By
George Brozowski
Ah
the French! You have to love them or hate them but you simply
can't ignore them. They protect what's theirs with the ferocity
of a mother lioness sheltering her young cubs.
Take
for example their zealousness when it comes to their language.
Their government is in an all out battle to prevent the Anglicization
of French. For example they refuse to use the word Le Computer
and instead insist upon Informatique. Rumors or crazes which
sweep through the French-language internet - or la toile -
will no longer be known as le buzz and in the future they
will be called le ramdam, which may be Arabic but at least
is not English. Similarly, the practice of souping up or pimping
cars will no longer be known to French teenagers as le tuning
and will be referred to as le bolidage from the French slang
word for a high-powered car, le bolide (literally a fire-ball
or meteorite).
This
protectionist attitude of theirs obviously extends out to
their prized spirits. Champagne is only Champagne if it comes
from France, everywhere else it's just sparkling wine. Cognac
is Cognac only if it meets numerous strict regulations and
of course comes from a very rigorously defined geographic
area otherwise it's merely Brandy.
It
all started back in the 15th century when the Appellation
d'origine contrôlée (AOC), which translates as
"controlled designation of origin", was created
to protect Roquefort cheese. It is the French certification
granted to certain French geographical indications for certain
wine, cheese, butter and other agricultural products, all
under the auspices of the government bureau Institut National
des Appellations d'Origine (INAO). It is based on the concept
of terroir.
Cognac
the spirit is named after the town of Cognac in France and
is actually a variety of brandy. It is produced in the wine-growing
region surrounding the town from which it takes its name.
As an Appellation d'origine contrôlée, in order
to bear the name Cognac, the production methods for the distilled
brandy must meet specified legal requirements. It must be
made from certain grapes of these, Ugni Blanc, known locally
as Saint-Emilion, is the most widely used variety today. It
must be distilled twice in copper pot stills and aged at least
two years in French oak barrels from Limousin or Tronçais.
Most cognacs are aged considerably longer than that minimum.
According
to the BNIC (Bureau National Interprofessionnel du Cognac),
the official quality grades of cognac are the following:
*
V.S. ("very special") designates
a blend in which the youngest brandy has been stored for at
least two years in a cask.
*
V.S.O.P. ("very superior old pale")
designates a blend in which the youngest brandy is stored
for at least four years in a cask, but the average wood age
is much older.
*
XO ("extra old") designates a blend
in which the youngest brandy is stored for at least six years
but on average for upwards of 20 years. On April 1, 2016,
the minimum storage age of the youngest brandy used in an
XO blend will be set to ten years.
*
Napoleon is, according to the BNIC, a grade
equal to XO in terms of minimum age, but it is generally marketed
in-between VSOP and XO in the product range offered.
*
Extra designates a minimum of 6 years of
age; this grade is usually older than a Napoleon or an XO.
*
Vieux is another grade between the official
grades of VSOP and XO.
*
Vieille Réserve is, like the Hors
d´Âge, a grade beyond XO.
*
Hors d'âge ("beyond age")
is a designation which BNIC states is equal to XO, but in
practice the term is used by producers to market a high quality
product beyond the official age scale.
There
are close to 200 cognac producers. According to one 2008 estimate
roughly 90% of all cognac is produced by only four companies:
Courvoisier, Hennessy, Martell and Rémy Martin. Let
me state just for the record that as good as those guys are
they are not my top four. As a matter of fact they are not
even in my top 10, as the French are want to say, "chacun
à son gout".
So,
all of that science and legal mumbo jumbo should mean that
Camus VSOP and XO ought to be darned good so let's get to
it. The Camus VSOP Elegance presents itself to the nose steeped
in vanilla and oak layered with sweet spice notes and warmth.
The oak steps forward on the tongue and is backed by a distinctive
char and followed with subtle vanilla and a finish of smooth
spice that lingers for a while. It has a certain depth to
it that hints at layers of complexity which shift with each
sip. Straight up it's a bit too spicy for my personal palate
but still quite intriguing. On the rocks it settles down and
opens up and the spice transforms into pleasant and welcome
warmth. I do believe this would make an excellent mixer.
The
Camus XO Elegance is smoother and richer in the nose with
deeper and more complex vanillas and caramels followed by
oak and whispers of incense. It is even more substantial on
the palate with the oak and vanilla forward delicately enveloped
in sensuous warmth and followed by a rich and deeply layered
caramel and dare I say faint and delicate scotch like qualities
that absolutely demand another sip. The finish is a subtly
sweet, sultry warmth much like the feeling you would get from
the embrace of your naked lover under the covers of your bed
on a wintery night. This cognac is absolutely wonderful in
every way. Don't you dare mix this with anything or even lay
it over ice or you will rot in the deepest levels of hell
for all eternity.
Both
bottles are 750 ml and the VSOP can be had for around $30.00
while the XO is in the $90.00 range. I highly recommend you
treat yourself to the XO. Hey, the holidays are just around
the corner and I can't think of a better gift to give to yourself
especially if you have it sitting next to that bed with your
naked lover!
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