Golden Excerpt is a Russian cognac from Stavropol. In addition to Stavropol grape distillate, it is based on premium spirits from the Castilla La Mancha region (Spain), where the head office of ALVISA Alcohol Group is located. The drink owes its rounded and mild taste to the technology of double aging, and the beautiful warm color and pleasant aroma are the result of aging in Limousin oak barrels.
Brand history. Golden Excerpt or “Golden Extract” is a product of the Stavropol Wine and Cognac Factory, founded in 1947. In 2004, the plant became part of the international group of companies ALVISA AG, which is engaged not only in the production of alcohol, but also in its sale. According to statistics, it takes:
- 2nd place in Russia in terms of shipment of cognac (8,5% of the domestic market);
- 3rd place in Russia in terms of wine shipment (6,0% of the domestic market);
- 2nd place in Russia in sales of vermouth (11% of the domestic market).
In addition to the Stavropol wine and cognac factory, ALVISA AG owns:
- MZVV – Mineralovodsky plant of grape wines;
- Acquired in 2006 from the alcohol giant Suntory, ALVISA SPIRITS – Alcoholes Y Vinos, SA, which produces cognac spirits;
- ALVISA WINES – ALTIZIA, a company specializing in the production of wine materials.
The Golden Excerpt blend recipe was created in 1969 by Soviet specialists – Russian and Armenian winemakers, and remains unchanged.
Interesting Facts About Limousin Oak
French oak, which is also called Limousin because of the area where it grows, is used to make barrels that are at least 80 years old. Then the wood is very dense, with a low level of moisture absorption. And the tree is not sawn, as usual, but is split with a special tool along the fibers, which ensures a long service life of the container. Hoops are made of brass, which is not afraid of corrosion, durable and reliable.
Limousin oak wood has unique properties: wine or spirits in the barrel retain their smell, color and texture even after long storage. They are not oversaturated with tannins, as happens in white American oak or European oak barrels.
French wood is rich in tannins, which give cognac spirits a rich, tart flavor and aroma. If you store water in a Limousin oak barrel, it becomes softer and does not deteriorate – the wood has bactericidal properties.
French oak barrels are not cheap: the tree lends itself to special treatment with the help of a hydrocline, the boards are dried in natural conditions from one and a half to four years, and only then the barrel is collected. All this requires time, professional skills and special technologies, which is highly valued.
Types of cognac “Golden exposure”
Golden Excerpt, 4 years old, 40%. A golden-amber drink made from four-year-old spirits pleasantly smells of honey and vanilla, the aroma is balanced by tart tones of oak. Soft rounded taste with honey-vanilla hints, long aftertaste with notes of coffee and chocolate. Recommended as a digestif with a serving temperature of 20–22 °C, goes well with coffee and apples.
Golden Excerpt, 5 years old, 40%. The five-star deep amber drink smells like dried prunes, vanilla and coffee. The taste is soft, rounded, with hints of dried fruit, coffee and a slight astringency of oak. Long warming aftertaste with a taste of freshly roasted coffee beans. Recommended by restaurant critics as a digestif, goes well with desserts, chocolate and coffee.
