Cognac, Armagnac, and Calvados

Question 1

98% of Cognac is made from what grape?

Answer 1

ugni blanc

Question 2

Rouge Duret and Rambault are types of what?

Answer 2

apples used in Calvados production

Question 3

What is the premier region of Calvados production?

Answer 3

Calvados Pays d’Auge AOC

Question 4

What is the 2nd distillation in cognac called?

Answer 4

Bonne Chauffe

Question 5

What is the climate in Cognac?

Answer 5

maritime

Question 6

What river influences the Cognac region?

Answer 6

Charentes river

Question 7

What are cellars called in the Cognac region?

Answer 7

Chais

Question 8

What is the soil type in both Grande Champagne and Petite Champagne?

Answer 8

chalk

Question 9

What are the 6 regions of Cognac in descending quality?

Answer 9

• Grande Champagne
• Petite Champagne
• Borderies
• Fins Bois
• Bons Bois
• Bois Ordinaire

Question 10

What does the label term ‘Fine Champagne’ mean in Cognac

Answer 10

Blend of min 50% Grande Champagne and the remainder made up of Petite Champagne

Question 11

Why did ugni blanc become the dominant grape in Cognac?

Answer 11

the other popular grape, folle blanche became compact and prone to rot when grafted onto american rootstock, which was necessary after phylloxera struck

Question 12

What are the “Big 4” Cognac brands?

Answer 12

• Hennessy
• Martell
• Remy Martin
• Courvoisier

Question 13

Who produces XO Cordon Bleu?

Answer 13

Martell

Question 14

What firm is the largest landholder in Borderies?

Answer 14

Camus

Question 15

What cognac brand uses their still in the off-season to produce Citadelle gin?

Answer 15

Pierre Ferand

Question 16

What style of cognac does Delamain focus on?

Answer 16

XO Cognac matured in oak cask from Grande Champagne

Question 17

Who owns Courvoisier?

Answer 17

Beam Suntory

Question 18

Ugni blanc is known in Italy as what grape?

Answer 18

trebbiano toscano

Question 19

What is the optimum vine age in Cognac?

Answer 19

20-30 years
- older vines produce fewer grapes, leading to an increase in potential alcohol (not suited to cognac)

Question 20

What is the most common training method in cognac?

Answer 20

double guyot (good for mechanization)

Question 21

Why is SO2 not used in cognac fermentation?

Answer 21

• so2 encourages yeast to produce acetaldehydes, which are not pleasant in a distillate

Question 22

Define premiere chauffe

Answer 22

• the first distillation in cognac
• turns the base wine into brouillis

Question 23

Define bonne chauffe

Answer 23

• the second distillation in cognac
• turns the brouillis into young, unaged cognac

Question 24

Chaudiere d’eau-de-vie is an alternate name for what?

Answer 24

alembic Charentais still

Question 25

What is the difference between a bouilleur de cru and a bouilleur de profession?

Answer 25

BdC - grower distiller BdP - purchases wine to distill

Question 26

Why are Cognac still made from copper?

Answer 26

- excellent heat conductor - not easily damaged by fire or acidic substances - fixes fatty acids, resulting in a hazy solid that can be filtered out - reacts with undesirable sulfur compounds so they don't end up in final product

Question 27

What is the abv range for brouillis?

Answer 27

26-32%

Question 28

What are the cuts of distillation in Cognac?

Answer 28

tetes - first portion coming out of distillation, full of impurities, set aside coeur - heart of the distillation, most desirable secondes - second cut in distillation, contains valuable alcohol, usually re-distilled queues - tails, final liquid to come from distillation, little alcohol and not desirable flavors, usually discarded

Question 29

Describe Troncais oak

Answer 29

- sessile (stalk-less) acorns - very fine grained (1mm) - tannins not as easily extracted - wood, coconut, clove aroams

Question 30

Describe Limousin oak

Answer 30

- pedunculate (stalked) acorns - wider grain (4mm) - allows more air flow and more tannin extraction - less suitable for cheaper cognacs (absorb too much tannin too quickly)

Question 31

What is the most common barrel size in Cognac?

Answer 31

350 L

Question 32

What is a bonbonne?

Answer 32

25 liter glass jars used in Cognac - used for very old or precious cognac - stops the aging process

Question 33

Define boise

Answer 33

mixture of boiled oak chips into a syrup that creates the impression of longer aging

Question 34

What are the permitted grapes in Cognac production?

Answer 34

- colombard - folle blanche - montils - semillon - ugni blanc - max 10% folignan (folle blanche X ugni blanc)

Question 35

What are the age indications used in Cognac labeling?

Answer 35

2 years VS , *** , Sélection, De Luxe, Millésime 3 years Supérieur, Cuvée Supérieure, Qualité Supérieure 4 years VSOP, Réserve, Vieux, Rare, Royal 5 years Vieille Réserve, Réserve Rare, Réserve Royale 6 years Napoléon, Très Vieille Réserve, Très Vieux, Héritage, Très Rare , Excellence , Suprême 10 years XO, Hors d'âge, Ancestral 14 years XXO

Question 36

If a geographic subzone is stated on a cognac label, what percentage of grapes must come from that subzone?

Answer 36

100%

Question 37

What is the soil type of Fins Bois?

Answer 37

red limestone/clay

Question 38

What is the soil type of Bons Bois and Bois Ordinaires?

Answer 38

sand

Question 39

At the end of distillation, the abv of cognac must not be higher than what?

Answer 39

73.7%

Question 40

What is Esprit de Cognac AOC?

Answer 40

- product of a 3rd distillation in cognac - 80-85% abv - used only in sparkling wine production (dosage) - rarely seen

Question 41

What are the 3 subzones of Armagnac?

Answer 41

- Haut Armagnac - Bas Armagnac - Armangnac Tenareze

Question 42

What is the min abv in Armagnac?

Answer 42

40%

Question 43

What types of still are allowed in armagnac production?

Answer 43

- pot still - continuous still

Question 44

What are the age indications in Armagnac?

Answer 44

VS - 1 to 3 years VSOP, Napoleon - min 4 years XO - min 10 years Hors d'Age - min 10 years XO Premium - min 20 years

Question 45

What are the primary grapes used in Armagnac production?

Answer 45

- ugni blanc - colombard - folle blanche - paco blanc

Question 46

What percentage of armagnac is distilled only once (continuous still)?

Answer 46

95%

Question 47

What is Blanche Armagnac?

Answer 47

armagnanc bottled after 3 months in an inert container

Question 48

Are vintage bottlings more common in Cognac or Armagnac?

Answer 48

Armagnac - preference of producers to highlight variation as opposed to maintain house style

Question 49

How long must vintage Armagnac age in cask before release?

Answer 49

10 years

Question 50

What percentage of calvados apples in an orchard must be local varieties?

Answer 50

20%

Question 51

What percentage of Calvados orchards must be bitter varieties?

Answer 51

min 70% (max 15% acidic varieties)

Question 52

What types of still are allowed in Calvados distillation?

Answer 52

- copper continuous - copper pot

Question 53

What are the age indications for Calvados AOP?

Answer 53

min 2 years - Fine, Trois Etoiles, Trois Pommes, VS min 3 years - Vieux, Reserve min 4 years - VO, VSOP, Vielle Reserve min 6 years - Hors d'Age, XO, Tres Vielles Reserve, Tres Vieux, Extra, Napoleon

Question 54

What does Produit Fermier indicate on a Calvados label?

Answer 54

estate grown and fermented fruit

Question 55

What is haut tige vs basse tige?

Answer 55

haut tige - apple trees with branches at least 1.6 meters above the ground basse tige - branches lower than 1.6 m above the ground

Question 56

What is the min abv in Calvados AOP?

Answer 56

40%

Question 57

What is the encepagement for Calvados Domfrontais AOP?

Answer 57

- orchards must contain min 15% pear trees (25% from 2016) - cider for Domfrontais must be min 30% perry

Question 58

What type of still is required in Calvados Domfrontais AOP?

Answer 58

continuous reflux column still

Question 59

What are the aging requirements for Calvados Domfrontais AOP?

Answer 59

min 3 years of age in oak cask from date of distillation - Vieux/reserve 3 yrs - VO/ VSOP 4 years - XO/Hors d'Age/Napoleon/Extra/Tres Vieux 6 yrs

Question 60

What is the max percentage of perry allowed in Calvados Pays d'Auge AOP?

Answer 60

max 30%

Question 61

What type of still is allowed in Calvados Pays d'Auge?

Answer 61

double distillation in copper pot still

Question 62

What are the 3 AOPs of Calvados?

Answer 62

- Calvados AOP - Calvados Domfrontais AOP - Calvados Pays d'Auge AOP

Question 63

What are the only two hybrid grapes allowed in a French AOP and what are the corresponding AOPs?

Answer 63

baco blanc - Armagnac voltis - Champagne

Question 64

St Emilion is an alias for what grape?

Answer 64

ugni blanc

Question 65

List 2 Calvados producers

Answer 65

- Le Morton (also makes Domfrontais) - Dupont - Adrien Camut - Domaine du Coquerel - Eric Bordelet