Fine Cognac

The French town of Cognac is located close to the Atlantic seaboard just north of Bordeaux. The wine brandy known as Cognac is made exclusively from grapes grown in the area surrounding this town, including most of the departments of Charente and Charente-Maritime. Fine Coganc brandy is protected by a French appellation that stipulates that only brandy that comes from this specific area can label itself Cognac.

The Cognac appellation is further subdivided into specific territories. Roughly speaking, the further you travel away from the town of Cognac the less prized the grapes are for making brandy. Here are the terms used to distinguish the different lands that produce the grapes used to make Cognac:

Grande Champagne (note that this is different from the French region of Champagne). The Cognac produced with grapes grown in this area is considered to be the finest and most flavorful. It must be aged a long time to fulfill its potential.

Petite Champange - One step down from Grande Champagne, this area produces a less subtle brandy that ages more quickly but is considered nearly as good as that of Grande Champagne.

Borderies -The smallest of the Cognac territories, the brandy from this area is said to be more round and floral and require less aging than those from the Champagne areas.

Fins Bois - The largest area of production for Cognac, producing a more rustic brandy.

Bons bois - . Similar to the fins bois, but more ordinary and rustic.

Bois ordinaires - This includes the vineyards closest to the ocean. Makes a more ordinary, less prized brandy that ages rapidly.

Fine Cognac is made principally from the juice of Ugni Blanc grapes, but you also find Colombard, Folle-Blanche, Semillon, and other grapes used in small quantities. Historically, the wine produced in the Charente region was of inferior quality used mainly to make a distillate for fortifying other alcohols. It wasn't until someone had the idea of distilling the wine twice that Cognac brandy came into its own. It is the process of double distillation that gives Cognac all of its refinement and that produces a smooth, prized brandy.

Cognac Aging
The aging of Cognac is also an important step in its elaboration. In order to earn the Cognac appellation, the brandy must be aged in new oak barrels (typically the wood comes from trees in the Limousin region of France) and placed in storage rooms reserved strictly for Cognac. During the aging process a part of the alcohol evaporates (this is known as the la part des anges or the angel's part) and produces a characteristic black mold on the walls of the room.

After the fermentation and distillation process, all Fine Cognac is aged a minimum of two years, and some is aged twenty years and longer. In general, the longer a Cognac is aged, the smoother it becomes. Once it is bottled this aging process is stopped.