While the outer regions may not sound very romantic, these large crus offer a great range of growing conditions. These include pockets of chalky soil preferred by distillers and vineyards bathed in cool air from the Atlantic. Larger houses often overlook eaux-de-vie from the Bois, but an increasing number are embracing their distinctive character and subtle maritime influence, such as Camus which grows grapes on the picturesque Ile de Re.

Cognac’s smallest cru has limestone and clay soils which yield eau-de-vie with a distinctive nuttiness. Being relatively quick to mature, Borderies Cognacs are often used to provide structure and depth to blends. This is particularly true of Martell and expressions like the legendary Cordon Bleu. We also see an increasing number of single estate Borderies Cognacs of significant age, showing that some can continue to improve over many decades in oak.

Big and vibrant with complex fruit and florals, some Grande Champagne Cognac will continue to develop for up to a century in cask. Cellar masters closely guard their oldest stocks of these precious eaux-de-vie, reserving them for use only in the most distinguished blends. While the biggest names in Cognac draw heavily on the top cru, it is also home to smaller producers of single estate cuvees such as Frapin and Michel Forgeron.