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French cognac AE Dor is produced by a family cognac house located in Jarnac. Although modest in terms of sales volume, the company nevertheless has great weight and historical significance: it has one of the most valuable collections of old cognac spirits, including those produced before the catastrophic phylloxera epidemic at the end of the XNUMXth century.
In 2015, the house with an annual turnover of 6 million euros was acquired by Unicognac, a subsidiary of the Charentes Alliance* cooperative group, for an undisclosed sum. Under the terms of the deal, Unicognac and AE Dor retain full autonomy within the Group, with the former owner, Pierre-Antoine Riviere, remaining at the head of the House.
* In 2016, the Charentes Alliance and Corea Poitou-Charentes merged, resulting in a new structure – Ocealia, which includes 1250 winegrowers, 27 technical consultants, 4 joint cellars, a distillery, Jules Gautret, a company engaged in bottling and marketing wine, pinot de charentes, cognac.
Historical information
The cognac house was founded in the middle of the 1858th century. Jean Baptiste Dor, a doctor who had a modest practice in Jarnac and decided to find a new application for his knowledge, stood at its origins. However, the real life in the company was breathed by his son Amede-Edouard, who in XNUMX inherited his father’s business and took it with real passion. The young entrepreneur had an amazing intuition – it was she who suggested to him that the main forces should be directed to finding the best cognac spirits in the region.
Dor was tireless in his travels throughout the Cognac region, and every time he returned with amazing finds – many of the eau de vies he bought had already spent several decades in Limousin oak barrels. The oldest cognacs, which had reached full maturity, were carefully decanted – poured into straw-woven bonbons and sealed with wax. The efforts of Amédée-Edouard led to the fact that when the phylloxera invasion of French vineyards began, he became the owner of the richest collection of pre-phylloxera cognacs. Today, these demijohns in the “paradise” of the AE Dor house, literally covered with the dust of centuries, are a real gem: handwritten labels attached to their necks adorn the numbers 1811, 1834, 1840 and even 1805. In 1889, Dor gave his name to the cognac house .
From 1922 to 1972, the company was headed by Amede-Edouard’s son-in-law, Noel Denyel-Dor, who in 1951 received permission from the authorities to sell cognacs with an alcohol content below 40%. He was able to prove that the decrease in strength occurred only due to natural evaporation. To this day, AE Dor is the only company allowed to do so.
Later, the house passed into the ownership of the Legran group, which produced the Benedictine liqueur. During this period, it was led by Philippe Mitterrand, brother of former French President Francois Mitterrand. The company did not show much interest in the cognac brand and in 1982 sold it to Jacques Riviere, who worked at that time in the textile industry. When his wife Odile realized what a treasure they had become, in a short time she acquired a versatile knowledge of cognac and became an excellent maître de che – the blends she created are still hunted by collectors. Unfortunately, in 1982, Odile died in a car accident. At present, the son of Pierre-Antoine Riviere has taken over the management of financial matters, and her student Beatrice Coussy has become the cellar master.
Awards
The Cognac Masters:
- 2016 – the highest award Master (AE Dor Vieille Reserve N°9).
International Wine & Spirit Competition, Лондон:
- 2017 – 3 серебряные (AE Dor Vieille Fine Champagne XO, AE Dor VSOP Rare Fine Champagne, AE Dor Vieille Reserve N°6 Grande Champagne) медали.
International Competition of the wines and spirits, Бордо:
- 2015 – Gold (AE Dor Embleme) medal.
Challenge International du Vin:
- 2003 – gold (AE Dor XO) and silver (AE Dor Extra Grande Champagne) medals.
Rixendis’ Cognac Tasting Society rating:
- 2010 – the highest score (AE Dor Vieille Reserve N°9) in the Vieille Reserve category.
Types of cognac A.E. Dor
AE Dor Old Reserve №9, 40%
Cognac is released in a limited edition and owes its refined taste to the cellar master Noel Denyel-Dor. The blend uses spirits half a century old from the best Feng Bois and Grande Champagne subregions. In a complex and intense bouquet, the aromas of a humid forest, mushrooms, vines and, in particular, the rancio tone, so appreciated by true cognac lovers, are felt. The taste demonstrates a velvety light sweetness, which reveals hints of ripe apricot, pear, almond, cocoa. The aftertaste lasts for several minutes, forcing you to listen to the sensations again and again.
AE Dor Old Reserve №11, 43%
For the assemblage, Odile Riviere used only o de vie from the terroir of Grande Champagne. The youngest cognac spirit is 70 years old, and some of it belongs to the pre-phylloxera period. The color of the mahogany is enlivened by copper reflections. The bouquet subtly intertwined notes of ripe plum, red orange peel, sweet fortified wine, tobacco leaf. On the palate, there is also a light shade of sherry, framed by oak tones. An increased degree does not “stick out”, but, on the contrary, emphasizes the lack of alcohol content and helps to reveal the whole range of aromas.
AE Pain Emblem, 40%
The collection was created for the 150th anniversary of the AE Dor cognac house and is produced very rarely. The drink is dark amber in color with a noble sheen of mahogany. The aroma is multi-layered and appears already upon opening the bottle: apricot, vanilla, chocolate, fruit caramel, nut mix. On the palate, a balance of chocolate-sweet onset and dryness is achieved, giving rise to associations with a cigar humidor, the smell of polished wood, old leather. An excellent choice for a long thoughtful conversation after a festive feast.
