Cognac Ragnaud-Sabourin: Built-in Character

Every consumer may not be familiar with the Cognac Ragnaud-Sabourin (http://www.ragnaud-sabourin.com). However, this is a reference in the Cognac region. Kind of the cognac that a cognac producer would be drinking.  The company was founded in 1850 but it is only after WWII that this cognac house started producing its own bottled cognacs. This cognac house has deep roots in the cognac with predecessors who played major roles in the history of the cognac region, such as Gaston Briand, who was president of the growers association in the late 1900s. Now the house is in the hand of Annie Sabourin who at more than 70 years of age is still managing the company with her son Olivier.
The company in recent years had to be reorganized in needs of adaptation to changes: new master cellar (Pascal Dagnaud replaced Daniel Dudognon), change of long-term distributors, ... negotiating with large distributors to weather the storm. This cognac house specificity are:
(1) to produce Grande Champagne cognacs aged over the legal standards,
(2) to not blend the vintages,
(3) to use many authorized grape varietals beyond the common 'Ugni Blanc' but also the Colombard or the Folle Blanche,  and far more uncommon varietals such as the Balzac Blanc, the Blanc Ramé, the Bouilleaux, the Chalosse, or the Jurancon.
(4) they produce vintage cognacs,
(5) and Single Estate cognacs.
The Cognac Ragnaud-Sabourin are very hard to find, less than 40,000 bottles per year, produced in a 33 hectars estate near Ambleville, one may rediscover this brand as it has been recently re-design and repackaged by Alexandra Chassant from COCCINUS in Jarnac.
Cognac Ragnaud-Sabourin are available for sale at the Cognatheque in downtown Cognac city, France www.cognatheque.com.

Ragnaud-Sabourin Cognacs

Cognac Ragnaud-Sabourin

Source Photos: www.ragnaud-sabourin.com
N.B. grape varietals authorized in the production of cognac are:
Le Balzac Blanc & Noir, Blanc-Rame, Bouilleaud, Chalosse, Colombard, Folle Blanche, Jurancon, Saint-Pierre, Saint-Rabier, Petit Noir, and Ugni Blanc.

Cognac is all about Diversity and not about Stereotyping

This year I posted a blog on chocolate and cognac. Not everyone likes chocolate and not everyone likes cognac. However, how could it be? There are many kinds of chocolate: dark, dark and bitter, with nuts, black, milk, white, with fillings, hard, creamy, ... Same thing for cognac. There are younger and older cognacs, very fruity, very aromatic, one dimensional, multi-dimensional, light and darker, intense or light, bold or smooth, ... so many kinds that if someone does not like them it just means they just do not know about it enough to know that there is a style that would fit their tastes.

In this following video I show what I mean by not knowing. There is nothing wrong in getting a high or a low rating. What is wrong is to let ignorants rate you and give them the time of the day. But I respect freedom of speech. [Cognac CAMUS is a very admirable cognac house!]

[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tlkx1rDVrxo&w=560&h=315]

What is up with Cognac and Beer? Happy Father's Day Moment

Beer and Cognac are very much different things.
In fact, one may simplify by explaining that a whisky is a beer that is distilled and a cognac is a wine that is distilled.
The cognac connoisseurs may not like this idea as they may see this as a marketing gimmick to use cognac to increase prices and/or prestige. It may also be a way to democratize the cognac which is somewhat of an elitists spirit. In my opinion if it tastes good and it positively talks about cognac it is OK.

So what beer and cognac have in common? They have in common to be alcoholic beverages, and now to be associated in making cognac-beer drinks. Let me explain.

Essentially, there are 2 directions:

1) A Blending of Beer and Cognac.
The example is XO Beer which is a beer made in the city of Cognac and also using 2,5% of Cognac XO to blend for 2 weeks to create a higher alcoholic beverage. Well, it was much higher when originally 8% now it is 5,9% ALC/Vol..

XO Beer Bottle with Cognac XO Blending

2) Aged in Cognac Barrels
A good exemple is Mikkeller Black Hole American Stout with is a beer made in denmark and aged in cognac barrels. This brewery is known to age their beers in barrels and they had made a previous attempt with Scotch too. This beer is highly rated and it receives many supporting on the internet.

Mikkeller Beer Black Hole Aged in Cognac Barrels

 As an example, I am posting this video with a timely of HAPPY FATHER'S DAY MOMENT, you will understand in the middle of the video.

[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zkwhDuJSc-g&w=420&h=315]