The David Iverieli collection contains four cognacs of different aging periods. The names of two of them, Vartsikhe and Aragvi, evoke nostalgic memories among cognac connoisseurs in the post-Soviet space. Bolero & Co produces these drinks according to recipes created by Georgian blenders over 60 years ago.
Historical reference. The Georgian company Bolero & Co was founded in 2012 and immediately made itself known by releasing several cognacs, appreciated by consumers. From the very beginning, the company owned 140 hectares of vineyards in Kakheti.
The new brand was named in honor of David of Iver, the unifier of Georgia, King David IV the Builder, who ruled at the end of the XNUMXth – beginning of the XNUMXth century. King David was canonized, therefore, not his portrait was placed on the label, but the image of a warrior against the backdrop of mountains. So that no one doubts the royalty of the drink, the inscription at the top of the label reads: Primus inter pares (translated from Latin – “First among equals”).
Initially, the David Iverieli collection consisted of 2 cognacs: 3 and 5 years aged in Iberian oak barrels. By 2015, the company exported 900 thousand decalitres of cognac (mainly to Russia, Ukraine and Kazakhstan), and the area of vineyards planted with Saperavi and Rkatsiteli varieties was already 300 hectares. The company has entered into an agreement on cooperation and technology exchange with the French cognac house Distillerie Tessendier et Fils.
In 2015, Bolero & Co won a tender for the privatization of the state-owned Gruzvinprom plant in Gurjaani. Together with the plant, the company received a license for the production of Vartsikhe and Aragvi cognacs.
Cognac “Vartsikhe” has been produced since 1954. For its manufacture, cognac spirits are used from grapes grown in the area of the village of Vartsikhe.
In ancient times, Vard-Tsikhe (translated as “City of Roses”) was the capital of Imereti. Travelers who described Vartsikhe at the end of the XNUMXth century noted an amazing combination of mild microclimate and fertile soils. The area was called a real eldorado for plants. Therefore, cognac spirits from grapes grown in Vartsikhe have a special taste.
Cognac “Vartsikhe” is produced from grape spirits of at least 7 years of aging in Iberian oak barrels. During its existence, cognac “Vartsikhe” (Vartsikhe) was awarded 3 gold and 2 silver medals at all-Union and international competitions.
Cognac “Aragvi” (Aragvi), also known in Soviet times, is made from Kakhetian grape spirits aged in Iberian oak barrels for at least 4 years.
Georgian wineries have long competed for the right to produce cognacs “Vartsikhe” and “Aragvi”. Especially in large quantities they were produced by the Sarajishvili company (Tbilisi Cognac Factory). Now you can still find Vartsikhe cognac, made at this enterprise, on sale, but after 2015, the volume of production and exports has significantly decreased. The Sarajishvili firm produces 5-year-old Aragvi cognac, but it is bottled at the Minsk plant Kristall.
Types of cognac “David Imerieli”
“David Imerieli” 3-year-old is an amber-colored cognac with a hint of hazelnuts in a grape-vanilla aroma.
“David Imerieli Aragvi” is a 4-year-old cognac, dark golden in color, with a mild taste, fragrant with vanilla and oak.
“David Imerieli” 5-year-old is a golden-amber cognac with the aroma of flowers and cocoa. The taste harmoniously combines vanilla-almond and chocolate tones.
“David Imerieli Vartsikhe” is an old amber-colored cognac, aged 7 years, with a taste of dried fruits and a noble bitterness of old oak.
