Vintage cognac unlike popular belief is not a French creation but is in fact British. The French have been fiercely protective of their cognac and have laws that govern cognac making strictly. Stringent rules must be followed when choosing the grapes, distilling, aging and blending the brandy to give it the name of a cognac. In fact according to the French laws if a brandy is made using all the governing principles of a cognac but is made anywhere else other than in the native towns of Jarnac and Cognac then it cannot be termed as a cognac.
Vintage cognac is a relatively newer and a rather unexplored trend. Until 1989 the production of vintage cognac was not allowed by the French law. It is for this reason that this cognac was not available in the market for purchase until the nineties. So what is vintage cognac? Vintage cognac is essentially a blend of cognacs that have been distilled from the eau de vie of a single year.
It is not very difficult to identify a vintage cognac. While a cognac that has been matured in the cognac houses of France will not have a date mentioned on the bottle, a vintage cognac will.

A bottle of genuine vintage cognac has a date mentioned on the bottle which tells the date on which this cognac blend was bottled and the vintage of cognac it comes from. This becomes important as it is indicative of the length of time for which the cognac has matured. The significance of these dates lie in the fact that once bottled a cognac stops maturing and doesn’t become better in the bottle irrespective of the years it has been bottled.
There are primarily two types of vintage cognacs. These types are the Jarnac matured vintage cognac and early landed vintage cognac. The primary difference between the two vintages is the method used in aging these cognacs. The storage conditions, climates and the barrels used to age and mature the cognacs renders its unique taste. The cognacs from Jarnac are matured in drier cellars. It is because of this that the brandies produced from this region are darker because of the high oxidization rate and high water evaporation. It is because of these reasons that the alcohol content of the cognacs from this region is more. In order to lower the alcoholic strength of the cognac from the Jarnac region a little bit of water is added to the cask.
In contrast to the cognac from Jarnac, early landed vintage cognac is aged in England. The place where most of this early landed cognac is aged is Bristol. This early landed vintage cognac is made from the brandy that is sent to Bristol in a cask a year or two after the vintage distillation. Once the brandy reaches its destination in England it is left to age in the English cellars which are very damp. There is no requirement of adding additional water to the casks of these cognacs since a damp cellar makes sure that water evaporation is much slower. The content of alcohol thus tends to fall naturally because of the humid conditions of the cellar.

The Richard Hennessy Cognac stands at the top end of the fine Hennessy range. This cognac is named after Richard Hennessy who was the founder of Hennessy distilleries. The Hennessy distillery was established in 1765 by this Irishman and since then has gone on to produce some of the finest cognac selections. The Richard Hennessy Cognac was created by Richard Hennessy himself and thus the foundation of a great cognac house was laid.

The Richard Hennessy cognac is the color of a rich mahogany vibrant in its appearance. It has a complex yet rich palate and achieves a balance between the depth of the wine and the sweet notes of vanilla, raisins, honey and dried flowers. The finish of the drink leaves to the taster the semi sweet flavor of cherries and a deliberating long after taste. This balanced and complex drink releases its bouquet of aromas slowly in the tasters mouth in a succession revealing an extraordinary fine texture and aroma.

Some of the best eau de vie collected from the most coveted vine growing regions goes into the making of the fine Richard Hennessey cognac. This eau de vie is aged for nearly a hundred years to make the excellent cognac in the Hennessy cellar. Each of the eau de vies that go into the making of the Richard Hennessy cognac are selected carefully each for its characteristic properties. Some of the eau de vie used to make this cognac also date back to the early 19th century and are also extremely rare.

The eau de vie used in making a Richard Hennessy cognac is a blend of the Grand Siècle. The Grand Siècle is the epitome of blending complementing wines from the best growths from the Laurent Perriers and the best vintage years. Twelve prestigious wine growing villages supply the grapes that go into the making of the Grand Siècle. It was the era of Louis XIV that came to be known as the Grand Siècle as this era laid the foundation of France’s artistic heritage under the kings patronage. The eau de vie that makes Richard Hennessy cognac are selected carefully by the Hennessy house’s master blenders to present the regal drink. Seven generations of master blenders from the same family blend the Richard Hennessy cognac.

The Richard Hennessy cognac needs to be savored and not drunk. To truly savor its exceptional taste a crystal tulip taster glass or a smaller snifter should be used. These glasses allow the aromas of the cognac to be released gradually. Ideally when you want to appreciate a Richard Hennessy cognac you should first cradle the glass in your palm and swirl the drink so that it begins to release its fine aromas. Once that is done you need to inhale deeply and take a sip to enjoy the full bodied drink.

It is indeed a privilege to taste the Richard Hennessy cognac. A price has been put on this cognac perhaps for commerce alone as one cannot put a price on a spirit that has been aged over generations finally revealing its mature full bodied nature to the taster alone.

Remy Martin Cognacs have been a hallmark in the fine art of cognac making. It was in 1724 that Remy Martin a young winegrower established his company in the Cognac region in France. For over 280 years Remy Martin has been making some of the finest cognac that can be found across the world. The years 1830 to 1874 saw the creation of some of the finest cognacs from the House of Remy. In 1830 the Remy Martin Grande Champagne Cognac was created. Subsequently in 1848 the Remy Martin Fine Champagne Cognac was created.

The Remy Martin Cognac brand saw further strengthening of its brand value when in 1870 the Centaur symbol was introduced to represent Remy Martin. This symbol was introduced by Paul-Emile Remy Martin and was his zodiac sign. This sign was representative of the alliance between man and nature and finally became synonymous with the Remy Martin Cognacs.

The years 1898 and 1927 were significant to the House of Remy Martin. It was in 1898 that finally after many years of aging the Coupe Fine Champagne was released by Remy Martin. This cognac had the ‘greatest aromatic breadth’ and was released by Paul Emile Remy Martin himself. In the year 1927 the Remy Martin Fine Champagne VSOP was released. This cognac received a resounding success because of its impeccable taste and superior quality. Shortly after in 1937, Remy Martin became the official supplier to the Imperial and Royal courts and thus began the rise of a world cognac brand.

Remy Martin has a long drawn and lengthy process of making their fine cognac. The House of Remy Martin chooses its grapes from the two best crus or growth areas in France. These areas are that of Grand Champagne and Petit Champagne. The produce from this area is so coveted because of its unique chalk flecked soil. The porous soil also makes sure that the vines receive a steady water supply and the gravely exterior of the soil reflects the sunlight to the grapes helping them mature perfectly. It is because of this that the average ground rent in this area is higher by at least 20% than in the entire Cognac region.

The unique Remy Martin cognac blend is achieved by masterfully blending the eau de vie from the Grand Champagne and the Petit Champagne region with almost 50% of the total coming from the Grand Champagne region. The quality of the cognac is maintained because of a pact between Remy Martin and the winegrowers and distillers of these two regions called Alliance Fine Champagne. With the help of this alliance Remy Martin makes sure that it gets the best superior quality grapes for its cognac.

Once the eau de vie has been collected the Remy Martin cognac making process is on the roll. The wine is then distilled and given to age in French Limousin oak barrels. These barrels lend their unique flavor to the cognac. Since the excellent quality of grapes used for making the cognac have a great aging capacity, Remy Martin ages the eau de vie for much longer than the required time to get the deep aromatic breadth that their cognac is known for.

Three generations of cognac making has gone into the creating the Remy cognac. Founded by Remy Martin in 1724 the cognac made by this cognac maker grew to legendary heights when in 1738 he was granted rights to plant new vines by Louis XV himself despite there being a ban implemented on the planting of new vines in 1831. As the House of Remy continued in the pursuit of making fine cognac, they also started exploring the international market to retail their fine range of cognac. Soon Remy cognacs were established as a world brand by becoming the official supplier to the Imperial and Royal courts.

The secret behind Remy cognacs is the soil from which it comes. Remy cognacs use grapes that are grown only in the Grand Champagne and Petit Champagne region in central France. These two areas are the most sought after growth areas of the total six crus or growth areas. The Grand Champagne and the Petit Champagne region have a unique soil that is chalk flecked. This soil reflects the light perfectly and helps in ripening the grapes to perfection. So much in demand are the grapes from this region that the ground rents are at least 20% higher here than anywhere else in the Cognac region. Not only are the blends of Remy cognacs produced from the Grand Champagne and the Petit Champagne region but almost 50% of the blend is made from the eau de vie collected from the Grand Champagne region exclusively.

The eau de vie collected from the Grand Champagne and Petit Champagne region is so much in demand because of its spectacular aging ability. It is only 17% of the cognac that is made and shipped from this region which is considered in the fine cognac bracket. Out of this 17% of fine cognac, 80% is produced by Remy Martin alone.

For 280 years Remy Cognacs have been the stalwarts in cognac making. They follow the traditional process of distilling the cognac in small copper stills which are called alambics. This process ensures that the already complex cognac gets a better deeper flavor and greater length. The eau de vie, which is the colorless liquid produced during double distillation and fermentation, at Remy is extremely aromatic and delicate. This is because of extended and traditional distillation process. Also Remy Martin and the wine growers of the Grand Champagne and Petit Champagne have a unique partnership since 1965 called the Alliance Fine Champagne which ensures the most rigorous eau de vie selection process.

Finally it is the cellar masters who give Remy cognac its unique intensity and aroma. Remy Martin gives immense importance to its cellar masters as they recognize that it is the cellar masters who give them the end product that remains true to the standards set by Remy Martin Fine Cognacs. It is interesting to note that in the last hundred years Remy Martin has had only four cellar masters. Remy cognacs have a unique aromatic intensity that comes from finding the perfect balance between the wide range of aromas and texture of grapes that they play with. These aroma releases powerful sensations which make a Remy cognac a whole lot more intense and precise and gives it its mellow length.