HOW IS COGNAC MADE?
To fully understand the difference between brandy and cognac, we must consider the production process. Cognac is made with double-distilled dry, acidic white wine from the grapes – Ugni Blanc, Colombard and Folle Blanche – in its AOC. Distillation occurs in copper pot stills within the strict window between 1 October – 31 March. Cognac can be distilled with or without the lees from the wine, but Rémy Martin makes cognac with the lees, for added richness.
HOW IS BRANDY MADE?
Brandy can be produced faster than cognac. Cognac, on the other hand, must be aged for at least two years in oak barrels to make a VS cognac. The House of Rémy Martin stipulates the use of oak wood coming mainly from the forests of the Limousin for its casks, which impart a vanilla flavour. The Cognac Fine Champagne eaux-de-vie that Rémy Martin uses needs to be aged for a long period of time to reach full maturity. Once it is made, a cognac must have an alcohol content of at least 40%. Some brandies are as low as 36%. You can learn more about the production of Rémy Martin cognac here.
HOW DOES COGNAC TASTE IN COMPARISON TO BRANDY?
Aside from these finer details that explain the difference between brandy, cognac, and Rémy Martin cognac, we ought to remember the most important factor, which cannot be controlled by numbers or geography. How does cognac taste in comparison to brandy? “When you respect perfectly each step of the production … that will give you something rich in the mouth,” says Maxime Pulci. “It is full of aromas. Fruity, floral, spicy notes, the vanilla, the toasting of the oak – a harmony that sip after sip will reveal [itself]. I love when I’m doing a tasting and someone says, ‘I don’t like cognac.’ I say, ‘OK, now I will change your mind. Let’s do it. Let’s take our time.’”
