A Napoleon, or X.O (for Extra Old ), also called Hors d'âge, is a cognac which youngest eau-de-vie is at least six and a half years old.
A Cognac may be sold only when its youngest eau-de-vie reaches a minimum of two and a half years old, as of the first day of October following the harvest of the grapes.
Only the years of storage in oak barrels count to determine its age. Once transferred into glass, Cognac stops maturing. It stands still.
However, most Cognac houses will use Cognacs much older than those required by law, allowing X.Os to reach a minimum of twenty years old, in order to reveal their very best.
XO is perhaps one of the vaguest classifications regarding quality, and should’t be taken at face value without further search. Some of the XOs you can find in our site are certainly under-priced, while some others, which, of course, you will NOT find here at Le Cognac, may be quite mediocre . In fact, selecting Cognacs with a reasonably quality/price ratios is one of our raisons d’être.
On the other hand, regarding Cognac, beyond a certain level of quality one enters into the realm of subjectivity. And then, of course, there is always a premium in rarity. When a product is scarce, if demand remains strong, it is only natural that prices go up. This is exactly what we have been seeing with high-end Cognac prices in the last few years because of the huge Chinese demand.
As a rule, we would say that the XOs present at Le Cognac are all good value in general market terms. Some of them are indeed very good value.
Raymond Ragnaud - Réserve - Stéfany Decanter
From the very heart of our precious Grande Champagne- 1st ' cru ' of the cognac area- Raymond Ragnaud's grand daughter Séphanie has created her first eau de vie.
Raymond Ragnaud - XO
Under the watchful eye of Madame BRICQ our cellar master harmoniously blends the different Eaux-de-Vie in order to obtain the subtle aroma of a Raymond RAGNAUD Extra Vieux XO Cognac.
Raymond Ragnaud - Vieille Réserve 41°
15 years old eau-de-vie.
Golden shade, fine and delicate smell.
Both the bouquet and the taste are characteristic of a cognac Grande Champagne.
Packaging: 'Cognaçaise' bottle, White and burgundy label, burgundy top ; matching box.
Raymond Ragnaud - Vieille Réserve 41° - Cristal Decanter
15 years old eau-de-vie.
Golden shade, fine and delicate nose.
Both the bouquet and the taste are characteristic of Grande Champagne.
Packaging: Luxury Cristal engraved Decanter with two engraved cognac glasses, in its blue box.
Regular Price: €90.00
Special Price: Excl. Tax: €66.05 Incl. Tax: €79.00
Raymond Ragnaud - Réserve Rare - Orphée Decanter
18 years old eau-de-vie.
The golden shade of a light Cognac. Refined, vigorous nose.
The fresh and harmonious aromas are typical of the Grande Champagne eaux-de-vie.
Paul Beau - Vieille Réserve
The Paul Beau family is a Cognac Producer settled in Segonzac, in the heart of the Grande Champagne, first cru of Cognac.
The Vieille Réserve is a typical Grande Champagne cognac with all qualities and aromas of the first cru.
Normandin-Mercier - Très Vieille Grande Champagne
Bears all the attributes of pure Cognacs from the Grande Champagne.
Normandin-Mercier - Grande Champagne XO
GRANDE CHAMPAGNE X.O.
1er Cru de Cognac.
Eau de vie pleine et moelleuse bien qu’ayant conservé une certaine fougue grâce à son vieillissement en fûts roux.
Normandin-Mercier - Grande Champagne Vieille
GRANDE CHAMPAGNE VIEILLE
Cognac d’exception, la patience et les années ont permis à ce 1er Cru de Cognac de s’assouplir
et de concentrer ses arômes pour exprimer toute la longueur et l’élégance de la Grande
Champagne.
Jenssen - Carte blanche XO
Carte Blanche
Heady, floral notes of jasmine and honeysuckle. Spice and zest of orange reveal its Grande Champagne cognac terroir; a hint of rancio, dried apricot and hazelnut bear witness of long years of ageing.









