Buying cognac based on price alone is a bad idea. This is used by dishonest manufacturers who unreasonably overestimate the cost. For a conscious choice of a drink, you need to know the systems for its classification. Then I will talk about all foreign and domestic varieties of cognacs.
According to international trade law, grape distillates produced in the French province of Cognac according to strictly regulated technology have the right to be called cognac. Drinks from other countries, even those made using identical technology, should be called “grape brandies”. But in Russia this rule does not apply, a limited circle of buyers knows about it. In order not to introduce confusion, I will call all Russian, Armenian, Moldovan and other brandies of the post-Soviet space “cognacs”, although this is not true.
Classification of French cognacs
1. Exposure. The marking was developed by the National Interprofessional Bureau of Cognacs, and each manufacturer must put it on the label. Instead of the usual asterisks for us, indicating the aging time in the barrel, Latin letters are used, but the essence does not change. The countdown starts on April 1 of the following year after the grape harvest. For example, if the crop is harvested in 2012, the age of cognac will begin to count from April 1, 2013. In blended cognacs (mixtures of different spirits), the aging period is determined by the youngest spirit in the blend.
Types of French cognac by aging:
- VS (Very Special), de Luxe, Selection or Trois Etoiles – minimum 2 years;
- Superior – at least 3 years;
- V.S.O.P. (Very Superior Old Pale), Vieux, Reserve – 4 года;
- V.V.S.O.P. (Very-Very Superior Old Pale), Grande Reserve – 5 лет;
- XO (Extra Old), Extra, Napoleon, Hors d’age, Tres Vieux, Vieille Reserve – минимум 6 лет.
According to French law, cognacs older than 6 years are not allowed to be classified. It is believed that their blending and quality cannot be controlled. But many manufacturers have elite cognacs aged 25-60 years in their assortment. Instead of labeling, bottles are labeled with their own names, such as “Camus Jubilee”, “Delamain Reserve de la Famile” or “Remi Martin Louis XIII”.
2. Region of production. The province of Cognac is divided into six wine regions:
- Champagne (Champagne) – soil with a high content of clay and chalk, there used to be a sea in this area, suitable for brands of the average price range;
- Grande Champagne (Grand Champagne) – is considered the most suitable area for the production of cognac, it produces spirits with high aging potential (minimum 20-25 years);
- Petite Champagne (Petite Champagne) – the conditions are slightly worse than in the previous region, the cognac turns out to be dense with stable fruit tones, alcohol is stored in barrels for up to 15-20 years;
- Borderies (Borderi) – local cognacs are soft with a slight aroma of violets, the aging period is about 15 years;
- Fin Bois (Feng Bua) – the largest zone, drinks mature in 3-10 years, they are famous for their mild taste with notes of freshly pressed grapes;
- Bons Bois (Bon Bois) is an area with a difficult climate that is not suitable for winemaking; spirits from this region are blended with spirits from other areas;
- Bois Ordinaires (Bois Ordinaire) – is considered the most difficult area, grape plantations are located along the ocean coast, local cognacs are easy to recognize by their specific taste, their aging period is about 5 years.
Only a few types of cognacs contain spirits of one region, mainly drinks from Grande Champagne, for example, “Frapin XO”. All others blend from different zones. Separately, it is worth mentioning Fine Champagne cognacs (it is not a separate zone). This category includes drinks made with Grande Champagne and Petite Champagne spirits, while the part of Grande Champagne must be at least 50%.
3. Grape varieties. The main variety for the production of cognac is Ugni Blanc (Ugni Blanc). It is characterized by high acidity, good yield and disease resistance. To a lesser extent, the grape varieties Folle Blanch (Folle Blanche), Colombard (Colombard) and Montils (Montil) are used. They produce more aromatic spirits, but the difficulty in growing them offsets the benefits.
Classification of post-Soviet cognacs
1. Country. On the territory of the former USSR, the production of cognacs (grape brandy) has been established in several countries:
- Russia (Stavropol, Chechnya, Dagestan, Crimea), a prominent representative is the Kizlyar brand;
- Ukraine (Odessa, Kherson and Transcarpathian regions), brands “Shabo” and “Zakarpatsky”;
- Armenia, names: “Selected”, “Jubilee”, “Ararat”;
- Georgia (Kakheti, Imereti, Megrelia), brands: “Sakartvelo”, “Yeniseli”, “Vardzia”;
- Azerbaijan, the best brands “Gek-Gel” and “Baku”;
- Moldova, names: “Doina”, “Codru”, “Festive”, “Sunny”, “Chisinau”.
2. Classes. Determine the category of the drink, its status. The following types of cognacs are distinguished by quality:
- ordinary – the cheapest brands aged 3-5 years;
- vintage – cognacs from good spirits for at least 6 years of aging;
- collectible – elite drinks over 23 years old, usually bought for private collections.
3. Holding time. Ordinary cognacs are marked with asterisks:
- 3 stars – indicates a cognac of light straw color, aged for at least 3 years and a strength of 40%;
- 4 stars – varieties of cognac from spirits of at least 4 years of aging, with a strength of 41% and a sugar content not exceeding 1.5%, the color is darker;
- 5 stars – drinks made from high-quality cognac spirits aged in barrels for at least 5 years, with a strength of at least 42% and a maximum sugar content of 1.5%.
Unlike the French classification according to the Russian GOST R 51618-2009, there are no cognacs aged less than 3 years.
On the labels of vintage cognacs you can find the inscriptions:
- KV (aged cognac) – age 6-7 years, the fortress is not less than 42%;
- KVVK (seasoned cognac of the highest quality) – 8-10 years of aging, strength 43-45%;
- KS (old cognac) – at least 10 years of infusion in a barrel, 40-57 degrees;
- OS (very old) – at least 20 years old, 40-57% alcohol.
Classification of collection cognacs is not provided.