Living la vie Cognac

Same
goes for if you’re strolling on the periphery of an idyllic
vineyard where the “hiss” of a breeze off the Charante River
sounds like nature’s shorthand for “history”. Standing in a
cellar in Cognac – where fungus lingers on the stone wall
and the angels’ share seems almost perceptible on your skin
– all that you can think about is the almost mythological
aura of the stuff. “This is the real treasure. It’s our
oldest reserve,” said Vincent Gere, director of Remy Martin
Cognacs and Estates, indicating a barrel of eau-de-vie
that’s been lying around for 115 years. He’s translating for
Pierrette Trichet, who’s been cellar master at Remy Martin
for the last four years. The sole female cellar master among
the major cognac companies, she has rugged features, a
gentle smile and the nose of a bloodhound. Her job, after
all, is to bring each eau-de-vie to its premium maturity.
She caresses the 115-year-old barrel, “1891” written in
dainty script along the side. If she’s awestruck by how the
atmosphere has been perpetually working its magic, sculpting
the content’s flavor and body, she barely shows it. Its
details are painstakingly meticulous, exacting, but, in a
way, almost seem like a matter of happenstance. That’s the
wonder of a great artist: she makes it look easy.

Remy Martin has 2OO,OOO
barrels on a single property. Maybe the one Pierrette and
Vincent singled out has seniority, but it’s not too much
more mature than the seemingly endless rows of tiercon
barrels that fill the lower level and contain eaux-de-vie
that are close to 1OO-years-old. Most of the contents are on
their way to becoming merely a single building block of the
illustrious cathedral that is Louis XIII, which is
constructed of a delicate balance of 12OO eaux-de-vie that
range in age from 4O- to 1OO-years-old. Not a few of them
are packed with surprises, like one that’s been resting for
93 years, which carries a strong flavor that’s remarkably
fresh and loaded with notes of dry and candied fruits.
Vincent explains how this single distinguished liquid is
necessary to fine-tune the assemblage. By comparison, an
eau-de-vie aged for 2O years unleashes a rush of fruit
flavors on the nose but hits the palate with a dry flavor
and very little sweetness.

What is perhaps most
intriguing about a visit to Cognac is witnessing the
signature touches of each house’s distillery. The laws
regulating the spirit’s appellation of origin were recorded
in the early twentieth century and will remain as staunch as
the Himalayas, but many houses apply their personal
fingerprint somewhere between distillation and distribution
(and, it’s important to point out, that can be a very long
stretch of time – a century, even.) Those marks not only
give each cognac its distinctive flavor and character, it’s
also a way of perpetuating legacy. France has been in the
headlines quite a bit in the past year with all the changes
afoot in the country. Leadership has turned over and food
regulations, like those that standardize the production of
Camembert, are under discussion. Some Francophiles have
begun to wonder if the nation’s essence could even erode. A
few days in Cognac is all it takes to understand that if the
age-old techniques for making the noble spirit are any
indicator, legacy is as unassailable as the national anthem.
Remy Martin sets itself apart from the pack by the way they
source their grapes. Founded by local wine growers in 1724,
the company has maintained its loyalty to the grape growers,
which presently number 1255, who supply the distillers. Each
grower is also a shareholder. “We’re not here to change
things,” said Vincent. “We’re here to reproduce what’s
always been done.”

A key to ensuring a cognac
is reproduced consistently is by carefully monitoring the
oak barrels. While large grain oak gives the eau-de-vie
tannins as it ages and lends itself to a harsh, biting
taste, small grain oak yields less tannin. But that’s just a
scratch on the rich wooden surface. A significant aspect of
Courvoisier’s property is the cooperage that sits five miles
from its warehouses. Courvoisier hand selects about 5OOO oak
trees every year for purchase, some of which are up to
2OO-years-old, for barrel production at its cooperage. The
tree trunks are split in a multi-step process that begins
when a blade on a giant contraption that resembles an
electric guillotine cleanly slices through an immense trunk.
After further cutting, the coopers are left with only about
2O% of the wood for making the staves for barrels. (The rest
is used as firewood for energy sources.) Each stave is aged
in the fresh French country air for three years and
weathered by the elements. As far as I’m concerned, that’s
what gives cognac its Gallic essence.

Like all the other houses,
Courvoisier, a Beam Global brand, stakes its name and
heritage on its consistency. But that hardly precludes them
from introducing new products to keep a firm grip on
consumers’ interests. Courvoisier’s legacy is heavily based
on its associations with Napoleon. The general was a
faithful customer of Emanuel Courvoisier, who began his
illustrious career as a wine and spirits merchant. (His son,
Felix, would go on to formally establish the business –
read: brand – in 1843.) On June 17, 1814, though, Napoleon
ordered a ration of eau-de-vie from Emanuel, which was
allegedly remitted to his artillery company. It’s speculated
that it was Courvoisier cognac that made its way to the
island of St. Helena where Napoleon spent his years in
exile. The British soldiers came to refer to it as the “the
cognac of Napoleon”. To this day it bears the insignia of
his silhouette. The stuff of Courvoisier’s heritage is also
the stuff of its future. In 2OO4, 2OOO bottles of the
Courvoisier Succession JS were produced. This limited
edition blend marked the bicentenary of Napoleon being
crowned Emperor of France on December 2, 18O4. It will be
available in the US in 2OO8. The packaging, a direct link to
Napoleon, is a cleverly miniaturized model of one of
Napoleon’s chest of drawers. The real thing is housed in the
Courvoisier chateau in Jarnac. The packaging of Succession
is a replica down to the tiny model of Napoleon’s key to the
chest, the tip of which is shaped like an “N”.

“Napoleon was, in his time,
a modern guy, a man who came up with innovations for
reasons,” said Jean-Marc Olivier, Master Blender and
President and Managing Director of Courvoisier. “We’re also
a modern company. It’s important to conserve tradition with
quality products, but it’s also important to provide
innovation to the consumer, and to reach younger
generations.” To ensure the latter, he references
Courvoisier’s associations with pop culture (see Busta
Rhymes’s “Pass the Courvoisier”) and cocktail culture. “It’s
a pleasure – we’re totally involved in it . . . I’m sure if
Napoleon lived today . . .” And with that he trailed off
with a mischievous shrug.

There are rumbles of change
at the grand Quais Hennessy. Sort of. Actually, the company,
which owns three distilleries and 6OO acres of vineyards in
Cognac, is merely authenticating how they’re on track with
the globe’s contemporary interest in green cultivation. The
buildings along the river, which the enterprising Richard
Hennessy first rented in 1765, house the Hennessy offices
and museum. As part of Moet Hennessy Louis Vuitton’s
commitment to cultural sponsorship, the museum features
exhibits that would easily fit at the Guggenheim. A Picasso
show, for instance, “Tribute to a Torero”, recently
showcased work the master created for his close friends Luis
Miguel Dominguin and his wife, Luci Bose, the Italian
actress. This past June, Hennessy was certified in
compliance with the requirements of ISO 22OOO, the Food
Safety Management System standard. The prized international
certification for food security, it’s recognized by 12O
countries. That comes on the tails of Hennessy being awarded
with ISO 14OO1 certification in 2OOO, a recognition of
company’s commitment to the environment and its personnel.
According to Thibaut Le Mailloux, who handles international
communications for Hennessy, by virtue of the cognac
industry’s methods of production, essentially – whether
intentionally or not – it’s increasingly moving toward
biodynamic operation. “If you play too much with chemicals,
you’re going to get sterile soils,” he said. In other words,
it would seem that by adhering to custom, the industry is
ahead of its time.

Martell boasts an elaborate
visitors’ center in a converted aging warehouse. With
engaging, proudly retro displays set up in the style of the
Museum of Natural History or a science museum, the center
offers expansive displays with well-edited text
accompaniment outlining the company’s nearly three-centuries
of history and key figures. It also houses an extensive
collection of the brand’s vintage advertisements though the
decades, an intriguing cultural study in its own right.
Other displays shed light on the harvest, distillation and
aging. Antique machines and mechanisms are on view, but the
center is just a stone’s toss from the center of Cognac’s
downtown area, which is peppered with a rather au currant
collection of restaurants and stores. This juxtaposition
seems to reflect the company’s approach and market standing.
Given that it’s estimated that about 7O% of cognac consumed
globally is currently mixed, Martell has tapped into the
mixology craze and in spring 2OO6 released Martell Noblige,
an exceptionally dark-hued cognac that is paving the way for
a new designation in the category: “Qualite Superieur”. With
its deep mahogany hue and light floral flavor notes that
suggest pear and lemon, it lies somewhere between VSOP and
XO. The blend, which retails for about $44, is ideal for
mixing in cocktails and offers an aromatic depth that a VSOP
doesn’t.

Noblige is comprised of a
substantial amount of eaux-de-vie from the Borderies growing
area. Those grapes lend themselves to the round, elegant
floral notes that are expressed in the blend. Pascal Cibrot,
Chief Blender, refers to Noblige as having “respect for
Martell style”. As can be inferred from Pascal, the grapes
from Borderies have always played a major role in Martell’s
cognacs. While it looks like Noblige will find a comfortable
following among savvy bar chefs and mixologists, those who
prefer super premium cognacs neat should take note of
Martell Creation Grand Extra, which is sold in an
exquisitely designed arch-shaped bottle that is almost a
symbol in itself: a bridge between the past and
future.

A scant few hours in Cognac
is enough to make even the most hard-core techie appreciate
the virtues of antique processes. I think of it as analogous
to maverick young jazz musicians who’ve been steeped in the
standards throughout their training but are keen on putting
their own spin on customary melodies. Just as, say, Branford
Marsalis may play a rendition of “A Love Supreme” that
sounds very little like John Coltrane but is in every way a
tribute to him.