Malternatives part 3. Cognac: made in France, thanks to the English

After rum and jenever, I’m looking south of the border in my search for good malternatives. France is by many people regarded as ‘the place to be’ when it comes to gastronomy. And by and large, France’s status as a culinary capital is hard to argue with. Fine dining and drinking is a matter of great importance and almost an affair of state, as showcased by something like the Michelin guide  and French cuisine wizards  like Escoffier, Bocuse and Robuchon being among the first world famous, dare I say celebrity, chefs out there.

The same rigorous attention the French put into their food applies to what they pour into a glass as well, particularly and especially when that drink involves grapes. One rather small region in the (south-) west of France, located around a small town of just some 18,000 inhabitants, has become world famous for it. Not for their wine (or not just for their wine), but for taking wine to the next level.

Cognac (the town), located on the banks of the river Charente, dates back to medieval times and became an important trade centre for wine in the 15th century. This is important as it lies at the very core of what was to become cognac. Particularly in the 17th Century, Dutch sailors tended to pick up wine on the markets of cognac before setting sail for far away destinations that would take months to reach. Because of these long journeys, the quality of the wine would decrease significantly, and thus came the question if perhaps the local salesmen and wine producers wouldn’t and couldn’t come up with a solution to prevent a fine wine turning into vinegar. And they did. Distilling wine would obviously seriously fortify it, but would also mean it would maintain its flavour and quality. ‘Brandewijn’ (burned  wine), or ‘brandy’ wasn’t a Cognac invention per se, but the region became synonymous with it. Local producers quickly built a reputation for producing high standard, top quality brandy, and as it was first and foremost an export product, it makes sense that it soon attracted investors from abroad – first the Dutch, but later the English followed as cognac had become THE drink of choice for the English gentry, and it was in fact the English  who established some of the most famous ‘cognac houses’ in the world. The likes of Hardy, Martell, Hine and Henessy.

I’m pretty sure there’s little to no English blood running through my veins, and I’m damn well sure there’s not a dot of English or British aristocracy to be found in it either, but cognac, more than whisky, was what first got me interested into the world of distillates and spirit drinks. Because it’s what my father used to drink when I was old enough to if not drink it than sure as hell to nick it. Much like whisky, what was available in terms of cognac around my place 25 odd years ago, was pretty limited: entry level stuff from Rémy Martin or Martell would be what was available through supermarkets. And in the same way that you wouldn’t get all wild and excited about what your local supermarket has to offer when it comes to whisky, I’d advise you to stay clear of most of today’s supermarket cognacs as well. I’m not saying this out of snobbery, but I am stating that if you really want to know what cognac is about, there’s better options out there. One of the main issues I have  with mass market cognac, apart from it being overpriced, is the fact that it’ll likely be coloured and that it comes with artificial added sweeteners like caramel and/or sugar.

These days there are dozens of excellent, independent producers out there, who work from grape to glass. Two of which I’m happy to report back on in today’s review.

François Peyrot VSOP Grande Fine Champagne. 40% ABV. App. €40

Ok, leave it to the French to cause confusion and make things complicated! A few things that need some clarification here, I reckon. Firstly, let’s start with the age statement. Or rather, the lack thereof.

In order for a cognac to be called cognac, it needs to be matured for a minimum of 2 years in oak casks from either the nearby Limousin or Tronçais (bang in the heart of France) region. Other legal requirements for making cognac  are  that the spirit must be distilled in ‘alambic’  pot stills made from copper (alambic literally means ‘in the pot’), and  that only certain grape varieties can be used (these days the vast majority of what’s produced will be made using ‘Ugni Blanc’).

(The Francois Peyrot alambic stills - (c) F. Peyrot)

French legislation dictates that only in a few specific circumstances the actual age may be disclosed on the label, and therefore a system of abbreviations has been ‘concocted’.

VS: Very Superior or Very Special. A cognac with a minimum of 2 years

VSOP: Very Superior Old Pale. Cognac with a minimum of 4 years

Napoléon: minimally 6 years of age

Xtra/Extra/ XO, Hors d’Age: a minimum of 10 years of maturation

XXO: Extra Extra Old: minimally 14 years of age.

Much like the age statements in whisky, the abbreviation applies to the youngest cognac used.

OK, let’s look at that other ‘weird’ thing: the word Champagne. It’s got absolutely nothing to do with the Champagne region (the bubbly wine thing some of you might be familiar with). It doesn’t refer to grapes nor casks coming from that region, it simply refers to ‘terroir’. The Cognac region is subdivided into 6 regions of which ‘Grande Champagne’ and  ‘Petite’ Champagne’ are the two at the heart and centre, closest to the town of Cognac  (and generally considered to be the two producing the most refined grapes for cognac making). The word ‘champagne’ refers to the soil, as it’s commonly used across the whole of France to indicate areas rich with lime  soil. The indication ‘fine’ means that at least 50% of the cognac is coming from the Grande Champagne subarea.

(picture: wikipedia)

François Peyrot is a relatively young  family run company (3d generation), that’s been around since 1956. This grape to glass producer owns 28 Ha (69 acres) of vineyards in the Grande Champagne area. Apart from cognac, they also produce the sweet dessert wine Pineau des Charentes typical for the region and some liqueurs.

With the ‘jargon’ done and dust, let’s dive in.

Nose

A lovely balance of fruit and nutty notes. Gently presented too, with prunes, berries and sultanas clicking nicely with hints of almonds and chestnut.  Give it some time in the glass and the raisins clearly become more prominent, accompanied by subtle notes of spices – nutmeg and soft pepper . Rounding things off nicely, there’s a creamy, buttery sensation.

Palate

A fruity and ever so slightly peppery arrival. Dried red fruits, old wood and toasted and roasted notes of wood and nuts. Again some spices with black pepper, clove and nutmeg. The low ABV is noticeable as the texture and mouthfeel is thin, unfortunately.

Finish

Short, raisins, berries and pepper.

Final thoughts

The nose is lovely and inviting, and while the palate can’t always  keep up, it’s still engaging enough to take things interesting and flavourful. It’s fairly priced and comes with a – as far as I know –‘honest’ presentation. The minimal ABV doesn’t do it any favours, though, and makes me feel as if there’s some unfulfilled potential here. Good, but not as good as it could and perhaps should be… 81/100

Fanny Fougerat. Cognac d’auteur. Petit Champagne.  Le Laurier D’Apollon. Vendanges 2010. 42.2% ABV, UCF, NC, no additives. Small batch of 5 casks, 2460 bottles. App. €55 - €60 (still available)

Quite a mouthful, this one. But then again, Fanny Fougerat, coming from a 4th generation distilling / winemaking family, is a bit of a renegade in the world of cognac. While her family has been making cognac and wine for generations, mainly producing for the big cognac houses, she does things differently. With a firm belief in terroir, using only grapes from a specific year from a specific subregion for each of her cognacs, the cognac is made from direct fire stills, using at times also the lees  to add character to some of her more fruity and light spirit. Determined to release cognac of its old fashioned image, she started her own cognac company and launched her first release in 2013, operating from within the family estate.

This expression comes from the 2010 vintage, harvested in 2011, and has been matured in virgin oak and refill cognac casks.

Nose

Very fruity – apples and apple syrup, with hints of tropical notes of mango, papaya , kiwi and even some banana. Something grainy in here as well. It turns drier over time as wood and nuts join in.  As far as flavour profiles go, this is actually quite close to being a fruity, light Speysider.

Palate

 Gently woody and viscous arrival. Orchard notes, raisins and grapes making the fruit claim centre stage. Again a gentle grainy-herbal note. There’s a density here, which I accredit to the use of the actual grape peels being used in the distillation process. A lot of the popular and big cognac brands shy away from this technique, as it makes for a somewhat ‘fatty’, dense and more outspoken character, and what they want above everything is for their cognac to be ‘smooth’. To hell with that, the cognac (this one in any case) really benefits from it as it delivers a chewy, full texture. A touch of wood brings depth and balance.

Finish

Long, and peppery, increasingly drying and mouthcoating.

Final thoughts

A complex one, as it comes across as both youthful and well-matured at the same time. It’s light overall, but there’s plenty of character and depth to be found. A slightly higher  (and also a bit nonsensical – 42.2% ABV: what’s that about?) ABV, naturally presented (untampered with from all possible angles), well priced small batch cognac from an independent producer: on paper it’s got everything going for it, and I’m glad to confirm it also delivers in the glass. 85/100 and heartily recommended!

Next week: more grapes. Sort of, anyway.