Cognac has a long history as one of the world's favourite spirits. Distilled from a few grape varieties around the picturesque towns of Cognac and Jarnac in Western France, north of Bordeaux, Cognac offers a beguiling blend of complexity, intensity, depth of flavour and elegance - oak spice, citrus oils, floral notes and Christmas cake are all common tasting notes. Starting out life as a rather acidic and low alcohol wine, the eventual Cognac is then distilled twice to form eau-de-vie. This is then aged in barrel and ultimately cut with water before bottling.
Cognac is usually bottled either as a single vintage or with one of three age statements: VS, or "Very Special," must be aged for at least two years, VSOP, or "Very Superior Old Pale," must spend a minimum of four years in cask and finally XO, or "Extra Old," must be at least ten years in cask, although many producers vastly exceed these minimum requirements. In many ways, Cognac bridges the world between wine and spirits, with a focus on terroir and the region being divided into six crus. Whether enjoyed as part of a cocktail or simply on its own, Cognac truly offers a sense of place in the world of spirits.
Francois De Marange Cognac Petite Champagne 1969 is made from Ugni Blanc grapes, supplemented by a small proportion of local varieties. originating in the Grande Champagne region. It matured in Limous...
Established in 1822 by Alfred De Luze, A. De Luze & Fils originally specialized in maturing and trading fine Bordeaux and Burgundy wines as well as the traditional Cognac eaux-de-vie.
Founded in 1824, Delamain is one of the oldest houses in Cognac. It sources brandy from partner distillers in the top-rated Grande Champagne zone to mature for an extended period of time. This vintage...
This is a superb, old cognac, which has aged for decades in oak barrels and independently bottled by Hermitage. It has a delightful initial aroma of ginger, sweet spices, linden and white truffle and ...
Hermitage, the premium cognac importer and bottler, has a history of sourcing some incredibly hard-to-find spirits, such as this astonishing bottling from the Grande Champagne region that was distille...
Hine produces some of the best-regarded spirits in the world and is one of the few cognac houses to regularly produce vintage editions, which are aged in the cellar until deemed ready for bottling and...
The House of Jules Robin goes back to around 1760 when the business started producing fine cognacs in the Charente area. This is an exceptionally rare hand-made bottle from 1858, with the vintage prin...
This 1969 vintage Grande Champagne cognac is a superb release from Lhéraud. The well-aged expression was bottled in May 2018 and is presented in a stylish opaque black bottle. Age-specific offerings a...
Believed to have been distilled in 1959, this Hors d’Age cognac has matured for over 60 years in its original barrel, but the angels have been exceedingly greedy, and only enough for 21 bottles remain...
With the War won, 1947 saw France slowly rebuilding and finding its feet. Few drinks are more evocative of the national spirit during this tumultuous period than cognac, and this Hors d’Age release, d...
