Menu
Menu
Cognac is an incredibly complex spirit. There is a lot of terminology in regards to the age, geographical location, or even distillation methods. The list below should hopefully help you navigate these terms more easily and understand what they mean.
Last Updated: 10 March 2023
Aging: The process of placing eau-de-vie in a barrel for a certain amount of time. This is sometimes called “maturing” the spirit.
Alembic Charentais: A copper still used in cognac production; copper is used to build these stills as it conducts heat evenly. The design, including dimensions, are legally controlled by the BNIC.
Angel’s Share: The percentage of liquid that is lost due to evaporation during the aging process in barrel. Typically, this is around a 2% annual loss for all cognac.
Angoulême: The capital city of the Charente département about 45km (28 miles) east of Cognac. The city sits on a plateau overlooking the Charente river and was a highly sought-after town in the 17th-19th century as it was in close proximity to many roads. It’s located in the Fin Bois cru.
AOC -Appellation d’Origine Controlee: A French certification granted to certain geographical regions for specific agricultural products such as cheese, wine, butter, and cognac. It’s based on the concept of terroir and a form of geographical protection.
Barrel: For cognac, these are typically made from either Tronçais or Limousin oak and are on average around 350L. They’re used to age eau-de-vie in them, imparting different flavors and aromas. Other types of oak are rarely used and there are regulations preventing producers from using barrels that previously held other spirits.
Big Four: This term refers to the four largest cognac houses that dominate the entire cognac market. Hennessy, Martell, Rémy Martin, and Courvoisier make up this group.
Blend: A cognac that is made by mixing eaux-de-vie from more than one growth region
Blending (a.k.a. Assemblage): This process, carried out by the Cellar Master, mixes different eaux-de-vie to create a finished expression. This technique involves combining multiple barrels together to create a specific flavor profile.
BNIC: The Bureau National Interprofessionnel du Cognac is the governing body that enforces the rules and regulations that define cognac. They are made up of winemakers, distillers, and merchants to help promote and safeguard the region and spirit.
Boisé: A bitter, wood flavored syrup that can be added to cognac to enhance the oak flavors and give an impression of longer aging. It’s made by boiling down water with wood chips and stabilizing it with spirit. Sometimes it is then aged to take on more wood flavors.
Bois Ordinaires: This is one of the six crus in cognac. It features sandy soils and is mostly coastal territory including some islands off the West coast. Cognac made here ages very quickly and tends to be mineral driven with a distinct maritime aroma.
Bons Bois: This is one of the six crus in cognac and the largest one. The area has different pockets of soil types including clay, limestone, and sand. Cognac made here ages very quickly and tends to have a strong fruity bouquet.
Bonne Chauffe: Cognac is double distilled. After the first distillation through an Alembic still, it’s run through once again. The second run is called the bonne chauffe and is ready to be put in a barrel to age.
Borderies: This is one of the six crus in cognac. It’s the smallest region and is located on a plateau made up of clay, black flint, and limestone soil. Cognac made here needs a fair amount of time to age and has distinct violet aromas.
Bouilleur de Cru: A distiller who grows their own grapes and distills their wine themselves. They typically sell what is made to négociants or a house, but could also keep it for themselves if they have their own brand.
Bouilleurs de Profession: A distiller who buys wine and distills it to sell to négociants or a house.
Bousinage: The process of toasting the inside of the barrel with direct heat (open flame). Rather than charring the barrel, as American whiskey does, this gentle heating helps to break down aromatic molecules such as lignin, cellulose, and hemicellulose making it easier for the eau-de-vie to absorb during aging.
Brandy: This is the general spirit category of cognac. Brandy is a distilled spirit made from any fruit, most commonly apples, pears, and grapes. Cognac has to be made in the specialized AOC and made with specific kinds of grapes. Brandy is to cognac as whiskey is to bourbon.
Brouillis: Cognac is double distilled. After the first distillation through an Alembic still, the resulting spirit is called brouillis.
Caramel: A coloring agent used in many different spirits to create a darker color in the final product. This is mainly used for visual consistency purposes and does not effect the flavor of the cognac at all.
Cask: This is another word for a barrel, but is also used to describe an alcoholic proof that is over the standard 40% ABV (80 proof) of most cognacs. This means the barrel was emptied and bottled without dilution, hence cask strength/cask proof.
Cellar Master (a.k.a. Maître de Chai): This person supervises the aging and blending of cognacs. The position is highly specialized and usually involves many years of apprenticeship with technique handed down through multiple generations. Sometimes Master Blender is used interchangeably with this term.
Chai: Another name for a cellar. This is where the barrels of cognac rest for an undisclosed amount of time until they’re ready to be used.
Charente: 1) A département in southwest France where many important towns are located such as Cognac, Jarnac, Segonzac, and Angoulême. The majority of this region is part of the AOC for cognac.
2) The name of the river that runs through downtown Cognac and various other parts of the region. It was, and still is, integral to the production of cognac.
Charente Maritime: A département by the southwestern coast of France. The entire region is part of the AOC for cognac. Parts of Bois Ordinaires and Bon Bois are included here.
Colombard: One of six grape varietals grown to make cognac. It has a higher alcohol content than the two other popular grapes, Folle Blanche and Ugni Blanc.
Cognac (city): A town in the Charente region which the eau-de-vie is named from. The Charente river runs through it and is home to several producers such as Hennessy, Martell, Otard, Bache, and A. de Fussigny. It’s located on the west border of the Grande Champagne cru, but is in very close proximity to the Petite Champagne, Borderies, and Fin Bois crus.
Cru (a.k.a. Growth Area): A word that describes the specific region within the AOC allowed to cultivate grapes to produce cognac.
Demijohn (a.k.a Dame-Jeanne): A bulbous, narrow-necked bottle usually made of glass that holds anywhere from 3 to 10 gallons of liquid, typically enclosed in a wicker cover. These are usually used in the Paradis cellar to hold cognac that is done aging, but not ready to be blended.
Département: One of the administrative divisions within the country of France. A départment can be compared to the likes of a state in the United States or territory in Canada.
Distillation: The heating and separating of various volatile components within a liquid to concentrate alcohol. This process is carried out by a still. In the case of cognac, an Alembic still.
Double-distillation: After the wine has been distilled once, it goes through the Alembic still one more time. This intensifies certain aromas and flavors that are commonly found in cognac.
Early Landed: An old practice of shipping barrels of cognac to other countries to finish aging. The most common destination was England. This is still allowed today by the BNIC, but the cognac must age at least two years in the AOC before leaving to finish aging elsewhere. Also, it must return to France before being bottled. Hine is the foremost leader in this category.
Eau-de-vie: A clear, colorless brandy that is made by fermenting fruit into wine and then distilling it. This is what every cognac starts as. The plural spelling is eaux-de-vie.
Fins Bois: This is one of the six crus in cognac. This area has mixed soil types of mostly clay and a little limestone. Cognac made here ages fairly quickly and has a bright, fruity flavor of fresh pressed grapes.
Fine Champagne: A blend of cognac created from eaux-de-vie from both Grande Champagne and Petite Champagne. It must contain a minimum of 50% Grande Champagne in the blend.
Folle Blanche: One of six grape varietals grown to make cognac. It has a lower alcohol content than the other varietals of grapes used to make cognac.
Glencairn Glass: This is a popular glass to drink neat pours (no ice) of spirits from. It’s very similar to a tulip glass, but with no stem and a stubby, footed base. It’s more commonly used to drink whisk(e)y, specifically Scotch, but is a great option for other spirits, as well.
Grande Champagne: This is one of the six crus in cognac. It is often regarded as the best cru out of the six because the limestone subsoil is some of the oldest in the region with the highest concentration of nutrients giving it optimal growing conditions for the grapes. Cognac made here needs a lot of time to age and has great finesse and length with strong floral notes.
Grape: The fruit that cognac is produced from. The six varietals that can legally be used are Ugni Blanc, Folle Blanche, Montils, Sémillon, Folignan, and Colombard.
Hors d’Age: An age classification for a cognac that translates to ‘beyond age.’ Technically, this is an XO age statement. However, in practice the term is used by producers to market a high-quality product beyond the official age scale. They’re typically around 20-30 years old, but can go well above that.
House (a.k.a. Maison, Producer): The term for a cognac brand, known as a cognac house, cognac maison, or producer. There are around 300+ different houses/producers in the Cognac AOC.
Jarnac: A town in the Charente region about 15km (9 miles) east of Cognac. The Charente river runs through it and is home to several producers such as Hine, Delamain, A.E. Dor, and Courvoisier. It’s located on the northeast border of the Grande Champagne cru and pushes up against the Fin Bois cru.
La Rochelle: A town in the Charente-Maritime region about 105km (65 miles) northwest of Cognac. It’s a port city located on the coast of France and home to only a few producers, most notably Godet and Normandin Mercier. It’s located in the Bois Ordinaires cru and was a pivotal city throughout the history of cognac.
Lees: Often referenced as distilling “on/off the lees,” these are dead yeast cells and little bits of organic matter left over after the wine fermentation. Some producers keep them in when they distill and others filter them out. This will change the final flavor of the cognac depending on the house style.
Limousin: An agricultural region in south-central France where oak trees are grown. One of the most common woods to make barrels out of to age cognac. It’s also one of the most expensive woods in the world to make barrels with. Cognac aged in Limousin oak extract a lot of tannins and impart vanilla notes to eau-de-vie.
Merrains: The wood staves used to make a barrel for aging cognac. There are specific requirements for these staves such as they must be free of knots, have straight grain, and be of a specific diameter. They also need to be split, rather than sawed, to make sure the barrel will be air tight.
Millésime: This is another term for a vintage cognac. It’s a cognac produced from a single harvest from a specific year. These are strictly controlled by the BNIC. After a barrel is filled, a representative seals the cask and places it under lock and key in a designated chais where the producer can’t access it. When bottled, the year of harvest is printed on the bottle.
Napoléon: An age classification for cognac. The cognac must be aged for at least six years in barrel. This could also be called ‘Excellence,’ ‘Héritage,’ ‘Très Rare,’ and ‘Suprême.’
Négociants: These are individuals working for a house that buy newly distilled eau-de-vie to age themselves and later sell under their own name. Sometimes they might buy already matured cognac or continue to age it further.
Organic: This is when a cognac is produced using no chemical pesticides, herbicides, or fertilizers in the vineyard. To be labeled organic, a farmer must grow their grapes for a minimum of three sequential years in this manner before being approved organic.
Paradis Cellar: A special chai where a cognac producer keeps their oldest and most valuable/rare cognacs.
Petite Champagne: This is one of the six crus in cognac. This area is similar to Grande Champagne in that it has limestone subsoil rich with nutrients, but overall, the earth is a bit more compact. Cognac made here needs a good amount of time to age. They have a bit less finesse than Grande Champagne Cognac with a slightly shorter finish.
Petites Eaux: Mixture of eau-de-vie and water used to dilute the strength of the final cognac before bottling.
Phylloxera: A tiny insect/aphid that caused the mass destruction of vineyards throughout Europe starting in the mid 1860s until about 1895. France wasn’t able to start recovering and replanting vineyards until the end of the 19th century. The grapes used before this disaster were mainly Folle Blanche and Colombard, but then switched to Ugni Blanc afterwards as it was more resistant to the insect.
Pineau des Charentes: A fortified wine made in the AOC of cognac. It’s created by adding cognac to freshly pressed grape juice or grape must and aging it in oak barrels. There is white and red Pineau. Think of this in the same family as vermouth, port, or sherry.
Premier Cru (a.k.a. 1ER Cru): This is a phase used often on labels. It means that 100% of the grapes used in that bottle are from the Grande Champagne cru.
Rancio: An aroma/flavor found in Cognac that has been aging for a long time. It usually shows up after the 10-15 year mark and is described by some as having qualities of mushroom, cheese rind, leather, or musty earth. This is a very desirable flavor in older Cognac.
Réserve Familiale (or Tres Vieille Réserve): An age classification for Cognac. This is technically an XO Cognac. However, producers usually use this term to specifically signify a Cognac that has very old eau-de-vie from their Paradis cellar in it. Due to scarcity of the older eau-de-vie, these bottles are more expensive and fewer are made.
Roux: Sometimes called ‘red casks.’ After a brief aging process in a new barrel, often eau-de-vie will be transferred into a used barrel called a roux. The roux will impart less tannins and allow for a more harmonious aging process. These barrels aren’t neutral, so they still give a little bit of wood complexity to the eau-de-vie.
Segonzac: A town in the Charente region about 14km (8 ½ miles) southeast of Cognac. It’s home to many producers such as Frapin and Pierre Ferrand. It’s in the center of the Grand Champagne cru.
Single Estate: A cognac created from a producer that handles the entire production process from ‘grape to glass’ including owning their own vineyards, making the wine, distillation, aging, blending, and bottling.
Snifter (a.k.a. Balloon Glass): A glass traditionally used to drink brandy and named for its balloon-like shape.
Tannins: Naturally occurring chemicals found in wood that bind to proteins and certain other organic compounds. When cognac is aged in wood barrels, the tannins are released into the spirit over time and can give it flavors of anything from vanilla and black tea to baking spices and dry bitterness.
Terroir: The characteristic taste and flavor imparted to a cognac by the environment in which it is produced. This is directly related to the soil, topography, and climate and is represented by the six different crus.
Tierçons: A specific type of barrel used for aging cognac. They are larger (550L+) and longer than normal barrels and the wood is thinner.
Torula: A fungus that feeds off of airborne alcohol and can be seen growing all over the walls, floors, and beams in the chai. It has a characteristic black color that can be found all over Cognac and Jarnac. When you see it, chances are cognac is aging nearby.
Tronçais: An agricultural region in central France where oak trees are grown. One of the most common woods to make barrels out of to age cognac. This wood is slightly softer and less porous than Limousin oak so it doesn’t impart as many tannins to the cognac.
Tulip Glass: Sometimes called a nosing glass or copita, this is the preferred glass to drink cognac from. It has a tall and thin shape with a narrow rim which focuses its aromas toward your nose to best appreciate the spirit. It resembles a tulip flower
Ugni Blanc: One of six grape varietals grown to make cognac. This grape is known by many other names, such as Trebbiano, Saint Emilion and Muscadet. This is a very disease resistant grape and is the most common varietal making up 98% of all cognac production.
Vine: A woody, stemmed climbing plant on which grapes grow.
Vinification: The term that describes the conversion of grape juice into wine by fermentation.
Vintage: A cognac from a specific year’s harvest.
Vineyard: An area covered in vines specifically grown to produce grapes for winemaking. In the Cognac AOC specific requirements are given to vineyards from space between vine rows, times of the year you can harvest, and varietal of grape you can grow.
VS: An age classification for cognac. The cognac must be aged for at least two years in barrel. VS stands for ‘Very Special.’ VS cognac can also go by other names such as ‘Trois Etoiles’ (Three Star), ‘Sélection,’ and ‘De Luxe’.
VSOP: An age classification for cognac. The cognac must be aged for at least four years in barrel. VSOP stands for ‘Very Superior Old Pale.’ VSOP cognac can also go by other names such as ‘Réserve,’ ‘Vieux,’ and ‘Royal.’
Wine: In terms of cognac production, grapes are fermented into wine which then goes through a double distillation to create eau-de-vie.
XO: An age classification for cognac. The cognac must be aged for at least ten years in barrel. XO stands for ‘Extra Old.’ XO cognac can also go by other names such as ‘Hors d’âge,’ ‘Extra,’ ‘Ancestral,’ ‘Ancêtre,’ ‘Or,’ ‘Gold,’ and ‘Impérial.’
XXO: An age classification for cognac. The cognac must be aged for at least 14 years in barrel. XXO stands for ‘Extra Extra Old.’ This is a newer age category that was approved in December 2018.