Janoschka Linked_V1_2016

16
f a c e t o f a c e
between heaven
and cellar
“The barrels have to be made from local
oak on-site by craftsmen,” explains Maître
de Chai, Mikaël Bouilly, while a rich, promising
gurgle can be heard as he fills a slightly
bulbous, tulip-shaped glass with liquid
from his topette. The cognac bestows its
initial bouquet upon the connoisseur immediately:
from earthy notes, spices or gingerbread
to wild flowers, hay or fruity nuances
to tobacco or truffles. The diverse potential
compositions of aromas are the cellar
master’s playground: like an alchemist, the
Maître de Chai mixes the different estates
and vintages. “It is a great profession, a
vocation that knows no bounds,” enthuses
Mr Bouilly, “Not even between heaven and
earth!” /
Meanwhile, the strong vapours nourish yet
another, much more profane entity: the Torula
fungus. This is a dark mould that grows
wherever brandy is stored. It blackens the
facades of the houses and castles and
gives them their patina that is so typical of
the region.
Before the angels can feast on their share,
several things have to happen. Ugni blanc,
better known as “Trebbiano”, is the name
of the grape that grows on approximately
90 percent of the vineyard acreage in the
Cognac region. What originally hampered
trade proves advantageous for the production
of spirits: the pressed, light wine, with
a pronounced acidity and eight percent
alcohol by volume, is the perfect wine for
distillation. Following fermentation, the fermented
grape juice is distilled twice.
the middle portion, “le coeur” (the heart),
with an alcohol content of between 72 and
60 percent by volume, is used. But even
this fine distillate still cannot be called
“cognac” yet. The crystal clear result of
both distillation procedures is the “eau de
vie”, or water of life. Only after approximately
24 hours, is the highly sensitive
distillation process finished. Every step
determines whether this water of life has
the makings of a good cognac.
He refers to “La Part des Anges” – “the
angels’ share” – the name given by winemakers
in southwest France to the approximately
20 million litres of cognac that literally
vanish into thin air through the pores of
the barrels, year upon year.
These evaporations are a blessing for ageing
the cognac: they draw the less fine
substances from the brandy and help it
achieve its superior quality. That is why,
the brandy-makers in Cognac are happy
to accept the loss of the equivalent of 23
million bottles. Incidentally, this is roughly
the amount that is exported to Germany
every year and enjoyed by earthly beings.
Only these two distillation processes, in
accordance with strict legal guidelines,
can transform sour grapes into an alcoholic
beverage. The distilling is a complex art,
passed on, unaltered, from generation to
generation over hundreds of years. And it
must take place in the region.
Also, for the spirit to be called “cognac”,
the wine must be distilled in a still which
is typical of the region: the traditional, copper
Charente alembic – “alembic charentais”.
This vessel can hold a maximum of
30 hectolitres. The first distillation produces
the “brouillis”, a liquid that has approximately
24 to 30 percent alcohol by volume.
From this, the second distillation produces
the “bonne chauffe”, of which, only
20%