Structure of the region
Most vineyards in the region are owned by smallholders, who tend to cultivate a number of crops in addition to grapes. These additional crops include rape, barley (for the Scotch Whisky industry), sunflower, and corn for animal feed. The average holding is 10 ha (up from 4 ha ten years ago). There are approximately 6,000 families growing grapes in the region, while ten years ago there were 14,000. The majority of these small growers have their wines distilled by a bouilleur de profession (the Hennessy distilleries act as bouilleurs de profession). The other type of supplier in Cognac is known as a bouilleurs de cru – those who distill their own production.
Bouilleurs de cru discuss the fermentation of the wines of the season with the master distiller, who has decided the quantities of heads and tails and thus controls the distillation. These distillers can distill the production of any parcels that they own at one central location, but they cannot distill the wines of other growers.
Grape blend
Ugni Blanc currently accounts for 95% of the regions production. Other grapes include Colombard and Folle Blanche (Gros Plant). Ugni Blanc is favored because it produces the type of wine best suited for distillation: low alcohol and high acidity.
Colombard is somewhat less interesting, but it is generally considered that Folle Blanche has interesting potential. It is a grape that once played an important role in cognac production, but this role declined after phylloxera, since the variety is susceptible to rot and coloure. With modern vineyard technique, however, it is making something of a renaissance. Other grapes that are authorized (but seldom seen) include Blanc Ramé, Sémillon, Jurançon Blanc, Select and Montils.
Wine making
Since it is a late budding and late ripening variety, the harvest is generally a full two weeks after that of Bordeaux. The grapes are machine harvested and the berries are sorted on the tractor and removed immediately from any juice that may be expressed, since it is forbidden to add sulfur because of the likelihood of off aromas after distillation. Even in years when the growers receive a derogation to sulfur, Hennessy does not use wine that has been sulfured. The grapes are typically harvested with a potential alcohol of 8 – 10° ABV
The grapes are gently pressed in a pneumatic press (vertical presses are not allowed) over the course of four hours, and the temperature of the must is stabilized through the use of a heat exchanger. Very few additions are made to the must, and acidification is not allowed.
The first cuvée is inoculated with yeast cultured from the area, and fermentation is assured in the subsequent cuvees by use of a pied de cuve (starter culture). The wine ferments for 8 – 10 days in epoxy-lined cement and stainless tanks at a temperature of <27° C (i.e. fairly warm). The wines are racked off the gross lees, although in many cases the wine is distilled with the fine lees, so it is left unfiltered. In some cases when the distiller is skillful, extra lees can even be added into the wine to give the eaux-de-vie (EDV) a rich, buttery texture. This can be a risky procedure, however, since these lees can burn in the boiler, ruining the batch. In general, malolactic fermentation is not sought, but neither can it be blocked because of the restrictions on sulfur use.
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Wine Regions of the World
