Still in search of a blue sky we decide to head inland. Our destination Cognac. The town and home of Cognac the drink.
John has never understood the appeal of Cognac as a drink and Jenelle can't remember ever tasting it at all. Here was our opportunity to go to the source and see what we had been missing.
There are a few very upmarket Cognac distillers. Remy Martin is to Cognac what Johnny Walker is to Scotch Whiskey. We decide to visit the Domain of Remy Martin to get the good oil on Cognac. At least it will warm us up.
We are taken on a guided tour of the facility and have explained the whole process of making what everywhere else in the world is called, Bandy.
The creme de la creme of Cognac; Louis XIIIOnly brandy made from grapes grown and distilled in a small area around Cognac is legally allowed to be called Cognac (a bit like champagne). Good old Remy Martin the man, was a bit of marketing genius and come up with an idea (in 1730) to create an exclusive product called Cognac and his family has been reaping the benefits ever since. Poor old Remy's line died out in the early 20th century but the family that bought him out is still going strong.
After distilling, the brandy (sorry Cognac), it is left to mature in oak barrels for between a few years and a few centuries. Over the years of maturing the initial 70% alcohol content slowly falls to 40% as the alcohol vapours leache out of the barrels, releasing the flavours and colours of the oak into the remaining liquor.
We are not allowed to take photos inside the warehouse because the air is ripe with alcohol fumes. Boy it does smell good. But...
John manages to get a photo through an open door into a small warehouse behind the tasting room where 6000 barrels each holding 200L are stored. Remy Martin sells for around $100 per litre for the cheap VOSP and over $3000 per litre for the top shelf Louis XIII. This is a small warehouse compared to most of the others we drive past on our tour. It is hard to image the volume and the value of product they have in the production line.
The older warehouses are black with a fungi that grows on the alcohol vapours that leach out of the barrels. They loose about 2% of all their stock to evaporation a year. That equates to about 6000 barrels lost to what they call the "angels' share".The new warehouse built this year is the original colour of the limestone used for building, before the fungi growth turns everything, inside and out, black.
The barrels are made of oak and hold around 200L. Once made and put into place they are never moved again. The Cognac is moved from a younger barrel to an older barrel by pumping as required during the maturing process.
The guide takes us to an underground cellar where most of the hundreds of barrels are over 100 years old. In a special area locked behind bars there is section where the family has a few dozen reserve barrels, some of which are 200 years old.
Below this building are cellars of some of the oldest Cognac in the world.
The verdict....
John...looks divine, smells wonderful, tastes like brandy...yuk.
Jenelle...looks like gold, smells divine, taste like liquid fire...passable with food.By the way, if you were wondering, the 700ml bottle of Louis XIII in the photo above is a bargain at just 1,600 Euro (about A$2400).
Also you may be interested to know that the biggest market for Cognac is China which has recently surpassed the USA. Cognac is hardly drunk in France. Remy Martin export 97% of all their production.
Having satisfied our curiosity about Cognac the drink, we head off to check out Cognac the town.
The quaint old town is on the banks of the River Charente. The same Charente that we saw creeping its muddy way past Rochefort yesterday. At Cognac it is the picturesque river you would expect.
The water is clear and the river is full of large trout playing hide and seek amongst the bright green aquatic plants.
The river is so beautifull it deserves another photo.The town, like most of this part of France, is built of stone. Apart from the occasional painted window shutter or planter box the town is basically monochromatic, like all those we have visited in this La Rochelle region.
The main street.
At one in the afternoon almost every shop is shut for lunch.
A bit of color.
The old city gate.
The walls of the old city.
Amongst the stone buildings there are a few half timber houses like the one below.
Beautifully carved mahogany, with marble panels.
The main street.At one in the afternoon almost every shop is shut for lunch.
A bit of color.
The old city gate.
The walls of the old city.Amongst the stone buildings there are a few half timber houses like the one below.
We wander into the church, as it about the only place open. The pulpit is a work of art.
Beautifully carved mahogany, with marble panels.