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**Clap Clap Clap**
That was a loud clap.
(intro, music)
Hello Saucers! In a different video we talked about brandy, Click here to link to it, today
we're going to break it down a bit and cover cognac and armagnac.
It all boils down to the adage, all cognac is brandy, but not all brandy is cognac. I
promise I'll make this make sense.
Cognac is a grape brandy. It's produced the exact same way as all other brandy, but the
entire process; growing grapes, fermentation, distillation, aging, and bottling all takes
place in the Cognac region of France.
See the fancy map? Get used to it.
Now let's say our winemaking, or vintner, friend, Carl, set up his distillery in the
Cognac region of France. Under French law, Carl has to use at least 90% Ugni Blanc, Folle
Blanche, and Colombard grapes. These are the requirements for a true 'Cru' cognac.
Carl then has to distill them twice in copper pot stills and age them for a minimum of two
years in French oak barrels using wood specifically from the Limosin or Tronçais forests.
Finally, Carl has to get a permit from the French Government to allow him to produce
cognac, and voila, Chateau Carl is created.
If you go shopping for a cognac, you'll most likely be bewildered by all the terms on the
bottle, VS, XO, VSOP, Napoleon, etc.
As we just mentioned, all cognac must be aged for a minimum of two years. The bare minimum
qualifies it for a VS or Very Special label. The next level up would be VSOP, or Very Special
Old Pale; meaning it was aged for at least four years. Up another step in age and price
is XO, denoting Extra Old. These cognacs are aged for at least six years, but are usually
aged up to twenty years.
The term Napoleon is also used, and while equal to the six year minimum of XO, usually
falls between VSOP and XO varieties.
Finally there's Hors d'âge. This translates to "beyond age" and is generally used to market
the most expensive and oldest cognacs.
All these terms are assigned by a special French agency called the Bureau National Interprofessionnel
du Cognac. Why? Because the French like to be special.
Oui!
Armagnac is similar to Cognac in all ways, but must be produced in the Armagnac region
of France. Seeing the trend?
The grapes are similar to cognac, using the Baco 22A, Colombard, Folle Blanche, and Ugni
Blanc varieties. Armagnac is however distilled in column stills rather than pot stills, but
is still aged in Oak barrels. The armagnac region is much smaller than the cognac region,
and as such there tends to be a smaller overall yield available on the market, so there is
no real go-to brand. Armagnac also tends to be more fragrant and have a more floral taste
than cognac, so explore your tastes and find out what you like. Remember floral does not
mean girly. Armagnac also uses the same aging/naming scale as cognac, so there's nothing new to
learn there.
While your tastebuds will love you if all you bought was XO or better, your wallet probably
won't. The general rule being the older the vintage the better the taste, but this doesn't
necessarily mean that there aren't plenty of VS and VSOP cognacs and armagnacs that
are very tasty.
And while you generally can't go wrong with one of the big name houses, Courvoisier
r, Remy Martin, Martell, etc, don't just limit your choices to them, branch out and try some
of the smaller labels, I think you'll be pleasantly surprised.
As always, explore your tastes, and if you found one you really like, let us know in
the comments so we can try it too.
Always drink responsibly, see you next time, Prost. I still need a glass.
(credits, music)
The term Napoleon is also used, and while equal to the six year minimum of XO, usually
falls between VSOP and XO varieties. (Doorbell rings).