Cognac Tasting Tour in Cognac, France

Throughout the Easter holiday in the Charente-Maritime department of France, we visited the city of Cognac, France and did a cognac tasting tour. Cognac producers, for illustration, Hennessy (LVMH), Martell (Pernod Ricard), and Rémy Martin have their cognac creation base in this city.

The historic household of Rémy Martin is a tourist site in the city. But regretably, the household was beneath renovation and making ready for the approaching 300 year’s celebration. Discontented with the situation, we went to its store up coming door to acquire cognac as planned.

There, we acquired a probability to be a part of a cognac tasting tour. The one-tour was not totally free, but it was the only English tour of the week for the duration of the off-year. Just before we resolved what to buy, we would like to know the solution of this top quality spirit and for that reason joined the tour.

To get a comprehensive insight into the cognac industry, you can join the Cognac masterclass & tasting tour, whose articles is unbiased of any brands and producers. It also takes for a longer time, and of class, you will be in a position to style diverse varieties of cognac.

Historical past of Rémy Martin

Our tour tutorial was a young French woman who spoke ideal English. She gave us a short introduction to cognac heritage. The title Rémy Martin came from the corporation founder, but his grandson, also referred to as Rémy, designed the symbol and introduced the spirit popular worldwide. Rémy Martin has a common title in China, réntóumă (人头马), actually translated as

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

Cognac generation

Cognac manufacturing follows a demanding procedure. Grape harvest time, the duration of the fermentation approach, distillation procedures, and the point out-of-art mixing technique are one of a kind to cognac creation. During the overall production course of action, extra than 70 parameters will have an affect on the style and the high quality top quality of cognac.

Grapes

Only grape varieties from the Grande Champagne and Petite Champagne cognac areas are employed for the cognac. The cognac region has all the factors to increase the most effective grapes, chalky soil, a microclimate indirectly affected by the ocean. The chalk layer is further in the Grande Champagne region than in the Petite Champagne area. The sample chalk layers in the introduction home clearly show us the distinction.  

Fermentation

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

Distillation

Cognac distillation is done in a two-stage system. We observed a traditionally formed Charentais copper pot with its swan’s neck, cooler, and condensing coil. The wine is converted into vapour and subsequently condensed back again to the liquid kind, called eaux-de-vie.

Just after the very first distillation, only the very first and the very last section of eaux-de-vie will go by the next distillation method. The outcome of the 2nd distillation is called eaux-de-vie, a colourless spirit of about 70% liquor.

Ageing

We entered a substantial cellar wherever a lot of oak casks are saved. People are not allowed to acquire any photos in this place owing to the alcohol content in the air. The cognac interacts with the oak casks and evaporates about 3% every 12 months. The volume of liquid is penned on every single barrel and may differ from barrel to barrel. 

Blending

Cognac is the result of mixing distinct ages of eaux-de-vie. The blender, also named the cellar learn, is the 1 who requires the most substantial treatment of the mixing. In Remy Martin, it usually takes at least 7 many years to understand by doing to become a cellar grasp. The cellar grasp blends different eaux de vie so that each and every product, for instance, the X.O model, has constantly had the exact same aromas and flavours about the decades. Since eaux-de-vie is also developed from several vineyards, blending eaux-de-vie is a remarkably experienced craft comparable to the Grasp Nose of a perfume manufacturing facility. 

The blending method has been using position slowly above the a long time. And, eaux-de-vie is moved from cask to cask and merged. I started off to believe if there was any way to re-make this approach using fashionable technological innovation, and the response would be no. The total manufacturing method assures that the fragile wine spirit is normally at the high quality degree.

Tasting

In a sample area, tables have been established up for the cognac tasting. Our French tour guideline introduced a cocktail created of X.O cognac. It was a good way to consume the cognac. 

Now, it’s the emphasize of the tour, Rémy Martin VSOP tasting. Pursuing 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 encourage my taste buds. To combine the ripe fruit and refined notes of cognac, I ate numerous pure black chocolates with fatty and bitter flavours placed on a little plate.

What we acquired immediately after the Cognac Tasting Tour

Our tour manual released us the Remy Martin Club, a new brand name of Rémy Martin bought to the Asian marketplaces only. It has a toasted almond note and flavours of, for illustration, dried fig and apricot. It is perfect for pairing with flavourful meals.

We bought Rémy Martin Tercet and Remy Martin Club given that it is only accessible in Asian marketplaces. And, of program, the top quality X.O edition as perfectly. The store only sells pure cognac merchandise and various confined editions. 

Strategies for Cognac Tasting Tour

If you approach to do a cognac tasting tour, I advise you ebook on-line to stay away from disappointment and have a English-speaking tour information.  

You won’t be equipped to drive right after tasting several cognacs considering that the alcoholic beverages manage is limited in France. In addition to that, the city of Cognac is pretty scenic and has a number of attention-grabbing web-sites to offer you. So it’s much better to continue to be in Cognac for a night time or two.

Lodges such as Hôtel Chais Monnet & Spa and Château Pellisson are just in the city centre and in walking length to the Remy Martin house.