Cognac is perhaps the most famous of French liquors in the world, second only to its cousin, champagne. Though this luxurious and exotic derivative of wine is associated forever with the French town that bears its name, not all cognacs are French. Find out why the French are considered the masters of cognac.
History
Though cognac is named after a town in southwest France, the drink can be made in three places and still be called "cognac": Cognac, France, Armagnac, France and Jerez, Spain. Perhaps because of the Spanish claim to at least a portion of the cognac name, French cognacs have worked hard to become one of the most characteristic and unique beverages produced by France.
Geography
According to French law, the process of making the brandy known as cognac was perfected 300 years ago and any would-be cognac must meet these requirements in order to legally bear the name. Any that fall short of these laws are merely called brandy. First, the grapes that make all true French cognacs must be grown in a very special, very limited region of southwest France. This region encompasses the entire department (state or province) of Charente-Maritime, most of Charente and a few places in the Deux-Sèvres and Dordogne departments. These areas were defined in the law by a 1901 decree, though traditionally these were the only areas that produced any appreciable amounts of cognac.
Types
French law regarding cognac production was further added to in 1936 when the types of grapes were restricted to the Colombard, Folle Blanche, Jurançon blanc, Meslier Saint-François, Montils, Sémillon and Ugni Blanc varieties of grapes. Some other grapes, such as Folignan and Sélect, may be added, but may not comprise more than 10 percent of the grape total. It is believed that these particular grapes are what gives cognac such a distinctive character, though much of the flavor is actually derived from the distillation and .
Identification
In 1938, an even further delineation of grapes was added to French law that gave regional appellations to the grapes; "Grande Champagne," "Petite Champagne," "Fine Champagne," "Borderies," "Fins Bois" and "Bons Bois" are all increasingly small regions within the 1901 legal limits of the cognac-growing region; on a map, the regions resemble a kind of bulls-eye with Grande Champagne at the center (and thus smallest) and Bons Bois and Bois Ordinales as the second and first largest areas, respectively.
Features
As with all other aspects of the production of French cognac, the law requires that the wine produced by these grapes from the regions be distilled twice using only copper distillers. The first distillation is called a "brouillis" and the second distillation is called a "repass." This is to ensure a properly pure eaux-de-vie (living water or water of life) of no more than 72 percent alcohol purity and which is a colorless, distilled spirit when it is first put into the aging barrels.
Time Frame
French law further states that cognac must be aged in French oak barrels for at least two years of its aging. During this aging process, the barrels are rotated according to their age in the casks and the season. Warm weather causes the alcohol to expand into the oak barrels where they act as a solvent to the tannins and other minerals in the wood. Colder weather causes the liquid to contract, which draws the color and flavors of the oak to be mixed with the rest of the liquids. During the aging period, the cognac mellows and gains much of its characteristics. Further mellowing occurs prior to bottling when the cognac is diluted with purified water, sugar, caramel color or oak extracts. These are the only legal additives to cognac.
Size
Most cognacs are aged even further beyond these two years, and the more they age, the better a grade they get. VS is Very Special or Very Select, which has been aged at least two years, though the average age is usually around six years. VSOP is Very Special Old Pale and has been aged at least four years in oak; it is usually sold at the 12-year mark. XO or Extra Old is the greatest of all grades, reaching maturation after at least six years in oak and usually attaining a ripe old age of 20 or more years.
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