Cognac

The Cognac area stretches from the banks of the Charente all the way to the Atlantic coast. It covers most of the parts in the Charente, Charente-Maritime, some of the the Dordogne and Deux-Sèvres. In the heart of the region lies Jarnac, Segonzac and Cognac which gave its name to the spirit. Cognac lays 465 kilometers south-west of Paris and 120 kilometers north of Bordeaux.

The entire Cognac vineyard covers around 80.000 hectares ( 1 hectare = 2, 47 acres) and 15.000 plantations that produce white wine for the production of Cognac. The main grape variety that is planted is Ugni blanc (mostly "Folle Blanche" and "Colombard"). This slow ripening variety is very resistant to diseases and produces a wine that has two vital qualities: a high level of acidity and generally low alcohol content.


The Aging

The distilled wine must age before becoming Cognac. This ageing takes place in 270 to 450 litre oak casks. The natural level of humidity in the cellars is one of the main influencing factors on the ageing of the spirits due to its effect on evaporation. The charentais coopers have traditionally used wood from the Limousin and the Tronçais forests. The Tronçais forest, in the Allier department of France, provides soft, finely grained wood which is particularly porous to alcohol. The Limousin forest produces medium grained wood, harder and even more porous. Today, the Cooperage industries of the Cognac region, with their ancestral know-how, export all over the world.

Angels Share
In order to develop all its qualities and also to reduce its alcohol content, Cognac must mature for many years in oaks casks. During this ageing, Cognac loses between 3 and 4 % of its volume every year. This evaporation represents 27 million bottles per year for the Cognac region ! Although it is a loss, it is a necessity for the maturing process and is poetically known as "the angels’ share".