While the Poitou-Charentes region has been producing wine for centuries, Atlantic France’s most famous beverage is probably Cognac, the strong but smooth spirit endorsed, so legend holds, by no less a figure than Napoleon Bonaparte himself.
Cognac
A drink fit for an emperor?
Made famous by brands like Rémy Martin, Hennessy and Courvoisier, Cognac is a type of brandy made by double-distilling white wine, then ageing it in oak casks. Its production area in Atlantic France encompasses the Charente-Maritime department, along with most of the Charente and part of Deux-Sèvres.
The process for producing Cognac has not changed much since the 17th century when double-distillation was first introduced. The first distillation results in brouillet, a low alcohol result that is then distilled once more producing bonne chauffe, which is then aged in oak casks for at least two years (and up to several decades). The porosity of the oak allows the brandy to come into contact with air, transferring its unique properties to the spirit throughout the maturation process.
The final stage for a quality Cognac involves the work of a Maître de Chai, a cellar master who supervises the storage and ageing of brandies and puts together the final assemblage, often by mixing different ages and regions to achieve a subtle and harmonious blend of flavours.
Did You Know…?
Courvoisier has long claimed that its Cognac was the favourite drink of Napoleon. The only problem? Napoleon died 14 years before the company was founded! His namesake Napoleon III did however name Courvoisier an official supplier to the Imperial Court in 1869. And that, as The Whisky Exchange put it, “is good enough for the marketing department.”
