cognac

The Classicist: Hennessy and Berluti Create the Ultimate Cognac Experience

Filed under: Spirits, Shoes, Men's Style, The Classicist

Famed French cognac maker Hennessy, the world's oldest cognac house, has unveiled a $23,000 limited edition XO Mathusalem bottling in a bespoke leather trunk by famed shoemaker Berluti. The two luxe brands, both part of the LVMH luxury goods empire, teamed up to create the ultimate cognac experience; only 150 pieces will be made most of which will be sold in Asia and Russia. The XO Mathusalem comes in a six liter (1.6 gallon) hand-blown crystal decanter, originally designed for Hennessy by the Marquis de Geoffre in 1947 for Hennessy; each bottle has its edition number engraved upon it. Designed by Olga Berluti (the fourth generation of the Berluti family) every Hennessy Mathusalem by Berluti chest is signed by her. She based her design for the chest on a 400-year-old salt box she had inherited from her parents – a Venetian tradition whereby such boxes are presented to newlyweds who toss the salt over their shoulders for luck.

Etched with engravings and ancient maps, as a symbol of the treasured cognac contained within, the handmade chest features a crocodile-motif clasp and is designed to store a collection of watches or other precious objects and be handed down as an heirloom. "We wanted to create something that will remain beyond the sharing of the cognac," Hennessy chairman and CEO Bernard Peillon said at the chest's recent unveiling in China. "The chest and cognac become something very personal. Once you finish the bottle, you can keep the memory of it. Olga wanted to create something special that tells the story of her growing up in Venice and her family building gondolas. You can say it's a work of art. We like the poetry of it and the romanticism in Berluti's personal story." Each chest takes 70 hours to build and inside each one is a catenella, a wooden element found in Venetian gondolas upon which is carved the gondolier's initials and the boatyard's hallmark. A certificate of ownership accompanies each trunk as well.

Gallery: Hennessy Mathusalem by Berluti

Tags: Berluti, bespoke, brandy, cognac, crystal, decanter, france, Hennessy, leather, LVMH, trunk, Venice

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Father's Day Favorite: Rémy Martin 1738 Accord Royal

by Jared Paul Stern (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Spirits

When selecting a Father's Day gift of high-end spirits – so much more appealing than the old necktie standby – for the dad with discerning tastes, single malt Scotch or small batch bourbon is perceived to be the safer choice, while for some Cognac implies a prescribed level of connoisseurship which the paterfamilias may not possess. Cognac appeals precisely because it's a bit different however, and a special bottling connotes extra thought on the part of the giver. No father who favors a glass of something good could fail to appreciate Rémy Martin's 1738 Accord Royal. The name is a nod to King Louis XV's decree of that year rewarding Rémy Martin's excellence. The 1738 Accord Royal is a Fine Champagne Cognac blended from nearly 240 eaux-de-vie aged between 4 - 20 years in Limousin oak barrels, producing a smooth, rich and mellow spirit with notes of oak, chocolate, cinnamon and ginger.

Tags: brandy, Cognac, Fathers Day, France, King Louis XV, oak, Rémy Martin, spirits

BIO Attitude Certified Organic Cognac

by Jared Paul Stern (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Spirits, Green

Preiss Imports, one of the nation's leading importers of specialty spirits and craft beer, has announced the impending release of BIO Attitude, Léopold Gourmel's new 100% certified organic cognac.

Gourmel is the creator of this new cognac category and aims to set a benchmark in terms of naturally-produced cognac. BIO Attitude received an approval from ECOCERT, France's organic certification agency, on the full process from the vineyard, wine cellar, distillation and aging to bottling.

Gourmel's process completely excludes the use of chemicals, pesticides and fertilizers, other than natural ones; in effect a return to the way cognac was made centuries ago before the advent of the machine age.

Gourmel's objective is to develop micro organic activity in the soil with green fertilizer, natural predators, and compost all working together. BIO Attitude is a young, refreshing cognac with a hue of cherry flowers during the April blossom. The delicate fresh notes offer a lingering finish of vanilla and fresh nuts.

Since its creation in 1972, Léopold Gourmel has chosen to respect the natural link between the roots and the bottle, and offers a non-standardized product; in their words, a cognac that is "alive". BIO Attitude is a fitting extension of this admirable philosophy.

Gourmel's vineyards maintain deep roots revealing a vertical minerality, absolute respect of each vintage, careful selection of extra fine grain un-toasted French oak casks, and absolutely no additives or artificial coloring. The BIO Attitude bottling is priced at $59.99 per 750 ml.

Tags: brandy, cognac, France, organic, spirits

Ludacris Cognac Pouring Stateside

by David Kiley (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Spirits

Hip-Hop star Ludacris is starting to get some U.S. distribution for his Cognac, which launched in France last year. Clubs and high end liquor stores in Miami, Los Angeles, New York and Washington DC are now carrying Conjure, a venture the performer did with Cognac house Birkedal Hartmann.

Conjure is made from a blend of Cognacs from two to 50 years old. At $34 a bottle, though, I'm thinking that there is a lot more two-year old than 50. The nose on this Cognac has a pronounced apple fragrance. Slightly smoky, warm, but a tad sharper than more expensive Cognacs, owing, I'm guessing to the content of younger spirits.

Sweeter than older, more upscale Cognacs, the flavor profile is undoubtedly to appeal to women, especially African-American women. African Americans comprise anywhere between 60%-80% of the total American Cognac market. In 2007-2008 America imported 51.7 million bottles so even if 60% of that was consumed by African Americans.

Tags: celebrity liquor, Cognac, Conjure, Ludacris

Plantation Rum Releases 20th Anniversary Edition

by Michael B. Dougherty (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Spirits

In celebration of Alexandre Gabriel's 20 years at the helm of Cognac Ferrand, the French producer has released an anniversary bottle from its Plantation Rum collection. As president and owner of the esteemed cognac house, Gabriel discovered that the used casks he had been selling to Caribbean rum producers created a superior flavor profile.

Inspired, he launched his own series of rums, sourced from their original countries of origin-Barbados, Jamaica, Panama, Trinidad, etc.-and shipped to the Ferrand Estate, where they undergo additional aging. While rums are typically aged in bourbon or sherry barrels, Ferrand takes the technique one step beyond by further maturing its rums in former cognac casks. The result is a tantalizingly complex spirit, and the 20th anniversary edition blends several aged examples. Warm notes of dried fruit, cinnamon and macaroons follow a citrusy nose of banana and mango, truly evocative of the rum's terroir.

Price: $39.99 for 750ml.

Tags: anniversary, cognac, liquor, plantation rum, rum, spirits

Martell Cognac Launches Luxe Airport Brand Boutique

by David Kiley (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Spirits

Pernod Ricard has opened the first Martell Experience Boutique in partnership with liquor and tobacco retailer Sky Connection at Hong Kong International airport (HKIA) terminal one's arrivals area. The main attraction of the boutique is the Martell Discovery Table, where consumers see tasting notes for each Martell cognac and eaux-de-vie blend. Pernod made a commitment to the boutique at HKIA for three years, and is looking to roll it out to other airports.

This venture follows a successful run of a pop-up boutique of a different design at the Pavilion Kuala Lumpur last January and February.

Lord knows, airports are places for business travelers to kill time. And there is mounting interest in turning retail space into more experiential brand boutiques, rather than just kissing off all that time travelers have to the VIP clubs run by the airlines. Visitors can delve into the production methods of the cognac and history of the brand via videos. Passengers can take advantage of the brand's bottle engraving services dedicated to the L'Or de Jean Martell decanters and obtain assistance from Martell brand specialists.

Speaking at the grand opening, Sky Connection CEO Baker Salleh said: "What you see here today is actually the cooperation and culmination of a very successful and visionary investment in terms of duty free shops. As you can see across the way, there's a very standard duty free shop where we try to cater to the maximum number of passengers, but on this side you see the epitome of a luxury boutique.

Tags: Baker Salleh, BakerSalleh, cognac, duty-free cognac, Duty-freeCognac, Hong Kong International Airport, HongKongInternationalAirport, LOr de Jean Martell, LorDeJeanMartell, Martell, pernod-ricard, Sky Connection, SkyConnection

The Classicist: Plantation Rum Collection, Finished in Cognac Casks

by Jared Paul Stern (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Spirits, The Classicist

Last summer we told you about Citadelle, the delicious gin inspired by a recipe created in the 18^thcentury in the French seaport of Dunkirk, made by Cognac Pierre Ferrand during the downtime between brandy distilling seasons. Now Ferrand has embarked on another exclusive new spirits venture: the Plantation Rum Collection. These spectacular artisanal spirits come from Barbados, Grenada, Guyana, Jamaica, Nicaragua, Panama and Trinidad, hand-selected by Ferrand's owner Alexandre Gabriel. Each rum in the Plantation collection is made according to its country's traditions and expresses the characteristics and flavor of its country of origin. While the rums are created in rum distilleries in the traditional fashion and aged in barrels in the tropical sun, they then undergo a unique finishing process not used by any other rum producer in the industry.

At just the right moment they're brought to the historic Ferrand estate in France and then refined for several more months in small French oak Ferrand cognac barrels. "Our love affair with true rum began when we sold the prized casks that once held our Cognac to better rum producers, and we fell in love with their product," Gabriel notes. "Ninety-nine percent of rums are aged in barrels that once held bourbon. We found that adding an aging process in a French oak cask that once held Cognac adds extra complexity to the rum. This is a practice that was done more commonly in the past but has almost disappeared now. We thought who better than Ferrand, with our knowhow and exceptional casks, to resurrect this ancient technique."

Gallery: Plantation Rum

Tags: Barbados, Caribbean, cognac, France, Jamaica, Pierre Ferrand, Pierre Ferrand cognac, PierreFerrand, PierreFerrandCognac, rum

Continue reading “The Classicist: Plantation Rum Collection, Finished in Cognac Casks”

Harrod's Offers $15,000 Rare Cask Cognac

by Jared Paul Stern (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Spirits

Harrods has just launched the long-awaited offering of Remy Martin's Louis XIII Rare Cask, comprising a blend of 1,200 ultra-exclusive cognacs aged between 40 and 100 years from a single cask (above). The rare spirit is expected to sell for about $15,000 a bottle. Featuring a formidable bouquet of wild mushrooms and woodsy notes followed by full, spicy tones and notes of gingerbread, wax, nuts and mint, Rare Cask "boasts a presence and density in the mouth that knows no limit." Each portion of Louis XIII Rare Cask is presented in a black crystal Baccarat decanter, hand-blown, hand-decorated, individually numbered and housed in an embellished metal coffret. Every detail of Rare Cask is designed to be a "celebration of the finest craftsmanship reflecting the pedigree of this incredibly rare and distinctive cognac."

[via LuxuryLaunches]

Tags: Baccarat, cognac, Harrods, Louis XIII, LouisXiii, Remy Martin, RemyMartin

Jasmine Cognac - Because Tea is for the Rabble

by Annie Scott (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Spirits

If you're a fan of jasmine tea, it will interest you to know that Jacques Cardin makes jasmine flavored cognac (pictured on the left). You can drink it neat or with ice, in a cocktail or, if you're fighting a cold, put it in your jasmine tea with honey for a clever hot toddy twist. We covered Jacques Cardin Cognac when it came out back in 2006, but as the days and nights get chillier, the Jasmin flavor sounds all the more enticing. One might call it "the tea drinker's cognac."

I spoke with Olivier Bugat, Vice President of Product Development at Sidney Frank Importing Company (who imports the JC cognac from France) about how Jacques Cardin Jasmin Cognac is made and why it's so special.

Luxist: How jasmine-flavored cognac made?

Olivier Bugat: Basically, it starts with the grapes. Once fermented, those grapes (now wine) are double distilled in copper pot stills. From there, the liquid is aged in French oak casks for a minimum of four years (because it is a VSOP). Finally, the master blender blends cognacs of different ages and crus to create the final product. The distillate of jasmin is added during the blending process.

L: What inspired it?

OB: After experimenting with various fruits, herbs, spices and flowers -- we, at Sidney Frank Importing Company, Inc., ultimately looked for the distillate that best complimented the characteristics of the eau de vie.

L: How do you recommend serving it?

OB: JC Jasmin can be enjoyed straight, in simple cocktails such as tonic and ginger-ale but is also a wonderful addition to classic cocktails such as the sidecar. The subtle jasmine and fresh herb finish makes JC Jasmin a cognac that can be mixed or stand alone.

If you're interested in trying a bottle of JC Jasmin Cognac (or the Apple or original flavors), visit internetwines.com.

Tags: alcohol, cognac, jacques cardin, JacquesCardin, jasmine, olivier bugat, OlivierBugat, sidney frank, SidneyFrank, tea

Historic Cognac Sells For Ten Times Over Estimate

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Wine, Auctions

Part of the lure of drinking older vintages is the idea of quaffing history, imagining what was happening when the bottle was first sealed. The 427-year-old La Tour d'Argent restaurant in Paris recently auctioned off some of its drinkable history in an auction that brought in 1.54 million euros in two days. A bottle of 1788 Clos du Griffier cognac was one of the first of around 18,000 bottles auctioned off. French entrepreneur Raphael Zier paid 25,000 euros for it but is quoted by Bloomberg as saying that he paid 10 times the asking price because he was eager to contribute to the charity for children, Association Petits Princes, which would get the proceeds. Ivan Imenitov, a Russian businessman picked up another bottle of the 1788 Clos du Griffier for 15,000 euros. It was priced lower because mold had obscured the label. Imenitvov said he was just happy to get the aged cognac, label or not. Collectors from around the world picked up bottles of aged Bordeaux and Burgundy. The bottles, which were bought directly from vinters and sent straight to the seller, had an impeccable provenance, a concern in these days of wine fraud.

The auction also brought attention back to the historic restaurant which is currently trying to earn back a second Michelin star (at one point it had three but is now down to one). Most of the auction proceeds, except for the charity sale of the cognac bottle, will go toward fleshing out the wine cellar with newer vintages and sprucing up the kitchen.

Source

Tags: auction, cognac, france, la tour dargent, LaTourDargent, paris, wine

EXCLUSIVE: Cognac King Maurice Hennessy's Ten Essential Luxuries

by Jared Paul Stern (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Spirits, 10 Luxuries

Click above to see Maurice Hennessy's 10 Luxuries

Maurice-Richard Hennessy spent his childhood years in France's famed Cognac region. A direct descendant of the founder of the Hennessy company, he belongs to the eighth generation of the prestigious family that came to France from Ireland in 1765. The cognac gene is firmly established in his DNA, along with his love for the Charente countryside, vine-growing and fine gastronomy. He joined the family firm, now a cornerstone of the LVMH luxury goods empire, in 1975 and was given an in-depth training in all the Hennessy professions, from distillation to bottling, as well as commercial and marketing activities.

He began by traveling for Hennessy and then in 1979 settled in London for five years to work on the promotion of the brand in England and Ireland. At that time he also travelled regularly to the United States and Canada. So it is natural that Monsieur Hennessy, with his famous name, became the incarnation of the brand and its global ambassador. As familiar with the history of the company as he is with cognac, he owns vineyards himself, distilling and selling his eaux-de-vie to the Hennessy firm, and is an expert on all facets of cognac production. In the gallery, Hennessy reveals his 10 essential luxuries and explains what makes them a must.

Gallery: Cognac King Maurice Hennessy's 10 Luxuries

A seat at Bayreuth Festspielhaus for the Wagner Festival

Proper ice cubes made of non-chlorinated water

Tags: Christian Dior, ChristianDior, Cognac, France, Hennessy, LVMH, Ruinart

The Classicist: Cognac and Armagnac from Classic & Vintage

by Jared Paul Stern (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Spirits, The Classicist

Founded in 1832 under Napoleon III, The House of Castarède is the oldest Armagnac house in the world, and has remained in the hands of the same family for six generations. Jean Grosperrin founded Grosperrin, one of the last independent Cognac houses, 160 years later in 1992. As a broker, Jean had developed an elaborate network of growers who opened their cellar doors for him and allowed him to buy some of their most precious stocks.

Both of the elixirs are now available in the U.S. from Classic & Vintage Artisanal Spirits, a collection of boutique spirits founded by Domaine Select Wine Estates (DSWE) earlier this year (my colleague Alison Wellner wrote about their launch party).

Rich, smooth and mellow, Armagnac Castarède is crafted from the best grapes of the Bas Armagnac region and matured in cellars that are more than 100 years old. Today, Florence Castarède is responsible for this family heritage, combining know-how acquired over 175 years with new initiatives. The distillation and aging process in hand made oak barrels takes place in the Château de Maniban, situated in the heart of the Bas-Armagnac and dating back to the 16th century.

Castarède is also celebrated for its exceptional collection of vintage Armagnacs, with more than 80 authenticated vintages, the oldest dating from 1881. Vintage Armagnacs from 1893 - 1987 are available, with prices on request; the Castarède portfolio in the U.S. also consists of Armagnac Selection (SRP $64), Armagnac Réserve de la Famille, aged for over 20 years (SRP $124) and Armagnac VSOP (right), aged 10 years, (SRP $74). All are in 750 ml bottles.

Grosperrin's philosophy is to maintain small-batch integrity, without blending, leaving all varietals in individual batches in their original barrels or glass demi-johns, producing a wide array of distinctive products from all of the appellations of Cognac. The result is an impressive selection of single vintage, single barrel, and single estate Cognacs, each with a unique personality and history.

Gallery: Classic & Vintage Cognac & Armagnac

Today, the family-owned company is exclusively dedicated to the selection, aging, and distribution of rare, aged Cognac dating from 1991 all the way back to World War II, carrying all of the necessary guarantees of quality and authenticity. Classic & Vintage will import selected products from the expansive Grosperrin Portfolio at various prices; the next shipment is due to arrive in the U.S. in March.

Many people wonder about the differences between Armagnac and Cognac. Armagnac brandy is crafted from white wines produced from white grapes with high acidity and a low alcohol content. Armagnac is distinguished by the region's sunnier climate, sandy and clay soil rich in iron and four grape varieties as opposed to Cognac's two; the main difference is in the distillation process, however: single and continuous distillation for Armagnac that gives more fragrance and flavors. You can read more here.

Tags: Armagnac, brandy, Classic Vintage Artisanal Spirits, ClassicVintageArtisanalSpirits, Cognac, Domaine Select, DomaineSelect, France, Grosperrin, Napoleon

The Classicist: Keeping Warm With Cognac Ferrand

by Jared Paul Stern (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Spirits, The Classicist

When fall and cooler weather arrive we look for something special to sip by the fire; this season we'll be reaching for a bottle of fine Cognac from Pierre Ferrand. Ferrand, considered "Premier Cru du Cognac", is lauded as a Grande Champagne specialist and is one of only a handful of Cognac houses in France that specializes in old Cognacs from the coveted Grande Champagne region that are not blended with lesser varieties. It is also quite a small house by most standards; as Ferrand President and Owner Alexandre Gabriel notes, "We are the jewelers of Cognac. It takes us a year to produce what the biggest company produces in a day." A core belief at Ferrand is the that to produce an exceptional Cognac you must first create an exceptional wine. To that end, Cognac Ferrand is perhaps the only house that has a full-time oenologist trained in making premium wine in Bordeaux.

Cognac Ferrand is very vested in the vines and the vineyards and the wines used in the distillation of its Cognac come from the heart of the Grande Champagne, long considered the finest growing area. "To produce an exceptional Cognac, we treasure our grapes and treat the vineyard as a great vintner would," Gabriel says. "Then we distill it right, age it well and blend it with precision. Only then are we ready to bottle it. Quality cannot be rushed." The award-winning result is a complex, yet subtle, aromatic spirit reflecting a unique history and great attention to every detail of production. Pierre Ferrand Cognac is double distilled in small copper pot stills according to the traditional Cognac method – one cask at a time. It takes them 12 hours to produce just one cask with each pot still. At Ferrand's estate, dating from 1776, it then takes several years for the Cognac to reach perfection in Limousin oak barrels.

Gallery: Cognac Ferrand

Ferrand (which also makes Citadelle Gin in the off season) offers a wide variety of bottlings, including Ambre, Reserve, Reserve des Dieux, Selection des Anges, Abel, Ancestrale and the Collection Privée Vintages, limited edition rare Cognacs of outstanding quality, including the 1914, 1970, 1971 and 1973. They recently unveiled the Pierre Ferrand Vintage 1972 Cask Strength Cognac, one of the only cask strength Cognacs available in the United States, which sells for $600 a bottle. Only two casks of this precious Cognac remained at the historic Ferrand estate, enough to fill a mere 600 bottles. We highly suggested getting hold of one if you can.

Tags: brandy, cognac, France, Pierre Ferrand, Pierre Ferrand Cognac, PierreFerrand, PierreFerrandCognac, vineyard, wine

Calling All Cognac Experts, Answer This Question

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Spirits

A reader recently had a question on the value of this cognac. I asked a few people but was unable to get any information so I'm hoping Luxist's audience can help me determine both what it's worth and where to sell it. I've already contacted a couple of major auction houses and a liquor store or two and had no luck. What we know is that it is Michael Camus Cognac Royale in a Baccarat crystal decanter along with an invention to the winery in France. The owner has provided larger pictures which are in the gallery below. Please share any information you can in the comments.

Gallery: Camus Cognac

Tags: baccarat, cognac, france, michael camus, MichaelCamus

Near The Charente River, Estate of the Day

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Estates

The listing on this beautiful mansion near Cognac in France, promises that the "carps, ducks and swans enjoy a peaceful life" on the property. I daresay the owners might too. This stunner of a mansion dates back to 1880 and is set in five acres of parkland adjacent to the river Charente. The grounds include outbuildings, a swimming pool, stone pond and a canal. Half of the property is a park surrounded by stone walls and with wrought iron gates. The park features trees and hedges and a pair of bridges lead to the vegetable garden.

The house's facade with is moldings, carvings and balcony offers the kind of classic French style that has spawned thousands of imitations around the world. Inside, the home has many of its original features like oak flooring, marble fireplaces, beveled glass doors and mosaic flooring in the entrance hall. There are seven bedrooms total. Under the house there is storage and a large wine cellar. This home is listed at 1,750,000 euros.

Experience more lush living in luxury homes and mansions or see the stars living large with celebrity homes galleries at AOL Real Estate.

Gallery: Charente River