Cognac (brandy)
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Cognac [ ˈkɔnjak ] ( French [ kɔɲak ]; more rarely written in German cognac ) is a brandy from the French city of Cognac and the surrounding wine-growing region, which is made from white wines . The word cognac is a protected designation of origin .
etymology
Derived from the French cognac, the term cognac had become a common term for brandy in German . Since 1920 ( Versailles Treaty ) , cognac (or cognac ) may no longer be used as a product name for German products, the term was henceforth reserved for brandy from the French production area of the same name. Because of the other use of the term “brandy” in German tax and youth protection law, it has become common practice to address cognac as brandy and not as brandy. According to Annex III of the relevant EU regulation (EC No. 110/2008), however, cognac is a brandy, not a brandy.
In many other languages, too, the general term for brandy, brandy and partly also for other spirits is derived from cognac , for example in the Georgian language . Cognac here means something like schnapps . Accordingly, there is Konyagi in Swahili .
history
The history of the “burning” of alcoholic beverages has a lot to do with the alchemical art of distillation , which became more and more popular in the late Middle Ages and early modern times. The Chevalier de la Croix-Maron, one of the ancestors of the cognac-producing family Castelbajac , is said to be the legendary "inventor" of cognac. The export of distilled and therefore much longer lasting “wine” to England, Ireland, Scandinavia, North America and the Antilles began in the 17th century. The barrels were shipped on barges (gabares) down the Charente to the port of Rochefort , then by ocean-going vessels to the respective countries of destination. One of the main reasons for the distillation was that the - rather thin - wine often became acidic and therefore inedible during transport. This could be avoided due to the high alcohol content of the distillate. Therefore, until the end of the 19th century, cognac was usually diluted back to wine alcohol strength for drinking.
Wine region
The wines are divided into Cognacais and in the adjacent growing areas in Charente and Charente-Maritime according to different quality levels of the individual locations. Since 1930 there has been a division into six crus , listed in the order of appreciation of the cognacs that have emerged from them:
- Grande Champagne
- Petite Champagne
- Borderies
- Fins Bois
- Bons Bois
- Bois Ordinaires
If at least 50% of a brandy comes from Grande Champagne and the rest from Petite Champagne, it is referred to as Fine Champagne .
The Bois Ordinaires have long been neglected; However, a few years ago the House of Camus decided to launch a range of cognacs from the Île de Ré .
Grape varieties
There are mainly three grape varieties grown in the Charente . Ugni Blanc , better known as Trebbiano , has the largest share with a good 90% of the vineyards. The result is an acidic , light brandy wine . Folle Blanche and Colombard share the remaining 10%. Seldom used varieties include Meslier-Saint-François , Jurançon Blanc , Montils , Sémillon , Select and Folignan .
Distillation and storage
A wine with approx. 8 percent by volume (vol .-%) is made from the grapes . This is not intended for consumption. This wine is in the winter months in a traditional internal bladder distilled to a so-called alambic charentais , the maximum capacity of 30 hectoliters. By law, distillation must be completed by the end of March.
The still is only filled with 25 hectoliters in order to take into account the expansion during heating. This process takes a good 24 hours and is carried out twice in the so-called double - fire process . The wine is heated with direct heat. Alcohol boils at a lower temperature than water (from 78 ° C). Therefore, when the wine is heated, the alcohol vapor and other highly volatile components escape , which then condense back into liquid alcohol in the cooler pipes that follow. The first thing is the raw spirit (brouillis) containing 27–30% alcohol by volume .
In the second run (bonne chauffe) only the middle section, the so-called “heart” (cœur) is caught. The result is the fine brandy with 60–72% alcohol by volume, which is not directly enjoyable due to the high alcohol content. The maximum alcohol content of the fine brandy of 72% by volume is a distinguishing feature to brandy or brandy according to the commercial definition, half of which may consist of highly distilled wine distillate (up to just under 94.8% by volume).
Storage in wooden casks mixes the primary aromas from the wine with the secondary aromas from the wood. At the same time, the clear eau de vie gets its typical cognac color. The guideline is “the darker, the older the cognac”, but the dark color can also be influenced by sugar-based coloring agents that are permitted to a limited extent during production. Oak wood from the forests of the Limousin and Tronçais is mostly used for storage . The barrel size varies, for example a barrique holds 225 liters .
The storage period depends on the origin of the distillate. While some brandies from the Bois Communs , Bons Bois and Fins Bois are ready to drink after four years, the cognacs from the better locations take considerably longer. By evaporation , the proportion of the alcohol and volatile components is reduced in the barrel; this gives the cognac a milder taste. The cognac loses around 1.5% by volume of strength per year. A black mold ( Baudoinia compniacensis , belonging to the soot-dew-like order ) can be seen on the cellar walls, which is nourished by the fumes.
The cellar masters of the various houses blend the cognacs for the market. Except for a few ancient cognacs, the alcohol content is reduced to 40% by volume by diluting with water. Up to 3% by volume of sugar can also be added and the color can be standardized with caramel ; but with good cognacs this is not done.
The classification
Traditionally, cognac is a composition ("assemblage") of different brandies from different vintages and locations. However, assemblage is not mandatory.
Age information: (The age of the cognac corresponds to the time in the oak barrel, since the aging process is over after bottling. The age always relates to the youngest part added to the assemblage),
- VS (Very Special) or *** (three stars): Cognac, the youngest distillate of which is at least two years old (from April 1st of the year following the harvest).
- VSOP [Very Superior Old Pale] Vieux, VO, Réserve: Cognac, the youngest distillate of which is at least 4 years old.
- XO (Extra Old) or Napoléon, Hors d'âge, Extra, (Très) Vieille Réserve: Cognac whose youngest distillate is at least 6 years old. However, as of April 1, 2018, the minimum age for an XO was raised from six to ten years.
- XXO (Extra Extra Old) or Hors d'âge, Extra, Très Vieille Réserve: a new classification created from April 1, 2018, in which the youngest distillate must have been stored in an oak barrel for at least 14 years. XXO is the oldest official classification that a cognac can have.
As a rule, the dealers use spirits that are much older than required by law to make their compositions. The distillates used for the most prestigious names can show an aging of several decades.
Many houses have their own “paradise”, a warehouse with fires dating back to the 18th century, which are stored in demijohns to complete the ripening process. Particularly high-quality cognac variations contain proportions of these old brandies and often cost more than 1,000 euros per bottle.
List of houses
Cognac is marketed by trading houses, most of which were founded centuries ago. In total, over 20,000 cognac stores were temporarily registered.
Well-known companies are for example:
See also
- Pineau des Charentes
- Sève Feu de Joie
- Nosing glasses (“sniffers”) used in France
literature
- Axel Behrendt, Bibiana Behrendt: Cognac. The guide for connoisseurs and bon vivants. 3. Edition. Heyne, Munich 1999, ISBN 3-453-09104-3 (cognac ratings).
- Nicholas Faith: Cognac. Octopus Publishing Group, London 2004, ISBN 1-84000-903-9 (manufacture and history of cognac - English).
- Gert von Paczensky , Jürgen Dewet Schmidt (photos), Jean-Pierre Haeberlin (illustrations): Cognac . 4th, updated and expanded edition. Hädecke, Weil der Stadt 1995, ISBN 3-7750-0275-8 (first edition: 1984, German standard work on cognac).
- Jörg Zipprick: The world of cognac. Neuer Umschau Verlag, Neustadt an der Weinstrasse 2009, ISBN 978-3-86528-651-2 .
Web links
- Official website of the Bureau National Interprofessionnel du Cognac
- Cognac and Armagnac - France's official website
Individual evidence
- ↑ Regulation (EC) No. 110/2008 of the European Parliament and of the Council of January 15, 2008 on the definition, description, presentation and labeling of spirits as well as the protection of geographical indications for spirits and the repeal of Regulation (EEC) No. 1576 / 89
- ↑ Regulations for the Designation of Origin Cognac
- ↑ Entry for CAS no. 64-17-5 in the GESTIS substance database of the IFA , accessed on December 10, 2014(JavaScript required) .
- ↑ The quality levels . In: Cognaisseur . ( cognaisseur.com [accessed August 21, 2017]).
- ↑ Understanding a cognac label (PDF; 77 kB)
- ^ Resolution of the government commissioner for the BNIC from 1983 (PDF; 34 kB)