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| Cognac (France) |
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description:
The Cognac Delimited Area extends along the banks of the Charente all the way to the Atlantic coast. It covers a large part of the department of Charente, all of the Charente-Maritime and a few areas of the Dordogne and Deux-Sèvres. This ancient country was once called Aunis, Saintonge and Angoumois. In the heart of the region lies Jarnac, Segonzac and Cognac which gave its name to the spirit. Cognac lies 465 kilometers south-west of Paris and 120 kilometers north of Bordeaux. The entire Cognac vineyard covers around 80.000 hectares (1 hectare = 2,47 acres) and 15.000 plantations that produce white wine for the production of Cognac. The main grape variety that is planted is Ugni blanc (mostly "Folle Blanche" and "Colombard"). This slow ripening variety is very resistant to diseases and produces a wine that has two vital qualities : a high level of acidity and a generally low alcohol content. The Cognac region has a limestony soil and a maritime and temperate climate that is humid, hot and sunny enough to ripen the grapes. The alcohol is produced during fermentation from the sugars that are naturally present in the fruit. Distillation is carried out in two steps : two heating cylcles called "chauffes". The first "chauffe" which lasts between 8 and 10 hours produces a cloudy liquide called "brouillis" with an alcohol content of 24 to 30 %vol. The "brouillis" is then redistilled. This second heating is called "la bonne chauffe" and lasts about 12 hours. Thus only the heart, a clear spirit averaging between 68 and 72% vol., is kept for ageing to become Cognac. The distilled wine must age before becoming Cognac. This ageing takes place in 270 to 450 litre oak casks.
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Wines & Wine glass Riedel
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