IntroductionCognac is atype of brandy, a spirit made from fruit.
In the case of cognac, the fruit isexclusively grapes grown in the Cognac region of France, which are known fortheir aromatic superiority. The use ofthe name cognac is protected under French law. It is AOC, Appellation d’OrigineContrôlée, and there are three main requirements to satisfy: First, it must bemade from specific grape varieties, such as Ugni Blanc. Second, it must betwice distilled in copper pot stills. And third, it must be aged in oak barrelsfor at least two years.Thanks tothese requirements, cognac captures the original aromatic and fruity aromas ofgrapes to create a dense and rich spirit of the highest quality. As AOC, theCognac region is divided into six growing regions, called crus.
At Rémy Martin,our eaux-de-vie (the distillate of the still wines) come exclusively from thePremier Cru, Grande Champagne, and from the Petite Champagne cru, terroirs thatyield eaux-de-vie with exceptional aging potential. Only if a cognac is madeexclusively from eaux-de-vie from the Grande and Petite Champagne, of which atleast half come from the Grande Champagne, can it be called a Fine Champagnecognac.Ourdistillation methods remain traditional to this day. We work only with smallcopper stills, where the still wine is distilled with its lees (deposits ofyeast) to capture all of its rich, fruity, and complex aromas. The distillationis repeated a second time to retain only the most essential and exceptionalflavors. Through a careful selection of only the best eaux-de-vie and a lengthyaging process, Rémy Martin is able to produce exceptionally aromatic andintense cognacs. A singlebottle of cognac may contain hundreds of different eaux-de-vie, harvested,distilled, and aged in barrels over different periods of time. It requires theunique expertise of the Cellar Master to blend this vast palette into RémyMartin cognacs with their unparalleled signature style: harmonious, rich, andlong on the palate.
HistoryIn 1742, Rémy Martin, a young winegrower in Cognac, beginsselling cognac under his own name.In 1738, King Louis XV of France grants Rémy Martin the rareright to plant new vines in recognition of the excellence of his cognacs.In 1830, The first Rémy Martin Grande Champagne cognac iscreated. Paul-Emile Rémy Martin took the house and its cognacs beyond Europeinto the United States, Asia, and the Pacific.In 1870, To accompany the house’s development abroad, hechooses the Centaur as the emblem of the house, creating a logo for the firsttime. An avid astronomer, it was also his star sign, Sagittarius.In 1910, Goes into partnership with Paul-Émile Rémy Martin IIand starts to develop the house’s full potential.In 1924, André Renaud becomes the first Cellar Master of thehouse, and later its chairman.
In 1927, Launches Rémy Martin Fine Champagne Cognac VSOP byblending Petite Champagne and Grande Champagne crus. It’s an immediate successbased on its differentiating point: superior quality.In 1938, Fine Champagne cognac is legally recognized for itssuperior quality.In 1947, André Renaud decides the house will exclusivelyproduce cognac made from Petite Champagne and Grande Champagne crus. Trained by André Renaud himself,André Giraud accelerates the use of modern technology in the cellars, createsthe development center and the first cooperage at Merpins – all three very muchat the heart of Rémy Martin today.In 1965, As son-in-law to André Renaud, André HériardDubreuil takes the reins as president and launches a visionary partnership withwinegrowers, today known as the Alliance Fine Champagne, to guarantee thehighest quality.In 1972, The now iconic black frosted VSOP bottle is devised.In 1981, Due to unprecedented demand, Rémy Martin XO, theepitome of opulence and sophistication, is created.
Georges Clot introducesmodern digital techniques for managing the cellar stocks.In 1997, 1738 Accord Royal is created, in tribute to theroyal privilege once bestowed upon Rémy Martin by Louis XV of France. In2003-2014, The first woman to be appointedCellar Master to a major cognac house. She creates Centaure and Centaure deDiamant, and imparts the secrets of the Rémy Martin legacy on Baptiste Loiseau,just as Georges Clot has passed them on to her.In 2014-Today, Born and bred in Cognac and a lover of theterroir but also of travelling to new lands, Baptiste Loiseau is the cellarmaster for the next generation, ready to take Rémy Martin into a bright future. Characteristics55% GrandeChampagne, 45% Petite Champagne The Colour: Vibrant gold. The Aromas andFlavours: Fine Champagne Cognac.
Oak notes: Predominantly vanilla, with a hintof liquorice. Fruity notes: The roundness of summer fruits, especially ripeapricots and peaches. Floral notes: The impertinence of wild flowers,particularly violets. The Texture: Silky. The Finish: A perfectly balancedblend of ripeness. Producer Remy Martin Country France Region Cognac Style Cognac Size 750ml Production MethodsDistillation is the concentration of the grapes’ complexaromas, and the resulting spirits are called eaux-de-vie — “waters of life”. Inorder to achieve the rich, opulent, and harmonious eaux-de-vies withexceptional aging potential that are required to make Rémy Martin cognac, wework closely with the winegrowers and insist on traditional distillation methods,as long and complex as they may be.
Distillation takes place after harvest,approximately from November to March. We distill the wines with their lees—theresidual yeast—in small copper stills to produce an intense spirit with moredepth and aromatic intensity than modern large-scale methods would yield. Thisapproach also helps maintain consistency in flavor. Each batch is distilledtwice over, a process that takes approximately 24 hours. Lengthy but essential,we have used double distillation since our founding in 1724. During eachdistillation, the first and last results are discarded in order to capture onlythe clearest, most aromatic, and most balanced heart. Twelve kilos of grapesare required to produce a single liter of eau-de-vie, which has an alcoholcomponent of around 70 percent. The first and last results are discarded in order to captureonly the most aromatic and most balanced heart.
At Rémy Martin, we remain committed to thesetime-consuming and demanding distillation methods because they are the only wayto produce the elegant eaux-de-vie that will guarantee the Rémy Martinsignature style, and that have the potential to age in our cellars for years oreven decades. Serving Technique1. Straightor mixed, and the choice of Cognac Okay, so the first thing to think about is the kind of Cognac you’redrinking.
It it a younger VS, a VSOP oran old blend – such as an XO – or even a vintage Cognac? Is it a sweetertasting Cognac that might be well suited to accompanying a dessert? Or has the blend been specifically producedto be a component of a cocktail, or perhaps an aperitif? From our point ofview, the best Cognac is the one you experience in its entirety. That includesthe taste, colour, brand, packaging, estate and distillery, history of thecompany and the family – because it takes a combination of all of these thingsto make a good Cognac. Ifyou’re not brand conscious, then our advice would be to try to find a Cognacfrom a smaller, lesser known estate. Ifthe brand name’s important to you, then it’s likely that you’ll be looking at aCognac from one of the ‘Big 4’ (Hennessy, Martell, Remy Martin, orCourvoisier), or at least one from the 10 largest Cognac houses. 2. TheCognac Glass – how to serve In general, there are three different types of Cognac glasses (althoughthe third is really just a modern take on the second). These are the tulip glass, the balloon glass,and the wobble snifter. And naturally,you can also use cocktail glasses or a tumbler for mixed drinks.
3. TheEnvironment: when do you drink cognac Let’s look at three different (rather clichéd) ways of drinking Cognac: The fashionable way: In a bar, or a night club. Here the choice might well be a VS or VSOP ina cocktail, perhaps a VSOP on ice (on the rocks) or, if you prefer, just drinkit neat. The traditional way: This might well be considered a little old-fashionednow, as Cognac has done much to shake off its dusty image of old. However,there’s something to be said about the sheer decadence that is settling backwith a good XO Cognac »”>XO Cognac in a balloon snifter, in front of thefire place, dog and hunting rifle not far away – after dinner (okay, so maybenot the hunting rifle – we wax lyrical). So whilst we’re delighted that Cognac has entered the 21st century andis enjoyed by all manner of different people in different ways, they’ll alwaysbe a part of us (and we think many people) that embraces tradition.
After all, a good Cognac is to be savored –and what better way to do that than in the manner that’s been enjoyed over thecenturies. The intellectual way: Different Single Cru and Single Vineyard VintageCognacs, produced with no sugar added and tasted from tulip glasses. Perhaps a group experience – which can be atasting session – concentrating on the different aromas and notes of theCognac. This could even be accompanied by a little dessert. Of course there are some very precious Cognacs. These do, naturally, command a price. However, with a little forethought, it’sstill possible to find these with a price tag that doesn’t cost the earth.
4. TheTemperatureThere are many differing opinions about the optimum temperature of aCognac. For instance, should you sip itwith ice, perhaps straight from the freezer, at room temperature or hand warmed? It used to be true that most Cognac drinkers preferred their eaux-de-vieat hand temperature.
This is becausewhen you hold the glass in your hand, allowing your body heat to gently warmthe glass, the spirit does release highly delicate notes that you wouldn’tnotice at normal room temperature. But things change, and the joy that is Cognac continues to evolve. For example, some younger Cognacs arespecifically created for drinking chilled, such as ABK6 Ice or De Luze’s Ablend.
Indeed, we had a great meetingwith Jacques Petit (from André Petit Cognac) who pulled a Napoleon XO from thefreezer. Read that story here. What is the ‘right’ temperature for drinking Cognac is an ongoing sagaand almost a philsophy in itself. What it all boils down to is your ownpersonal preferences. There’s no right or wrong way to enjoy youreaux-de-vie.
In fact, depending on thecircumstances you find yourself in, you might enjoy drinking it in a multitudeof different ways. Consider thequestion, is it okay to add water to Cognac? The answer is, if that’s how you enjoy drinking it, then of course it’sokay. 5. Howto Drink – the tasting Now, ‘how to taste Cognac’ is another question and another topicentirely. In a nutshell, the tasting ofa Cognac is a combination of the following: the color, the nose, the palate (inthe mouth) and the after taste (or finish).
This is then compared to otherblends and Cognacs. And you’ll probably also want to consider how all of thatcorresponds to the price of a Cognac? ConclusionRemy Martin is a prestigious cognac brand and it has been making thehighest quality cognac since 1724. It is in this small piece of French terroirthat our signature blend of Grande and Petite Champagne crus was born, togetherforming Cognac Fine Champagne. Its distinctive black frosted bottle is veryelegant. Remy Martin uses traditional distillation on the lees (retaininggrapes) in small copper stills. The total of serving technique have 5techniques.
Following the technique can taste the Remy Martin more delicious.
