Cognac Tasting Tour in Cognac, France

During the Easter vacation in the Charente-Maritime division of France, we frequented the town of Cognac, France and did a cognac tasting tour. Cognac producers, for case in point, Hennessy (LVMH), Martell (Pernod Ricard), and Rémy Martin have their cognac creation base in this city.

The historic household of Rémy Martin is a vacationer web page in the town. But sadly, the home was beneath renovation and planning for the future 300 year’s celebration. Discontented with the condition, we went to its store following door to acquire cognac as prepared.

There, we got a possibility to be part of a cognac tasting tour. The one-tour was not free, but it was the only English tour of the week in the course of the off-time. Right before we made the decision what to get, we would like to know the magic formula of this high quality spirit and thus joined the tour.

To get a thorough perception into the cognac market, you can sign up for the Cognac masterclass & tasting tour, whose content is impartial of any brand names and producers. It also requires lengthier, and of program, you will be in a position to style distinct varieties of cognac.

History of Rémy Martin

Our tour information was a youthful French woman who spoke ideal English. She gave us a brief introduction to cognac historical past. The name Rémy Martin came from the firm founder, but his grandson, also termed Rémy, created the logo and introduced the spirit well-known globally. Rémy Martin has a widespread name in China, réntóumă (人头马), practically translated as

a man-headed horse. The Rémy Martin logo brings together a creature from Greek mythology, which has the upper human body of a human and the reduce entire body and legs of a horse, and the zodiac sign of Rémy Martin. So, the Chinese translation is pretty close to what the symbol is.

Cognac generation

Cognac manufacturing follows a stringent procedure. Grape harvest time, the duration of the fermentation course of action, distillation procedures, and the condition-of-artwork blending approach are unique to cognac generation. All through the complete output approach, more than 70 parameters will affect the flavor and the high quality quality of cognac.

Grapes

Only grape versions from the Grande Champagne and Petite Champagne cognac locations are made use of for the cognac. The cognac location has all the factors to develop the best grapes, chalky soil, a microclimate indirectly motivated by the ocean. The chalk layer is deeper in the Grande Champagne location than in the Petite Champagne location. The sample chalk layers in the introduction room clearly show us the change.  

Fermentation

Right after the grapes are pressed, yeasts are added to the juice. This course of action converts the fruit sugar into alcoholic beverages, and no other additive is additional. The end result of the fermentation is a white wine with about 7 to 8% alcohol and higher acidity. 

Distillation

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

Just after the very first distillation, only the initial and the very last element of eaux-de-vie will go as a result of the second distillation approach. The final result of the next distillation is called eaux-de-vie, a colourless spirit of about 70% alcoholic beverages.

Getting older

We entered a significant cellar where by quite a few oak casks are saved. Visitors are not permitted to consider any photographs in this spot owing to the alcohol material in the air. The cognac interacts with the oak casks and evaporates about 3% every single 12 months. The quantity of liquid is composed on each individual barrel and differs from barrel to barrel. 

Mixing

Cognac is the final result of blending different ages of eaux-de-vie. The blender, also termed the cellar master, is the a single who can take the most major care of the blending. In Remy Martin, it will take at least 7 many years to discover by executing to become a cellar learn. The cellar grasp blends different eaux de vie so that each product, for example, the X.O variation, has usually had the exact aromas and flavours in excess of the yrs. Since eaux-de-vie is also generated from several vineyards, blending eaux-de-vie is a highly experienced craft similar to the Learn Nose of a perfume manufacturing facility. 

The blending procedure has been getting area steadily above the decades. And, eaux-de-vie is moved from cask to cask and put together. I started to imagine if there was any way to re-develop this system applying fashionable know-how, and the respond to would be no. The whole manufacturing method assures that the fragile wine spirit is always at the high quality degree.

Tasting

In a sample home, tables have been set up for the cognac tasting. Our French tour manual introduced a cocktail created of X.O cognac. It was a excellent way to eat the cognac. 

Now, it’s the emphasize of the tour, Rémy Martin VSOP tasting. Next the instruction, I carefully rotated the glass and observed the clarity of this spirit. Then, I lifted the glass to my nose and attempted to expose floral notes as instructed. Lastly, I savoured the cognac and felt its flavours stimulate my style buds. To mix the ripe fruit and subtle notes of cognac, I ate many pure black sweets with fatty and bitter flavours placed on a smaller plate.

What we purchased just after the Cognac Tasting Tour

Our tour guide introduced us the Remy Martin Club, a new brand name of Rémy Martin bought to the Asian markets only. It has a toasted almond take note and flavours of, for instance, dried fig and apricot. It is excellent for pairing with flavourful food items.

We acquired Rémy Martin Tercet and Remy Martin Club considering the fact that it is only readily available in Asian marketplaces. And, of training course, the premium X.O version as well. The store only sells pure cognac goods and various minimal editions. 

Strategies for Cognac Tasting Tour

If you system to do a cognac tasting tour, I suggest you book on the internet to avoid disappointment and have a English-talking tour tutorial.  

You will not be able to push after tasting various cognacs given that the alcohol regulate is restricted in France. In addition to that, the town of Cognac is pretty scenic and has a number of exciting web pages to supply. So it’s far better to keep in Cognac for a night time or two.

Inns these as Hôtel Chais Monnet & Spa and Château Pellisson are just in the city centre and in just going for walks distance to the Remy Martin property.