Cognac Tasting Tour in Cognac, France

During the Easter vacation in the Charente-Maritime division of France, we visited the town of Cognac, France and did a cognac tasting tour. Cognac producers, for example, Hennessy (LVMH), Martell (Pernod Ricard), and Rémy Martin have their cognac output foundation in this town.

The historic home of Rémy Martin is a vacationer website in the town. But however, the property was underneath renovation and making ready for the future 300 year’s celebration. Discontented with the predicament, we went to its store next doorway to buy cognac as planned.

There, we acquired a possibility to be a part of a cognac tasting tour. The 1-tour was not cost-free, but it was the only English tour of the week in the course of the off-period. Ahead of we determined what to obtain, we would like to know the magic formula of this quality spirit and as a result joined the tour.

To get a thorough insight into the cognac sector, you can sign up for the Cognac masterclass & tasting tour, whose written content is independent of any manufacturers and producers. It also will take lengthier, and of system, you will be ready to taste diverse styles of cognac.

Background of Rémy Martin

Our tour tutorial was a young French lady who spoke ideal English. She gave us a brief introduction to cognac background. The name Rémy Martin arrived from the organization founder, but his grandson, also termed Rémy, created the emblem and introduced the spirit famed throughout the world. Rémy Martin has a frequent title in China, réntóumă (人头马), basically translated as

a guy-headed horse. The Rémy Martin logo combines a creature from Greek mythology, which has the upper overall body of a human and the reduce human body and legs of a horse, and the zodiac indicator of Rémy Martin. So, the Chinese translation is rather shut to what the logo is.

Cognac production

Cognac manufacturing follows a strict procedure. Grape harvest time, the size of the fermentation procedure, distillation techniques, and the point out-of-art blending procedure are unique to cognac manufacturing. Through the entire output process, more than 70 parameters will have an impact on the flavor and the premium high-quality of cognac.

Grapes

Only grape varieties from the Grande Champagne and Petite Champagne cognac areas are employed for the cognac. The cognac region has all the elements to develop the very best grapes, chalky soil, a microclimate indirectly affected by the ocean. The chalk layer is deeper in the Grande Champagne area than in the Petite Champagne region. The sample chalk levels in the introduction space demonstrate us the difference.  

Fermentation

Soon after the grapes are pressed, yeasts are added to the juice. This approach converts the fruit sugar into liquor, and no other additive is extra. The outcome of the fermentation is a white wine with about 7 to 8% alcoholic beverages and high acidity. 

Distillation

Cognac distillation is carried out in a two-phase approach. We noticed a customarily formed Charentais copper pot with its swan’s neck, cooler, and condensing coil. The wine is converted into vapour and subsequently condensed back again to the liquid type, called eaux-de-vie.

Following the first distillation, only the 1st and the very last section of eaux-de-vie will go via the next distillation method. The outcome of the second distillation is called eaux-de-vie, a colourless spirit of about 70% alcohol.

Ageing

We entered a massive cellar where by quite a few oak casks are stored. People are not allowed to acquire any photographs in this area due to the alcoholic beverages material in the air. The cognac interacts with the oak casks and evaporates about 3% each and every 12 months. The volume of liquid is created on every barrel and differs from barrel to barrel. 

Mixing

Cognac is the consequence of mixing different ages of eaux-de-vie. The blender, also called the cellar grasp, is the a single who will take the most important treatment of the mixing. In Remy Martin, it can take at minimum 7 many years to study by performing to turn out to be a cellar learn. The cellar master blends different eaux de vie so that every single product or service, for illustration, the X.O edition, has generally experienced the exact same aromas and flavours in excess of the decades. Since eaux-de-vie is also created from various vineyards, blending eaux-de-vie is a extremely skilled craft equivalent to the Learn Nose of a fragrance factory. 

The blending approach has been having position step by step around the yrs. And, eaux-de-vie is moved from cask to cask and put together. I started to feel if there was any way to re-generate this process making use of modern-day technological know-how, and the response would be no. The total production course of action guarantees that the delicate wine spirit is constantly at the top quality amount.

Tasting

In a sample place, tables have been set up for the cognac tasting. Our French tour tutorial introduced a cocktail manufactured of X.O cognac. It was a fantastic way to consume the cognac. 

Now, it is the emphasize of the tour, Rémy Martin VSOP tasting. Adhering to the instruction, I gently rotated the glass and observed the clarity of this spirit. Then, I lifted the glass to my nose and attempted to reveal floral notes as instructed. At last, I savoured the cognac and felt its flavours promote my taste buds. To incorporate the ripe fruit and refined notes of cognac, I ate a number of pure black candies with fatty and bitter flavours placed on a modest plate.

What we bought following the Cognac Tasting Tour

Our tour information introduced us the Remy Martin Club, a new brand of Rémy Martin bought to the Asian marketplaces only. It has a toasted almond be aware and flavours of, for instance, dried fig and apricot. It is fantastic for pairing with flavourful foods.

We purchased Rémy Martin Tercet and Remy Martin Club given that it is only out there in Asian markets. And, of program, the top quality X.O version as well. The shop only sells pure cognac goods and many constrained editions. 

Guidelines for Cognac Tasting Tour

If you plan to do a cognac tasting tour, I counsel you guide on the net to stay away from disappointment and have a English-talking tour tutorial.  

You will not be ready to travel just after tasting quite a few cognacs considering the fact that the liquor command is limited in France. In addition to that, the town of Cognac is incredibly scenic and has various interesting web-sites to give. So it is much better to continue to be in Cognac for a evening or two.

Accommodations this sort of as Hôtel Chais Monnet & Spa and Château Pellisson are just in the town centre and in going for walks distance to the Remy Martin home.