It’s a fact. Sauvignon Blanc is one of the world’s most widely-planted grape varieties. We think of it as synonymous with New Zealand, because of its global popularity.
So it may surprise you to hear that it’s spiritual home actually lies in France. Yep that’s right, slap bang in the heart of the Loire Valley.
Let’s find out what makes Loire Sauvignon Blanc unique, how it tastes, the appellations to look for and what foods to pair them with…
What does Loire Sauvignon taste like?
Gooseberry, blackcurrant leaf and nettle are common descriptors used to describe the herbaceous profile of Loire Sauvignons.
Compared with their kiwi counterparts, they’re also more floral, think elderflower, and have a tighter, yet less pronounced acid structure.
The most prized examples from Sancerre and Pouilly-sur-Loire (labelled Pouilly-Fumé), show the most minerality. Pouilly-Fumé takes it to the extreme, showing a characteristic flinty overtone.
Both appellations will generally benefit from at least 2-3 years bottle ageing to allow the wine to harmonise.
There’s no question about it, Sauvignons from the Loire taste very different to those from New Zealand.
Sauvignon Blanc appellations to look out for
Most of the region’s Sauvignon Blanc is grown in the eastern half of the valley. Beginning with the area surrounding Tours and eastwards into what’s known as the Centre region.
Moving from west to east, our first major appellation is AOC Touraine. These wines are easily some of the best value examples and are relatively easy to track down. A decent domain-bottled wine should set you back £10-12. While you can pick up perfectly good co-operative versions from about £7.
Two further Touraine scions worth seeking out are Touraine Oisly and Touraine Chenonceaux. Both are comparatively small in production terms but quality is superior, especially in Chenonceaux. The best Touraine wines balance floral, fruit and mineral characteristics giving them elegance and a refined feel.
Move along from Touraine and you can find the AOC’s of Reuilly and Quincy. It tends to be hotter and drier here than most of the other Central Loire appellations. Consequently, Sauvignon ripens earliest here.
The wines lean more towards a citrus (lemon and grapefruit) and floral profile with more pungent herbaceous notes. You can pick up a decent example of either wine around the £13-15 mark.
The Sancerre & Pouilly-Fumé lookalikes
Surrounding the famous neighbours of Sancerre and Pouilly-Fumé are two very worthy AOC wines. Coteaux du Giennois to the north of Pouilly-sur-Loire and Menetou-Salon, abutting the south-western tip of Sancerre. Both show quality and characteristics that closely resemble their famous neighbours, but at friendlier prices.
Coteaux du Giennois reveals a linear, stony freshness and flavours resembling yellow-skinned fruits, including quince. While Menetou-Salon is a little weightier, with a musky tone and a Sancerre-like structure.
You can pick up a decent bottle of the former between £10-13 and Menetou ranges from £12-18. Although it is possible to find a couple around the £10 mark.
Pouilly-Fumé & Sancerre are the real deal!
Now onto the main event, Pouilly-Fumé and Sancerre.
On the right-bank of the River Loire lies the town of Pouilly-sur-Loire, home to AOC Pouilly-Fumé.
Just to confuse matters, something the French authorities seem to excel at, there’s a separate appellation for Pouilly-sur-Loire. This is actually made from the local Chasselas variety and is something of a rarity these days. It doesn’t have anything like the definition of flavour or longevity of its more fashionable sibling.
“Did you know Sancerre was once famous for red wine?“
Directly opposite Pouilly-sur-Loire, on the other side of the river, lies the small hillside town of Sancerre. This is the name that helped put the entire region on the map around the Middle Ages. Though rather ironically, it was for red wines made from Pinot Noir.
When phylloxera wreaked havoc in the late 19th Century, vignerons made the switch to Sauvignon Blanc. The main reasons being that it’s more hardy and productive than Pinot.
The rest, as they say, is history. Although you can still find small quantities of rosé and red Sancerre made from Pinot.
The secret behind Pouilly-Fumé & Sancerre’s success lies in the soil
The common element that distinguishes Sancerre and Pouilly from the rest of the Loire crowd is soil. Or should I say, soils.
From chalky/limestone soils, known locally as terres blanches (with a higher marl content) to caillottes (which are more stony). They are part of the same band that runs from the white cliffs of Dover, through Champagne and nearby Chablis.
Flint, known locally as Silex, also features in both Sancerre and Pouilly, but more so in the latter. This is where that very distinctive smoky tone comes in. Some of the best wines from both appellations come from these unique soils.
Pouilly-Fumé & Sancerre’s flavour profile
The comparatively cool, continental climate helps to accentuate the steely nature of Sauvignon that’s produced in these sub-regions. Both wines tend to be very linear in style. That is to say they feel quite tightly-wound in the mouth, around a fine thread of acidity.
Sancerre can show exotic fruits and orange blossom, especially in warmer vintages. While Pouilly-Fumé leans more towards citrus fruits and gun flint. Both wines need a few years to evolve and anything from 5-10 years for the best cuvées.
Regional highlights – food & wine matching
As is often the way in Europe, wine evolution is closely linked to that of gastronomy. The wine styles that we see today are born from local and regional dishes established over decades, even centuries. The wines of the Loire are as versatile as they are varied, perfectly mirroring the multifarious culinary dishes.
Shellfish; such as oysters, scallops and clams, are a speciality up and down the river, particularly towards the western end. They’re the perfect match for the citrus, floral and flinty Pouilly-Fumés.
Freshwater fish have been caught and eaten here since pre-Roman times. They’re often served with a sauce like beurre blanc, so the floral and more mineral-edged Sauvignons pair beautifully. Namely Touraine, Sancerre and Menetou-Salon. Heartier fish stews are heavenly with a mature Sancerre from a decent grower with up to ten years bottle age.
There’s fossilised proof that goats existed in the region long before people. Consequently, some of the world’s finest goat’s cheeses hail from here. Quincy and Reuilly work particularly well with these. Crottin de Chavignol makes a stunning combo with a decent domain-bottled Sancerre.
A few Loire Sauvignons worth trying
Here are some of my favourite examples of Loire Sauvignon that are readily available through specialists:
Sauvignon de Touraine, Domaine Patrick Vauvy
Touraine Chenonceaux ‘La Long Bec’, Domaine des Echardières
There’s nothing more frustrating or disappointing when you open one of your prized wines in front of your friends or family during a dinner party, and for whatever reason, the wine just isn’t right.
And you can almost guarantee it’ll happen when you’ve just spent the previous five minutes telling everyone how bloody good it was when you last tried it, how you’ve been keeping it for the past five years specially for an occasion like this and how it’s going to blow them away. Pah!
It can be anything from the wine being corked to smelling either of rotting vegetables or dodgy drains. Or it might just be going through a ‘sleep’ phase, which isn’t actually a fault and is impossible to predict, but we’re not concerned with this one right now.
So other than cork taint and oxidisation, which I’ve covered in separate articles, what are the other main wine faults to look out for and are there any cures?
Reduction – sulphurous aromas
If you open a bottle and you get that awful waft of rotten eggs or bad drains, this is the tell-tale sign of reduction. The opposite to oxidisation, reduction occurs when the wine hasn’t been exposed to enough oxygen, mainly during the winemaking process, so the naturally-occurring volatile sulphur compounds in the wine take over.
A mild case of reduction gives a faint smoky aroma/taste, a bit like a burnt match, and is actually considered by some to be complimentary, so it’s not altogether bad.
Mild reduction can be resolved by decanting the wine to allow it to oxygenate, or by stirring the wine with a silver spoon.
Exposure to heat (aka maderisation)
Before you think about shoving your wine collection in the loft or in a garage or shed that heats up in the summer, think again. Now this might sound obvious but you’d be surprised how easy it can be when you’re strapped for space indoors and you don’t have the luxury of a cellar or a large empty understairs storage cupboard. So if you’re like me, you’re constantly playing ‘musical wine’ every six months! Yep, it’s a pain in the ar$e.
If you do happen to forget about your wine and it receives continued exposure to heat for several months, you can expect two things to happen. Firstly, the volume of wine expands in the bottle and can force the cork out which then leads to seepage and oxidisation. Secondly, it slowly cooks or maderises the wine, which can give flavours like processed jam or even nutty caramel. Not great.
In Madeira, this heating process, known as maderisation, is actually encouraged but it’s definitely an unpleasant fault in table wine.
Secondary fermentation
Have you ever opened a bottle of still wine and heard a little hiss as the cork is drawn or screw cap comes loose? Take a quick sniff. If you can smell a yeast-like aroma, this is a sure sign of secondary fermentation. It usually means some residual sugar has got mixed in with the wine at bottling and then started fermenting again when it’s hit a certain temperature.
It’s worth noting that this can also be a deliberate side-effect in low-intervention wines where little or no sulphur has been used for stabilisation, especially in light, juicy reds.
Cowsheds and crystals!
Before you think I’m going off on a complete tangent, please bear with. In most cases these last two encounters aren’t really problematic and as such aren’t considered serious wine faults, nonetheless it’s good to be aware of them.
Farmyard aromas are generally found in red wines, especially from some of the old artisan producers in France, and in low doses are considered ‘acceptable’ as they add complexity to the wine. This is the presence of a wild ‘spoilage’ yeast called Brettanomyces or ‘Brett’ for short. This is generally linked to poor cellar hygiene and too much Brett is overpowering and can be seriously off-putting.
It’s not uncommon to see tiny crystals in your wine, especially if the wine’s been subjected to really cold temperatures for a prolonged period.
These are called tartrates and are harmless mineral deposits that form in unfiltered wines with a high mineral content. They don’t affect the taste of the wine at all and simply need careful decanting or being passed through a sieve.
A clue to the presence of tartrate crystals in the wine is finding them on the underside of the cork.
Next time you encounter a wine that doesn’t quite seem right, this handy reference along with the additional articles on corked wines and oxidised wines should help identify the possible cause. And perhaps more importantly, whether or not you can overcome it.
Nowadays we have to accept that if we want to enjoy good cool-climate Chardonnay, we’re going to have to spend upwards of £10/bottle. The sweet-spot for me is somewhere between £12-18.
Both independent merchants and some supermarkets will have a decent selection from around the world but remember, you generally get what you pay for.
I’ve deliberately included regions that fall outside of the above price criteria (just) as it’s good to be aware of them anyway, particularly if you want to step away from the well-trodden path. This list is by no means exhaustive and I’ve also included some examples of wines that I’ve personally drunk or tasted here in the UK that I can wholeheartedly recommend and either meets or beats the above pricing criteria.
FRANCE – Bourgogne (Burgundy)
White Burgundy is becoming less and less affordable, however there is still value to be found. Apart from a handful of straight Bourgogne Blancs, forget the Côte d’Or and head further south to the Côte Chalonnaise and the Mâconnais where you can find excellent drinking wines from appellations like Mercurey, Rully, Montagny, Pouilly-Fuissé (not to be confused with Pouilly-Fumé in the Loire) and of course Mâcon itself.
A decent Mercurey, Rully or Pouilly-Fuissé is still likely to set you back well over £18/bottle but there are plenty of options in Mâcon, where you’ll often see it hyphenated with a named village (such as Davayé, Charnay, Fuissé or Lugny) or simply the term ‘Villages’. Viré-Clessé is a standalone appellation for two villages that, prior to 1999, were formerly appended to Mâcon in the same way. These can also be very good value.
Mâcon-Lugny “Les Genièvres”, Louis Latour
Mâcon-Solutré, Maison Auvigue
Viré-Clessé Vieilles Vignes, Christophe Cordier
FRANCE – Languedoc
Head way down south into the warmer Languedoc region around Carcassonne and there’s some excellent Chardonnays coming from the elevated parts of this area, especially from the Limoux sub-region in the foothills of the Pyrenees where you’ll find both still and traditional-method sparkling wines, the latter labelled as Crémant. The still wines are some of the best value entry-level Burgundy lookalikes I’ve come across.
Montsablé Chardonnay, IGP Pays d’Oc
Château Rives-Blanques “Odyssée” Chardonnay, Limoux
Crémant de Limoux “Cuvée Royale” Brut, Divin’ Aude
England
Here in England we’re now producing world class Chardonnay in both still and sparkling formats. Especially along the same band of south-facing chalk and limestone slopes that run all the way from Champagne and Chablis in northern Burgundy, under the North Sea and re-appear in Essex and Kent. It then runs all the way across to Dorset, in an almost continuous ridge, along the South Downs. The best of these sadly fall outside of the price range for this piece, so I’ll be reviewing these separately.
Italy
Northern Italy is definitely worth a mention, especially in the Langhe hills of Piedmont, as well as the east coast region of Umbria, which is next door to Tuscany. As above, these generally fall outside of our price range, especially the ones that I’ve tasted and would recommend.
USA (California)
Believe it or not, California has the ability to produce cool-climate Chardonnays but they tend to be found closer to the coast or along one of the narrow river valleys where the Pacific sea breezes have a cooling effect and create a blanket of morning fog, which in turn slows down ripening.
Sonoma is perhaps the most famous region with the Russian River valley sub-zone being of particular note. With one or two notable exceptions, these are going to set you back an arm and a leg so you need to either head across to neighbouring Carneros or further down the coastline to parts of Monterey, Mendocino and Santa Barbara to find more affordable examples.
District 7 Monterey Chardonnay
Wente Vineyards “Morning Fog” Chardonnay, Livermore Valley
Frei Brothers Sonoma Reserve Chardonnay, Russian River Valley
Saintsbury Carneros Chardonnay
USA – Oregon
The Willamette Valley has deservedly earned its reputation for producing some world-class Chardonnays as well as Pinot Noirs with more than a nod to Burgundy. Not least because there’s geological and climatic similarities between the two regions. Sadly, they’re quite a bit over our budget too but good for an occasional splurge.
USA – Washington State
Next door to Oregon, this is the other ‘West Coast’ sensation in terms of cool-climate winemaking. The Columbia Valley is where the action’s at and we’re beginning to see one or two examples reaching our shores. While many are reaching lofty prices like Oregon, there is one worth seeking out.
Chateau Ste Michelle Chardonnay, Columbia Valley
AUSTRALIA – South Australia
In Australia, there are plenty of notable cool-climate sub-regions to explore starting with the Adelaide Hills in South Australia, especially within the Piccadilly and Clare Valley sub-zones. Anything from High Eden at the north end of the Barossa Valley is also well worth a punt.
Simon Hackett “Brightview” Chardonnay, Adelaide Hills
Victoria has a handful of trendy hotspots for Burgundian-looking ‘Chardy’s’ but these are well over the £15 mark sadly.
Mornington Peninsula, Strathbogie Ranges, the Macedon Ranges, Geelong and the Yarra Valley are all worth looking out for if you’re feeling flush and want something classy!
AUSTRALIA – Western Australia, NSW & Tasmania
Western Australia, due to its remoteness and proximity to the Pacific Ocean, arguably has the largest surface area dedicated to cool-climate winemaking on the continent. Margaret River turns out arguably the most iconic Aussie Chardonnays and as a result are perhaps the most accessible here in the UK although be prepared to splash the cash.
Elsewhere on the continent, it’s also worth considering Orange in NSW, which sits at very high altitude, and of course Tasmania, the coolest zone of the lot which makes some stunning examples of still and sparkling Chardonnays, but sadly few of these reach our shores and the ones that do tend to be out of our budget.
Philip Shaw “The Architect” Chardonnay, Orange, NSW
Vasse-Felix “Filius” Chardonnay, Margaret River
SOUTH AFRICA
Elgin, Hemel-en-Aarde and Elim are considered the coolest sub-regions of the Cape although there are also some fantastic, more restrained styles of Chardonnay coming out of Constantia and the more elevated sites in Franschhoek and Stellenbosch too. There’s definitely great value to be found here but there’s no shortage of more premium stuff if you’re feeling flush!
Chamonix Unoaked Chardonnay, Franschhoek
Newton Johnson Southend Chardonnay, Upper Hemel-en-Aarde Valley
Iona Chardonnay, Elgin*
* This falls just over budget but it’s absolutely worth it in terms of vfm!
ARGENTINA
Look for Chardonnay coming from the high-altitude region of Salta in northern Argentina as well as elevated sites within Mendoza, particularly in the Uco Valley.
Manos Negras Chardonnay, Los Arboles, Uco Valley
Viña Cobos Felino Chardonnay, Mendoza
CHILE
Chile’s Casablanca, San Antonio, Leyda and Limarí valleys turn out some of the best value cool-climate Chardonnays money can buy. They’re all exposed to the cooling ocean breezes as a result of the Humboldt current, creating a similar effect to that of Sonoma that I described earlier.
There’s also been a move to plant vines at much higher altitude inland, up to 2,000 metres asl, in order to gain the cooling effect.
Casas del Bosque, Reserva Chardonnay, Casablanca Valley
Indomita, Nostros Gran Reserva Chardonnay, Casablanca Valley
Matetic Vineyards EQ Quartz Chardonnay, San Antonio Valley
NEW ZEALAND
Last but by no means least, New Zealand. I’d pretty much leave it at that as the entire country makes fantastic Chardonnay. Again, these tend to be a bit more premium-priced, especially if you want the more prestigious single site wines, but for me the South Island is where the most exciting Chardonnays can be sourced, in Nelson, Marlborough and around Canterbury. That said, definitely don’t rule out the North Island’s Gisborne, Hawke’s Bay and Martinborough too.
Palliser Estate Chardonnay, Martinborough
Trinity Hill Chardonnay, Hawkes Bay
Two Rivers “Clos des Pierres” Chardonnay, Marlborough
Basil Fawlty’s response was priceless “I just uncorked it didn’t you see?”.
We might well laugh at Basil’s ignorance, however it’s still a phrase that can instantly silence fellow diners. Or initiate panic in the eyes of an inexperienced member of waiting staff, causing temporary paralysis.
I once had the discomfort of facing a stroppy and indignant somm who insisted that the wine was fine. When he finally agreed to replace the bottle, he brought the same one back thinking that I wouldn’t notice! Fortunately he’s in the minority, so don’t be put off making the call.
What the heck is corked wine anyway and why should we be aware of it?
Corked Wine: In Layman’s Terms
Let’s start with the facts.
Until recently, the equivalent of one bottle in every twelve sealed with a natural cork is said to be affected by cork taint, to some degree. That’s a pretty grim assessment.
At one end of the scale it’s blindingly obvious. The underside of the cork and the wine itself has a musty smell like wet cardboard or damp cellars.
You’re probably going to tip the wine away, or if you’re dining out, hopefully use the phrase of this blog title. Maybe resist tipping it away and I’ll explain why later.
At the other end of the scale, there’s no musty smell. In fact, there’s not much aroma at all. The vibrant fruity character you’re expecting is replaced with a slight bitterness and the fruit element is totally dumbed down.
You may end up drinking the wine but I bet you never buy it again. Why, because life’s too short to drink crap wine, right? This is the worst possible outcome for the producer who painstakingly made the wine!
So what exactly’s going on here?
Corked Wine: In Scientific Terms
Cork taint is caused by the presence of 2,4,6-Trichloroanisole or TCA for short.
It’s a chemical compound primarily found in corks, caused by the interaction between the naturally occurring bacteria or fungi, found in and around cork trees, with man-made chlorophenols.
“Chloro-what?”
The chlorinated (as in chlorine) phenolic (aroma-related) compounds can come from several sources. Either through absorption of pesticide or preservative treatments during the tree’s growth. Or during the sterilisation process before the corks are manufactured.
Unfortunately, it’s not just corks that can contain TCA. It can also come from within the winery too. On barrels, wooden beams, essentially anywhere there’s wood.
It literally only takes a minuscule trace to come into contact with wine for it to become tainted and spoilt. Entire vats of wine have been discarded because of TCA contamination, so the cost to the industry has been astronomical.
There are actually several other forms of spoilage which can occur in wines and I’ve covered these in a separate article. They have a whole different range of dodgy aromas or visual imperfections associated with them.
Misconceptions About Corked Wine
If you happen to find bits of cork floating in your wine after you’ve opened it, it doesn’t automatically mean the wine’s corked. It simply means that the cork is very dry and/or your corkscrew’s thread is too thick.
I always give the underside of the cork a quick sniff as it’ll usually reveal if the tell-tale sign of TCA is present. If the cork smells okay then the solution to your floating bits is just pour it through a tea-strainer or sieve and, hey presto!
Another misconception is that TCA only shows in wines bottled with natural cork. As explained above, it doesn’t just come from corks, although it is the main culprit. Cork manufacturers have worked tirelessly to find a solution to TCA contamination.
Over the past 2 or 3 years, two of the industry’s biggest manufacturers, Amorim and Diam, have claimed to have invented new treatment processes that now guarantee 100% non-detection.
Before You Tip That Corked Wine Away
An American professor of wine chemistry has come up with an ingenious way to eliminate the foul effects of TCA. Simply line a large bowl with cling film, pour in the wine and leave for a few minutes. Then pour carefully back into a jug or decanter.
All you need to know is that the polyethylene basically attracts the non-polar TCA molecules towards it, freeing the wine.
How cool is that!
Is the cork industry’s future assured? Will more premium estates continue to embrace screwcaps, which have become far more widely accepted? Or will packaging finally push the envelope and take a whole new direction altogether?
Cognac is one of the world’s most exciting and dynamic spirit categories. Slick advertising and cutting-edge packaging have helped to facilitate enviable sales growth.
But it hasn’t always been like this.
Cognac’s Dramatic Metamorphosis!
Until the mid-1990s, Cognac sales were heading in the same direction as the VHS recorder.
The association with white, middle-aged blokes combined with outdated packaging did little to attract new drinkers.
Bizarrely, the fortunes of this former aristocratic brandy were reversed by a most unlikely band of endorsees.
High-profile rappers including Snoop Dogg, Buster Rhymes and 2Pac, began referencing the ‘brown bottle’ and ‘Henny’ in their music.
After much-needed makeovers, the appearance of well-known brands in hip-hop videos became as synonymous as the bling.
My Own First Impressions of Cognac
Cognac first hit my radar in early 1997, at the tender age of 24, I’d recently been promoted to assistant wine buyer at Fortnum & Mason and given the entire spirits range to manage. A daunting yet exciting prospect.
One of the perks of the role was accepting invitations to tastings and launch events. Imagine that, being paid to drink expensive booze!
One such event was a Ragnaud Sabourin Cognac lunch at a swanky restaurant a short walk from the store. This turned out to be a blessing, for reasons that will become clear shortly.
Each of the four courses were paired with a progressively smooth and complex cognac. To round the meal off, an extra couple of rarities were thrown in with the coffee. The only reason I know I made it back to the buying office is that I was woken up by the cellar guys when it was time to lock up.
I still have my tasting notes from that lunch, well they certainly started as such. Sadly, I have absolutely no way of deciphering what those two rarities were like!
Cognac on the Rise
During the noughties, advertisers set their sights on the younger generation, particularly those with higher disposable incomes. They also focused on the emerging markets in the Far East. Turns out they have a particular penchant for high quality spirits.
Since the turn of the millennium, Cognac’s sales have boomed. Partly in tandem with the exponential growth in wine consumption. Partly because of the evolution of eye-catching packaging and partly through the development of the cocktail market.
Continued endorsements by pop and rap icons have also played a pivotal role, especially in the US market. The biggest brands have offered some seriously lucrative deals for these guys to act as brand ambassadors.
What Makes Cognac…Well, Cognac?
First and foremost Cognac is a type of brandy, which means that it’s distilled from grapes. The predominant variety is Ugni Blanc, supported by Folle Blanche and Colombard. If these are all sounding unfamiliar, don’t worry. There’s a good reason for that which I’ll come on to.
These grape varieties are highly acidic, low in fruit intensity and high yielding. Their flavour neutrality makes them the perfect base for distillation. Far less so for table wine.
To legally qualify as Cognac, the brandy must be double distilled in traditional, copper pot stills. They must also be aged for at least two years in oak barrels. The oak has to have been sourced from either the Limousin or Tronçais forests, both local to the Cognac region.
Most of the character of the final spirit actually comes from the ageing process. Which essentially means from the oak barrels, just as it is in rum and malt whisky production. They’re further refined by skilful blending of the different aged Eaux de Vies (the collective name for the distilled spirits).
Making Sense of Cognac’s Geography
Understanding Cognac is relatively straight-forward. You just need to get your head around some basic geography and key labelling terms.
We’ll come back to labelling in a minute but first, let’s talk geography.
Cognac is a commune located in the Charentes region of western France, just above Bordeaux. It falls under the French AOC system, which means that its production is strictly controlled.
There are six sub-regions within Cognac that can carry the famous name. Starting in ascending order of quality with Bois Ordinaires/Bois Communs, followed by Bons Bois. Next comes Fins Bois (the largest vineyard area or ‘cru’), then Borderies (the smallest ‘cru’). At the heart lies Petite Champagne and finally Grande Champagne.
The reference to Champagne has nothing to do with sparkling wine. It actually draws a parallel with the soils found in the Champagne region. Because they are almost identical to those found in these top two ‘crus’.
Ageing in Cognac
Think of ageing in Cognac as an indication of style and quality, along the same lines as Single Malt Whisky.
If the label displays three stars, or simply the term VS, you’re looking at a good entry-level brandy. The youngest spirit in the blend must be at least 2 years old.
More premium houses like Rémy Martin, Hine, Prunier and Hennessy set a much higher minimum age. This ultimately produces a smoother and more complex brandy.
VS is in fact an old English acronym for ‘Very Special’.
A VSOP or ‘Very Superior Old Pale’ is the next step up where the youngest spirit is no less than 4 years old. This category has been monopolised by Rémy Martin for years. Thanks, in no small part, to Oriental and Indian restaurants that fell hook, line and sinker for the revolutionary black frosted-glass bottle!
The terms Reserve and VO are seen infrequently but follow the same legal definition as VSOP.
Occasionally, you’ll see Napoléon cited on the label. This was pioneered by Courvoisier when they put aside a brandy for the famous French ruler, just after his abdication.
In quality terms, Napoléon Cognacs sit between VSOP and XO and must be at least 6 years old, but in practise they’re usually considerably older.
The final category is XO or ‘Extra Old’ which generally represents a quantum leap in quality and price from VSOP. Like Napoléon, the minimum aged spirit here must be 6 years old. In reality, they will be aged somewhere between 15-20 years on average.
These are the super luxy, aspirational Cognacs for connoisseurs, or those with deep pockets, and the packaging generally reflects this.
Dated Cognacs
Although rare, one or two houses also produce Cognacs from a single vintage, shown on the label. Hine is probably the best-known producer of these.
There are also Early Landed Cognacs, which are shipped in barrel to a bonded warehouse in England. These are aged under the watchful eye of HM Revenue & Customs. As well as showing the year in which the grapes were harvested, they also show the year of landing.
Due to the climatic differences between the UK and France, the early landed cognacs have a unique taste. They tend to be more floral, delicate and paler in colour than those aged in Cognac itself.
The Cocktail Scene
I was a relative latecomer to cocktails. This possibly had something to do with my 18th birthday which left me scarred for years. Waking up the following day with the mother of all hangovers thanks to a successive ‘cocktail’ of beer, various liqueurs and spirits was extremely grim!
During the mid-noughties, I had to bury the ‘cocktail hatchet’ and get re-acquainted. The wine agency business that I was working for inherited a portfolio of spirits due to a change of ownership. We worked with some pretty high-profile brands, Hine Cognac being one, so it certainly wasn’t all doom and gloom.
I recall tasting a variation of a Horse’s Neck where the whisky was subbed for cognac. I thought, “Bloody hell, this is good!”
Since then, other classics like Metropolitan, Sidecar and Stinger along with long mixers have really propelled cognac’s popularity. Over the past few years, especially through COVID, the major houses have experienced strong double-digit growth in all key markets.
It’s become abundantly clear that Cognac has succeeded in re-inventing itself and continues to appeal to a broader consumer base.
Whatever and however you drink your spirits, Cognac offers great versatility.
The spectrum of flavours and quality levels are broad enough to satisfy any palate. I’d even go so far as saying alongside whisky, they offer some of the best flavoured spirits in the world.
