Cognac is a brandy produced around Cognac, a town in the province of Charente France. The name “cognac” is protected by laws which specifically define the region and processing methods to be used when making cognac. No other brandies can be labeled cognac.
The high quality of cognac is due to the lime soil of the district where the grapes are grown as well as to the careful distillation and aging processes the grapes undergo. St. Emilion grapes are the primary variety used, but Folle-Blanche and Colombard are also employed.
When fermentation is complete, the wine is distilled twice in traditional copper pot stills. These successive distillations produce a raw product with an alcoholic content of up to 135 proof.
The colorless liquid is then poured into barrels made of local or Limousin oak where a unique aging process takes place. No other variety of oak can produce the same characteristics. During aging, the brandy absorbs tannic acid from the barrels; this causes the color to darken and the flavor to change. Oxidation taking place in the porous wood develops the characteristic bouquet and flavor.
Because cognac is a blend, there are no vintage years. Each distiller develops his personal flavor style which he achieves, year after year, through careful blending procedures. After several months or years of maturation, the blended brandy is then bottled. Once bottled, cognac, like all distilled liquors, does not change either in color or in flavor.
