Paul Giraud Cognac

History

The Paul Giraud family owns 35 hectares of prime vine growing land around the villages of Bouteville and St. Merneles-Carrieres.

From the various types of grapes that grow in this region they manufacture eaux-de-vie. With time this improves by being kept in tanks. For the drink to be really ready sometimes it might age for 50 years in barrels made from Limousin oak trees. These are kept in extremely humid cellars. With each passing year they come up with the most excellent quality of cognac.

Cognac is a kind of brandy which is made from ugni blanc white grapes. These are grown only in these specified regions of Charentes (departments 16 and 17) as well as in a modest part of Deux Sevres. The region is divided according to the soil variations.

The headquarters of Paul Giraud cognac are in Bouteville, France. It is produced entirely from the Grande Champagne area and is unblended. VSOP cognac is creamy, pleasant and light being full of the flavour of classy grapes and a hint of honey.

Flavor

Napoleon is different with a touch of plum taste mixed with the fruitiness of grapes. It is rich in its woodiness. It is the perfect blend of fruit flavours and age. The Vieille Reserve XO is more deep and rich with a touch of chocolate and cream. The finish is long and sweet and very very pruney. The Tres Rare is one of the oldest cognacs and has greater wood and spice content. It is added to rancio and fulfills all that the human nose and tongue may want.

Paul Giraud cognacs have won prizes often and again and been praised by various prestigious publications.

The grape harvest gets on in full swing from the 3rd and 4th week of September. Except for Paul Giraud and few others most of this is done mechanically. But Paul Giraud and others of the exclusive club does the picking by hand. Distillation takes place during December and January.The distillation must end as per law by 31st March.

A traditional still uses wood as fuel. Distillation consists of two steps based on the theory that water’s boiling point is higher than that of alcohol. The clear stuff is stored and fermented in wooden casks. Cognac must not be less than 25 years old. The labels speak for themselves – VO means ‘very old’, VSOP means ‘very superior old pale’, Napoleon is six and a half years old and so on. The ageing stops once it pops out of the casks.

One needs time combined with patience to savour cognac. Each type of cognac has a matching kind of glass from which to drink.

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