, although Hine (and sometimes Delamain) is the only player doing it now in significant capacity. Cognac must age at least 2 years in the AC then can depart to wherever
oldest Cognac house
Martell, est 1715
who created Cognac’s subzones?
Henri Coquand in the 1850’s - first to conduct geological studies of this kind for any winegrowing region
most planted subzone of Cognac?
Fins Bois
around 34,000 ha
Premier Cru de Cognac
unofficial term for Cognac from Grande Champagne
Cognac grower-producer
Bouilleur de Cru
Cognac negotiant
Bouilleur de Profession
why are spirits from Column stills more neutral?
In continuous distillation, specific chemical components can be continuously drawn out the column along their way through the different trays, that will serve as concentration zones. As a result, and if the column offers sufficient tray capacity, great levels of “purity” can be reached using a column still. This essentially means that the distillate will highly be concentrated in ethanol and neutral in taste, once stripped from other chemical elements.
Cucurbite
name for the pot part of the pot still - or the boiler
what is the Chapiteau in Cognac
or the “hat” of the pot still - creates a first condensation within the still, holding back heavier vapours
Col de Cygne
or swans neck - part of the pot still. links chapiteau to condenser
what is a Serpentin in Cognac
aka the coil or worm- part of the condenser that feeds spirit into the spirit safe
what is the product of the bonne chauffe?
(second distillation in Cognac)
produces eau-de-vie
Martell style vs Hennessy style
Martell removes a significant portion of the heads at the beginning of the bonne chauffe- results in a lighter eau-de-vie
Hennessy distinguishes 4 fractions in the distillation cycle – in addition to heads and heart, the tails are broken down into two categories: “Secondes” and “queues”. The secondes will be distilled with the brouillis for the Bonne-Chauffe – or second batch – while the heads and queues will be recycled with wines.
why do higher/ wider copper stills produce a lighter spirit?
their design encourages more “reflux,” which means that as the vapor rises, it repeatedly condenses and re-vaporizes on the larger copper surface area, allowing heavier compounds to fall back into the still while only the lighter, more volatile vapors reach the condenser, resulting in a lighter final product
Cognac in glass bonbonnes - why?
25L size - often only used for top product. When the Cognac has reached its desired phase of evolution through barrel aging, the maitre de chai will moved it to bonbonnes to stop the process.
what is boisé in Cognac?
a mixture made from boiling oak chips to create a dark syrup that is added during early stages of maturation in barrel. creates the impression of oak aging
who makes vintage Cognac?
Hine
Delamain
what are groies in Cognac?
Hard red limestone and clay typically found in Cognac’s Borderies
first stone fruit brandy to get a PDO?
Kirsch de Fougerolles
What are the chai in Armagnac production?
Above ground barrel aging cellar
