Famous brands of cognacs: a brief overview of more than 50 brands
What this article is about?
It's no secret that real cognac is produced only in the vicinity of the French commune of the same name Cognac (Cognac, France).
Important to know, that there are more than 250 companies producing cognac. However, the most famous are the so-called "Four big ones" cognac houses:
These famous brands of cognac account for about 80% of the products supplied to the world market.
Vzboltai collected all the famous cognac brands and wrote about it below..
Martell
Martell Cognac House is the oldest company in its category. Its founder, Jean Martel, who moved to the cognac region from the island of Jersey, spent the first few years of his company's existence trading in everything from coal to colonial goods.
In 1726, a native of Jersey married the daughter of a large cognac merchant, and as a result, he reoriented his business to the sale and subsequent production of cognac products.
Throughout the XIX-XX centuries, the company remained the undisputed leader of the cognac industry, but by the mid-1990s it began to lose ground, giving way to the Hennessy and Rémy Martin houses.
However, even today, the brainchild of a lucky entrepreneur sells 22 million bottles of its famous products annually, exporting them to almost 150 countries.
In addition, this house owns such brands as:
Augier
Briand 8c Co
Cohiba
Jules Robin
Rémy Martin
The Rémy Martin brand began its almost three hundred year history with a small family distillery.
Today, it is the second largest company in terms of production, annually selling more than 24 million bottles of cognac, which is exported to 165 countries.
At the same time, the reputation of Rémy Martin is so impeccable that this manufacturer can afford not to indicate on the labels the exact age of the youngest spirits contained in the drinks sold.
Rémy Martin is also the owner of a number of other brands, namely:
De Luze
Roulleaud Larret
Etienne Gasqueto
Detailed review of Rémy Martin
Hennessy
At the origins of the Hennessy house - by far the largest representative of the cognac industry, was not a Frenchman, but an Irish military man Richard Hennessy, who served under the French King Louis XV. Subsequently, it was the owners of this company who, as part of the fight against counterfeiting, were the first to supply their products in bottles rather than barrels. They also introduced the practice of indicating the number of years of cognac aging with asterisks.
Unlike the other three cognac houses, Hennessy is still fully controlled by the direct descendants of its founder. Exports of beverages produced directly in Hennessy distilleries exceed 30 million bottles per year.
In addition, the spirits provided by this cognac house are used to produce drinks under the brands:
Comandon
Davidoff
Denis-Mounie
Monnet
Pellisson
Courvoisier
The youngest of the major cognac houses, Courvoisier, is somewhat inferior to its main competitors in terms of sales. Its annual exports amount to approximately 15 million bottles. In addition, unlike other masters of the cognac industry, Courvoisier has neither its own vineyards, nor its own barrel production, nor even its own distilleries. The company purchases everything it needs from the surrounding owners and craftsmen.
At the same time, this fact does not prevent the company from owning a number of rights to well-known cognac brands:
Sag Pass
Carvalho
Comte Louis de Naives
Curlier
Garde Imperiale
Grandier
Lafontaine
Royal Symbol
Salignac
Symbole Royal
Frederick Wildman
It is interesting that the history of this house is quite closely and bizarrely intertwined with the history of the imperial house of Bonaparte. This company was the court supplier of cognacs under Napoleon III.
In addition, there is a legend that Napoleon I, who was captured after his defeat at Waterloo, either tried to win the favor of British officers by generously treating them to Courvoisier cognac or planned to escape to America on a ship carrying this very cognac. Although, in fairness, it should be noted that according to official documents, this French company appeared only 20 years after the collapse of the great emperor.
Detailed overview of Courvoisier
Gautier
One of the oldest cognac houses in the region, Gautier, received official permission to conduct business from King Louis XV in 1755.
The uniqueness of its products is largely due to the practice of aging cognac spirits in a cellar located on a rather humid river island.
Nowadays, about a million bottles of cognac are sold annually under the Gautier brand, which is exported to almost 70 countries.
Bisquit
Cognac house Bisquit founded in 1819 by twenty-year-old Alexandre Biscuit, still keeps in its cellars cognac spirit dating back to the year of its foundation.
Although today such a solid company as Pernod Ricard is investing in the development of the brand, the annual sales of Bisquit cognacs are just over 3 million bottles.
Delamain
Although the Delamain company was founded in England by one of the descendants of French Huguenot immigrants, Henry Delamain, since its creation in 1824 and to this day, no one doubts its right to be ranked among the real cognac houses.
The fact is that the cognac it produces is made exclusively from authentic French raw materials, and its aging is carried out only in the Charente region. Delamain's drinks are usually aged in old barrels to give them a mild flavor.
Every year, the company sells about 600 thousand bottles of its cognac, which invariably finds its fans.
Godet Freres
Godet Freres cognac house, officially founded in 1838, appeared thanks to the efforts of the Dutch trading dynasty of Godet. A well-recognized slogan of the company, which fully purchases grape spirits from local distillers, is the phrase "We choose spirits. "We choose spirits like we choose friends."...
Every year, about a million bottles of Godet Freres products are sold in stores in 45 countries.
Hardy
Hardy company, created in 1863, also has foreign roots. Anthony Hardy, a native of Great Britain, stood at its origins.
Hardy House is one of the few companies actively engaged in retail sales of its own products. At the same time, it is the leader in cognac sales in the domestic French market. The total annual sales of Hardy sometimes amount to almost 2 million bottles.
Camus
The Camus company was founded in 1863 by the great-grandfather of the current owner of the company, Jean-Baptiste Camus.
Annual sales of cognac of this brand amount to 4.5 million bottles of its products, which are exported to almost 150 countries. In addition, Camus is the owner of the Planat cognac brand.
The company's employees pay special attention to the quality of water used for irrigation of vineyards. It is interesting that this cognac house, at one time, maintained very close trade ties with both tsarist Russia and the former USSR.
Other brands worth knowing about
In addition to all of the above brands, there are many other brands of cognac that can be found in specialized outlets, especially those located in the Duty free zone.
If you've had your fill of world-famous cognac brands and want to try something new, you should pay attention to the brands listed below:
A.E.Dor
Currently, the Cognac house A.Е.Dor is owned by Jacques Rivière, a descendant of Amadeus Edouard Dor, and together with his son Pierre-Antoine, they carefully observe the tradition and create excellent cognacs.
Cognac House A.E.Dor is one of the three best cognac houses in the world. Their cognac collections have no analogues.
Chabasse (Bowen)
Founded in 1818 by Jean-Baptiste Chabassa, he also created excellent cognac spirits that became the basis of the future family business.
At the beginning of the 20th century, Louis Oliver Chabasse, the head of the Chabasse Cognac House, traveling and promoting his cognacs around the world, met Elizabeth Bowen, who impressed him with her passion for nature, wild life, courage and freedom of spirit. Upon returning to France, he created a blend of noble cognac with a wonderful range of delicate aromas, unsurpassed charm, strong character and named this drink in honor of Elizabeth - "Bowen".
Croizet
The Croizet family was known in the XII century for its large vineyards located in Grand Champagne.
The history of the cognac house began in 1805, when the Chevalier of the Legion of Honor Leon Croizet started producing cognac. Croizet received the highest award in France while researching methods of combating phylloxera, a grape aphid. By enclosing part of the vineyards with stone fences and grafting vines with American seedlings, Leon Croizet achieved the preservation of valuable varieties.
At first, the Croizet house was engaged in the production of inexpensive cognacs, supplying them mainly to the Scandinavian countries.
Delon
The brand, which is positioned at a high level, bears the name of the French actor Alain Delon and is actively promoted by him.
The brand is represented by HO Reserve Speciale cognac, made from Grand Champagne, Petite Champagne and Fen Bois spirits, with an average age of thirty years.
Denis Charpentier
The brand was founded in 1984. Gained popularity on the wave of "pre-crisis" growth in demand in Asian countries.
The products of this house, made on the basis of Grand Champagne and Fin Champagne cognac spirits, have won several prizes at international competitions and have settled, for example, in such an important market as China, as well as in Duty Free stores.
Edgard Leyrat
A small family producer in the fourth generation that owns the Domaine de Chez Maillard estate in the Fen Bois sub-region. According to the head of the company, the vineyards of Edgar Ler (53 hectares) are located on an exceptionally favorable territory for grape cultivation, which was marked in the XIX century by the famous geologist, Professor Henri Kokan, who conducted the first scientific research in Charente...
Frapin
The Frapin family has been known as a dynasty of winemakers since 1270, whose vineyards are located in the Southwest of France in the Grand Champagne region, in the Première Grand Cru du Cognac.
The residence of the Frapin house is located in the family castle of Fonpino on the outskirts of Segonzac. For 20 generations, family members have been producing cognacs.
One of the representatives of the Frapin family was the famous writer of the XVI century François Rabelais, the son of Antoine Rabelais and Catherine Frapin, the author of the world-famous work "Gargantua and Pantagruel".
Gaston de Lagrange
In 1961, the famous Martini & Rossi concern founded the Gaston de Lagrange Cognac House, which was named after the French aristocrat.
Gaston de Lagrange uses cognac spirits from the most famous regions to produce cognac: Grand Champagne, Bordeaux, Fen - Bois, Petite Champagne. Preference is given to Ugni Blanc grapes.
The cognac is created from a perfectly matched ratio of spirits, which are matured in barrels of Limousin oak. Alcohols matured to 55-65 degrees are softened with water aged in old barrels, this process is called reduction. As a result, the strength of all cognacs is 40 degrees. Gaston de Lagrange products are exported to more than 50 countries.
Hine
Currently, Hine is part of the LVMH group (Louis Vuitton-Moet-Hennessy). The company is managed by the sixth generation descendants of Thomas Hein: cousins Bernard and Jacques Hein.
The company does not have its own vineyards and alambics. Most of the spirits come from Grand Champagne and Petit Champagne, with very little from Fen Bois. Hine prefers to reduce spirits, reducing the strength to 60% immediately after distillation. Spirits are aged in barrels made only of Trondheim oak.
Louis Royer
The cognac house was founded in 1853 by Louis Royer and is known for a wide range of quality cognacs and Pineau des Charentes.
The company is located in the city of Jarnac on the banks of the Charente River, its offices and cellars are located where they were built more than 150 years ago.
Until recently, the company did not have its own vineyards - only in 2012 Louis Royer acquired a winery in Grand Champagne - Domain du Ménis, so grapes are bought from five of the six sites authorized for cognac production.
Marnier ancestors
In 1827, Jean-Baptiste Lapostol founded a factory for the production of fruit liqueurs with the addition of cognac. In 1876, his granddaughter married Louis Marnier, the son of a famous family of winemakers. Thus, the Grand Marnier company was formed, which has been owned by the Marnier-Lapostol family for over 150 years.
In 1921, Louis Marnier acquired the Chateau de Bourg-Charente in the Cognac region, where cognac spirits were aged in the cellars. Since then, the company has been the fifth largest cognac house in the region, buying cognac spirits from more than 200 producers.
Today, the Grand Marnier house is headed by the sixth generation of the Marnier-Lapostol family, namely Jacques Marnier-Lapostol. In the production of beverages, Jacques remains faithful to the traditions laid down by his ancestors. Marnier cognacs cover the range from VS to XO.
Meukow
Founded in 1862 by Russian subjects, the Mekov brothers, with the blessing of the Russian Tsar Alexander II, it is the first and only Russian cognac house today.
Otard
Baron Otard is the most respected cognac and has been around for 200 years. It can safely compete in terms of sales with Hennessy, Martel and Rémy Martin.
The secret of this amazing drink lies in the impeccable and absolutely unique conditions of aging alcohol in the cellars of Château de Cognac. This chateau was bought by the Othard family in 1796, right after the founding of the brand.
Paulet
Founded in 1848 by Jean-Maurice Lacroix on the basis of a distillery that produced cognac in the 18th century, this brand is now owned by the Cointreau family, owners of the Frapin house.
The extensive Paulet range includes several cognacs with a noticeable presence of Bordery spirits - thanks to them, the style of the house is recognized by its rich floral aroma.
Prince Hubert de Polignac
Prince Hubert de Polignac comes from the oldest noble families in France. Their history dates back to 860 and is associated with the name of Armand de Polignac the 1st.
Over the centuries, some of the members of this family have played an important role in the history of France. The honorable commitment of the Polignac family is reflected in its motto, "Sacer Custos Pacis", which can be translated as "Sacred Guardian of Peace".
Ragnaud-Sabourin
Elite French cognac, which is very difficult to find not only on the shelves of large stores, but even in specialized alcohol boutiques.
The fact is that Ragnaud-Sabourin is a small family-run business that produces its alcoholic masterpieces in small quantities and only for true connoisseurs of quality cognac. The French cognac Ragnaud-Sabourin has a very complex production technology, which has long been kept secret by the owners of the house. They pass it only by inheritance to their sons.
In addition, all cognacs of the Rhone-Sabourin brand are not blended, but are produced from their own grapes by specialists who have devoted almost all their adult lives to the alcoholic beverage business. After that, the French cognac is sent for a long time to age and be saturated with excellent taste in its own cellars, which are constantly monitored.
Renault
The cognac house was founded in 1835 by Jean-Antoine Renault. In the XIX century, he was one of the first to supply cognac not in barrels, as was customary before, but in bottles, thanks to which he achieved great popularity in the markets of Great Britain and the Scandinavian countries.
In 1963, he joined the Castillon company. In 1991, it joined the Pernod-Ricard group through its Bisquit cognac house, after which it became known as Renault-Bisquit. After that, the headquarters of the house was moved from Cognac to the former property of Rémy Martin - the Chateau de Ligner.
Larsen
The history of the company began in 1926, some time after Jens Reidar Larsen left his home in Norway and moved to France. It happened in 1919, and at first a young Norwegian from Tromso settled in Bordeaux, and then came to Cognac, where he stayed.
The range of Larsen cognacs is quite wide. The drinks consist of selected spirits distilled from high-quality varietal grapes from the fertile lands of Grand Champagne, Petite Champagne, Bordeaux and Fen Bois. The age of the youngest spirit included in the cognac blend is 2.5 years, and the age of the oldest spirit is 5 years.
Larsen is a surprisingly bright drink, with tones of ripe grapes and herbs floating in its aroma. The taste is quite mild, balanced, smooth and full-bodied, which is not typical for such young drinks. The taste may also contain a slight sourness.
If you want to get acquainted with the products of other two hundred companies, including those sold only to selected restaurants, you should at least settle in the glorious French town called Cognac or its surroundings for a while...
Update: 10.02.2021
Category: Brandy and Cognac