Made by adding 2/3 fresh Merlot grape juice to 1/3 Cognac. Matured for more than 18 months in oak barrels. Very harmonious Pineau with shades of cherry, raspberry and a little lingonberry. A bit more structure than the white. Serve as a welcome or with melon, desserts with chocolate or fresh red fruits.
Cognac François Voyer is regarded in the international press as one of the best producers in Grande Champagne and can be found on some of the best wine lists in the world. One of the world’s biggest cognac collectors, Michel Gillet, has Voyer cognac among his favourites: “Not necessarily one of the best-known cognac houses, but definitely one of the very best”, he says.
Founded in 1795, Cognac François Voyer is located near the town of Verrières, in the middle of Grand Champagne, 1er Cru du Cognac. In the beginning, the family supplied its grapes to other producers, but from 1870, as one of the few in the area, they began to distill cognac themselves and mature them in casks. This has now been done for 5 generations. The vineyards are located in two of the best communes in the south-west of Grande Champagne, 1er Cru du Cognac: Verrières and Ambleville, near Segonzac. From the 1960s, they began bottling and developing their own cognac selection, which today consists of approx. 10 different products, some of them with over 50 years of storage.
It is the cellar master Pierre Vaudon who takes care of the various “assemblages” (mixtures) and selection of the cognacs to mature further. He guarantees quality and continuity at François Voyer. The large reserve of old cognacs in the house means that you can mostly produce cognacs that are much older than the law prescribes. It is one of the secrets behind the special quality and harmony of Cognac François Voyer.
Pineau des Charentes may only be produced in Charentes-Maritime, an area located in South-West France with the city of Cognac in the centre. The area borders Bordeaux to the south. About Pineau, legend tells that it was discovered by mistake in the 16th century. A vintner in Cognac inadvertently poured unfermented grape juice into a dish which still contained some cognac. The winegrower’s disappointment was great when he discovered that the contents of the cask would not ferment, so he put the cask in a dark corner and tried to forget all about his misfortune. When he tasted the contents a few months later, he was pleasantly surprised. Thus the Pineau des Charentes was created…
Pineau des Charentes is made by adding approx. 2/3 – 3/4 fresh grape juice to ¼ – 1/3 Cognac. The secret behind a good Pineau is the quality of the must, which should ideally have a high sugar content and the quality of the Cognac used, which should be more than 1 year old. The wine is then matured for at least a year in oak casks, still with lees, to bring the alcohol percentage down to between 16 and 22%.
