Cognac is rarely born of a single eau-de-vie or a single growing area, but generally from a blend of different ages and crus, sometimes up to a hundred of them.
It can be made also exclusively from certain “cru”, for example exclusively from “Grande Champagne”, but of different ages.
Grande Champagne : about 13,000 hectares of clay and compact chalk soil. The Grande Champagne cru is located around the town of Segonzac. It produces a very fine, high-quality Cognac. It is known as the Premier Cru du Cognac.
Petite Champagne : some 16,000 hectares of clay and a more compact chalky layer of soil. Petit Champagne is very much of the same quality, but a touch lighter. It’s vineyards lie to the south-west and south-east of Grande Champagne.
Fine Champagne : The blending of Grande and Petite Champagne with a minimum of 50% of Grande Champagne is called “Fine Champagne”.
Borderies : only 4,000 hectares of unique soil on the plateau above Charente river. The eau de vie has a slight nutty taste. Borderies, which lie around the town of Burie (north-west of City of Cognac), is the smallest of the crus in the terms of acreage. Eaux-de-vie from Borderies has rich, flowery aromas and it is known as "…Cognac that ladies prefer".
Fins Bois : 37,000 hectares of soil. characterized by quick aging environment. A subtle flowery bouquet characterizes this eau de vie. The largest, and by far the intriguing cru, is Fins Bois. Geographically, it rings the other three crus. It lies, approximately, in the triangle between the towns of Rouilliac, Matha and Pons. It has a rich, full, strong aromas with a touch of the maritime climate.
Bons Bois : less chalky but more earthy soil of 16,000 hectares that is well reflected in the eau de vie.
Bois Ordinaires et Bois Communs (Bois a Terroir); 30,000 hectares of soil influenced by the Atlantic climate. Bons Bois and Bois Ordinaires are the exterior crus heavily influenced by the climate of the Atlantic ocean. They contribute less and less to the overall production of Cognac but are, nevertheless, known to produce some interesting Cognacs.
Paul Beau - Hors d'Age
Vieille Grande Champagne. Gold medal at the 2008 Concours Agricole de Paris, Silver medal at the International Wine and Spirit Competition 2001. Aged 20-25 years.
Gold medal at the 2010 Concours Général Agricole of Paris !
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 - XO Grande Champagne
XO Grande Champagne
A fully mature, old school XO. Decades of ageing realise the potential of Grande Champagne Cognacs and prove that they counterbalance even extensive use of new oak. Opulent rancio and notes of smooth, vanilla-like butterscotch from melted tannin are rarely found in ordinary XOs.
Jenssen - Hors d'Age
Jenssen Hors d'Age
A single, unblended batch of Grande Champagne Cognac at the term of its ageing in oak barrels, bottled from demijohns. Naturally reduced, without additives.
Jenssen - Epiphanie
Épiphanie
A blend of very old Grande Champagne Cognacs who have reached full maturity after ageing in oak barrels. Discreet at first, this superior Cognac then unceasingly reveals new sets of aromas to the discerning nose.
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.
Jenssen - Arcana - Grande Champagne
Arcana
A single, unblended batch of extremely old Grande Champagne Cognac, Arcana is what is left after hosts of angels have taken their share.
It is bottled on demand from demijohns into hand blown crystal carafes.
Jean Grosperrin -1980- Grande Champagne 35cl
Collection Cognac – Artisan Vintage
Young yellow colour. Powerful and expressive nose (Folle Blanche?), light tobacco notes.
This cognac needs to breathe in order to fully express its complexity.
Almond and white flower nose.
Clean, vanilla and smooth on the palate. First rancios.
