20年 Archives - Wine Paradise

PIERRE FERRAND Cognac Grande Champagne “Reserve” (40%)

shop_admin — Mon, 25 May 2020 04:32:39 +0000

Cognac

Cognac is a type of brandy which comes from the Cognac region of France.
French law limits the use of the name to brandy made from the wine of specified grapes variety (mainly Ugni Blanc, Folle Blanche, or Colombard), distilled twice in special alembics, or pot stills, and aged for a prescribed period in Limousin oak.

• V.S. (Very Special) or ✯✯✯ (three stars) designates a blend in which the youngest brandy has been aged for at least two years in a cask.
• V.S.O.P. (Very Superior Old Pale) or Reserve designates a blend in which the youngest brandy is aged for at least four years in a cask.
• Napoléon designates a blend in which the youngest brandy is aged for at least six years.
• XO (Extra Old) The minimum age of the youngest brandy is 10 years.

Pierre Ferrand

The estate of Pierre Ferrand Cognac is located in the golden triangle of the Grande Champagne cru— Angeac-Champagnes. Whilst Pierre Ferrand Cognac has only been inaugurated in 1989, the methods used are very traditional and date back over the centuries.

The house almost exclusively produces old and very old Cognacs that tend to be sold only in high-end outlets.

Pierre Ferrand doesn’t classify their cognacs with the standard VS, VSOP, XO, etc. classifications. Using their own labelling, Ambre, their youngest standard expression, is an average of 10 years. Ferrand uses mostly ugni blanc grapes with a small portion of colombard grapes.

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CHÂTEAU DU BREUIL Calvados 20 ans d’âge “Réserve des Seigneurs XO” (41%)

shop_admin — Sat, 23 May 2020 12:16:36 +0000

Calvados

Calvados is an apple brandy from Normandy in France.
Calvados is distilled from cider made from specially grown and selected apples, from over 200 varieties. They can be bitter, sweet, acid, sour or bitter-sweet.
The fruit is harvested and pressed into a juice that is fermented into a dry cider. It is then distilled into eau de vie. After ageing in oak casks, it can be sold as calvados as following:

*“Fine”: 2 years old minimum
*“VSOP”: 4 years
*“XO”: 6 years

Three different AOC appellations exist:
*Calvados (71% of total surface): Can be obtained by apples from the whole Normandy and be distilled only once in a column still.
*Calvados « Pays d’Auge » (28%): the apples must be produced in the Region Pays d’Auge, from selected varieties. 2 distillations in a pot still are necessary.
*Calvados «Domfrontais» (1%) : produced with minimum 30 % of pears.

Château du Breuil

Located in the midst of the Calvados region (Normandy), Château du Breuil has been a distillery transforming apples into Calvados, an apple brandy, since 1954.

Built in the early 16th century, the Château has been the residence of great noble French families and now is classified as a historical monument.

It is one of the rare Calvados distilleries to have integrated orchards of apple trees in the property, total 22,000 planted on 42 hectares.

Château du Breuil company produces more than 420,000 bottles every year. It is the N°2 AOC “Pays d’Auge” Calvados producer.

By the way, do you know:
24 kg of apples
Provide around 18 liters Cider (+/- 5% Vol. Alc.)
Provide approximately 1 liter pure alcohol Calvados (100% Alc.)

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CLÉMENT Très Vieux Rhum Agricole AOC – 1976 Millesime (44%)

shop_admin — Thu, 21 May 2020 11:08:26 +0000

Martinique

Martinique, a French Caribbean Island, is mainly producing “Rhum Agricole”, which is obtained by distilling of sugar cane juice.

This kind of rum is more aromatic. To produce 10 litres of rum roughly 100 kg of sugar cane needs to be processed.

In 1996, the Martinican Rhum Agricole obtained an AOC recognition, “Appellation d’Origine Contrôlée’’ and is the only one so far.

Like in Cognac or Armagnac, there are strict ageing conditions & appellations. All ageing & bottling must be done on the island.

No Additional Flavor & No Additional Sugar

Rhum Clément

Rhum Clément has been established in 1887 when Homère Clément, physician and mayor of Le François in Martinique, purchased a 43-hectare sugar plantation, Domaine de L’Acajou.

Inspired by the enjoyment of great brandies while studying in his early years in Paris, Homère mimicked the distillers of the great Armagnac’s of southwestern France to perfect his method of rhum production known today as Rhum Agricole.

Nowadays, Rhum Clément has 8000 barrels patiently aged in their 5 historical cellars and is a leading producer of A.O.C. Martinique Rhum Agricole.

Around 8% of the volume of each barrel is lost every year due to « evaporation » (or Angel share). The aging is also unique, known to go 2.5 times faster than in Europe or Kentucky due to the high temperature and humidity.

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