Cognac is a brandy made exclusively in the Cognac region of France using Ugni Blanc grapes. The price is determined by the blend of eaux-de-vie, type of grape, age, and grade, with Very Special (VS) being the cheapest and Extra Old (XO) being the most expensive. The grade is determined by the age of the youngest eaux-de-vie in the blend.
Cognac, a specific variety of brandy, takes its name from the town of Cognac in France, which, together with the surrounding area, is the only location that produces the Ugni Blanc grapes needed for the production of the liqueur. The price of cognac depends on a variety of factors which are legally determined by the use of grades, ranging from Very Special (VS) to Extra Old (XO), with other grades such as Hors d’âge used to denote age beyond the degree scales. Other factors affecting the price of cognac include the type of grape used, the age and the blend of the liquor.
An initial step in determining the price of cognac involves the first step of production: the eau-de-vie. Eaux-de-vie, French for “waters of life,” are white grape wines that serve as the base for cognac. For cognac to be considered crus, a name used to describe cognac made from the best wines, at least 90% of the grapes used to create the eaux-de-vie must be Ugni Blanc, Folle Blanche or Colombard, with the remaining 10% being consisting of any number of blends of different grapes.
The next step in determining the price of cognac is to identify the blend of eaux-de-vie used to create the liqueur. The vast majority of cognac makers use a blend of eaux-de-vie to create a well-rounded flavor and to successfully replicate the same flavor over and over again. Because the flavor of a batch of eau-de-vie is specific to itself, the mâitre de chai, or master taster, of each vineyard is responsible for blending different eaux-de-vie to achieve a consistent result. Many smaller vineyards that make their own cognac prefer to use a single mix of eaux-de-vie, allowing for more variance in taste from batch to batch, much like a single malt scotch or whisky.
The last and probably the most important element in determining the price of cognac is the grade. The grade of a cognac is primarily determined by the age of the youngest eaux-de-vie included in the blend. Grades of cognac consist of three main classifications and five sub-classifications used to further identify the blend. The three main classifications, in order of price, are as follows: Very Special, Very Special Pale Old and Extra Old. The eaux-de-vie in each are aged by law for at least two, four and six years respectively; however, it is not uncommon to see an age as young as twenty in these grades. Of the five sub-classifications, the most notable is Hors d’âge, which by law is equivalent to Extra Old, but is used by many producers to indicate a cognac aged beyond the official scale.
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