Cognac Tasting Tour: Discover the Secret of the French Premium Spirit

In the course of the Easter holiday break in the Charente-Maritime office of France, we frequented the city of Cognac, France and did a cognac tasting tour. Cognac producers, for illustration, Hennessy (LVMH), Martell (Pernod Ricard), and Rémy Martin have their cognac creation base in this city.

The historic house of Rémy Martin is a vacationer web-site in the city. But however, the dwelling was less than renovation and planning for the approaching 300 year’s celebration. Discontented with the circumstance, we went to its store subsequent doorway to buy cognac as prepared.

There, we got a likelihood to join a cognac tasting tour. The one particular-tour was not totally free, but it was the only English tour of the week through the off-time. Right before we resolved what to invest in, we would like to know the mystery of this top quality spirit and for that reason joined the tour.

To get a specific insight into the cognac sector, you can join the Cognac masterclass & tasting tour, whose written content is impartial of any brands and producers. It also will take longer, and of course, you will be equipped to style distinctive sorts of cognac.

Heritage of Rémy Martin

Our tour guidebook was a young French lady who spoke fantastic English. She gave us a quick introduction to cognac background. The name Rémy Martin arrived from the company founder, but his grandson, also identified as Rémy, designed the symbol and introduced the spirit renowned worldwide. Rémy Martin has a common name in China, réntóumă (人头马), literally translated as

a male-headed horse. The Rémy Martin emblem brings together a creature from Greek mythology, which has the higher entire body of a human and the lower overall body and legs of a horse, and the zodiac signal of Rémy Martin. So, the Chinese translation is fairly near to what the logo is.

Cognac generation

Cognac output follows a rigid approach. Grape harvest time, the length of the fermentation approach, distillation strategies, and the condition-of-artwork mixing method are exceptional to cognac manufacturing. Throughout the full generation procedure, additional than 70 parameters will impact the style and the quality quality of cognac.

Grapes

Only grape varieties from the Grande Champagne and Petite Champagne cognac regions are used for the cognac. The cognac location has all the elements to grow the greatest grapes, chalky soil, a microclimate indirectly influenced by the ocean. The chalk layer is further in the Grande Champagne region than in the Petite Champagne region. The sample chalk levels in the introduction room demonstrate us the distinction.  

Fermentation

Right after the grapes are pressed, yeasts are included to the juice. This system converts the fruit sugar into liquor, and no other additive is additional. The final result of the fermentation is a white wine with about 7 to 8% alcoholic beverages and superior acidity. 

Distillation

Cognac distillation is performed in a two-stage method. We saw a traditionally shaped Charentais copper pot with its swan’s neck, cooler, and condensing coil. The wine is converted into vapour and subsequently condensed back to the liquid type, called eaux-de-vie.

Immediately after the initial distillation, only the initial and the last component of eaux-de-vie will go by way of the 2nd distillation procedure. The final result of the next distillation is called eaux-de-vie, a colourless spirit of about 70% liquor.

Growing old

We entered a massive cellar where by many oak casks are stored. Guests are not permitted to choose any photos in this area because of to the alcoholic beverages written content in the air. The cognac interacts with the oak casks and evaporates about 3% just about every 12 months. The volume of liquid is penned on each and every barrel and may differ from barrel to barrel. 

Mixing

Cognac is the end result of mixing distinctive ages of eaux-de-vie. The blender, also known as the cellar learn, is the just one who requires the most substantial treatment of the blending. In Remy Martin, it normally takes at the very least 7 years to find out by doing to grow to be a cellar learn. The cellar learn blends different eaux de vie so that just about every product, for instance, the X.O edition, has always experienced the similar aromas and flavours over the a long time. Since eaux-de-vie is also produced from a variety of vineyards, blending eaux-de-vie is a really experienced craft equivalent to the Grasp Nose of a perfume manufacturing facility. 

The blending course of action has been having area gradually more than the many years. And, eaux-de-vie is moved from cask to cask and blended. I began to think if there was any way to re-make this approach applying modern-day technological know-how, and the respond to would be no. The total creation approach makes sure that the delicate wine spirit is often at the quality level.

Tasting

In a sample space, tables ended up established up for the cognac tasting. Our French tour tutorial released a cocktail built of X.O cognac. It was a fantastic way to take in the cognac. 

Now, it is the spotlight of the tour, Rémy Martin VSOP tasting. Pursuing the instruction, I carefully rotated the glass and observed the clarity of this spirit. Then, I lifted the glass to my nose and experimented with to expose floral notes as instructed. Eventually, I savoured the cognac and felt its flavours encourage my style buds. To merge the ripe fruit and subtle notes of cognac, I ate various pure black sweets with fatty and bitter flavours placed on a smaller plate.

What we purchased after the Cognac Tasting Tour

Our tour guideline introduced us the Remy Martin Club, a new brand of Rémy Martin sold to the Asian markets only. It has a toasted almond take note and flavours of, for case in point, dried fig and apricot. It is ideal for pairing with flavourful food items.

We purchased Rémy Martin Tercet and Remy Martin Club because it is only accessible in Asian markets. And, of system, the high quality X.O edition as well. The store only sells pure cognac merchandise and various restricted editions. 

Guidelines for Cognac Tasting Tour

If you approach to do a cognac tasting tour, I suggest you e book on line to stay clear of disappointment and have a English-speaking tour information.  

You will not be equipped to generate right after tasting many cognacs considering the fact that the alcohol handle is restricted in France. In addition to that, the city of Cognac is incredibly scenic and has a number of exciting websites to give. So it’s superior to continue to be in Cognac for a evening or two.

Inns this kind of as Hôtel Chais Monnet & Spa and Château Pellisson are just in the town centre and inside strolling distance to the Remy Martin property.