TRANSFORMATION
The three traditional Cognac grape varieties, Ugni Blanc, Folle Blanche and Colombard are still grown on the Tesseron estates which is very unusual. Folle Blanche and Colombard have almost disappeared in the region as they are difficult to grow and produce small crops, but they are important as they add an extra dimension to the final blend.
The Vintage
The grapes are gathered during the long, warm, sunny days of early autumn and fermented to
make a low strength, acidic wine of around 8% volume.
Distillation
The distilling season is tightly controlled from the vintage time through to 31st March
the following year. The Tesseron Cognacs are double distilled in gleaming copper
"pots" stills heated by a naked flame. Only the "heart" of the
distillation is selected for maturation into Cognac.
Maturation
The cool, damp Tesseron cellars dating back to the XIIIth century were once part of the
crypt of the local church. It is here that the young "eaux de vie" will be laid
to rest and will be left in peace to quietly age and mature in old oak casks for many
years. These casks were made by craftsmen from ancient oaks felled in the nearby forests
of Limousin. During maturation the ageing Cognac will gently oxidise, soft tannins will be
absorbed from the old oak casks and some will evaporate and be lost forever - the
"angels' share".
THE ART OF BLENDING
The "maitre de chai" knows the character of each cask of Cognac as if
they were his children. Each will be different with its own individual personality, even
though the "eaux de vie" may be distilled from identical grape varieties on the
same day.
Blending is a great skill, an art, which like great Cognac, takes many years to develop.
Tesseron Cognacs have great complexity and depth as the "maître de chai"
creates a subtle blend of three grape varieties: Ugni Blanc for roundness, Folle Blanche
for finesse and Colombard for strength and depth. Each variety and cask will lend a
special nuance to the final blend.