Chateau de Beaulon Cognac

Chateau de BeaulonCognac

These varieties are delicate and fragile to grow but inimitable in taste and aroma. In the cellars a winning combination of ancestral know-how meets the very latest in modern technology. Five traditional ageing cellars jealousy guard the prestigious Beaulon Cognac and Pineau behind their thick stone walls. More than thirty years’ harvests lie quietly maturing in small oak barrels over many decades.

Château de Beaulon was built by the "de Vinsons" family in 1480 during the reign of King Louis XI. At the dawn of the renaissance period Beaulon’s architectural style was still flamboyantly gothic and the beautiful Château is still intact to this day.

The vineyards are a privileged terroir of chalky hillsides, with ninety hectares of unique Charente vineyards.

A deliberate and judicious choice of grape varieties sets the Chateau de Beaulon vineyards apart. The Cognacs themselves are faithful to XVIIth Century tradition. There is strict adherence through the centuries - and contrary to modern tendencies - to traditional cognac grape varieties: Folle Blanche, Colombard & Montils. These varieties are fragile and difficult to grow but inimitable in taste and aroma.

At Beaulon the Pineau des Charentes is easily distinguishable by the complex fruitiness of the noble Bordeaux grape varieties: Semillon/Sauvignon for the white; Cabernets Franc/Sauvignon and Merlot for the red, combined with the fragrances of old cognacs and further magnified by the ageing in oak.

Distillation is done with light lees in 4 small volume pot stills (bouilleur de cru), hand crafted in copper with the distinctively shaped swan’s necks and still heads. Their low volume increases the aromas and concentrates the fruity and floral characteristics of the wine by extracting the quintessence.

Beaulon practices very long ageing in Limousin or Tronçais oak barrels, generally two to three times longer than legally required, and even longer for the rarer quality products.

In the cellars a winning combination of ancestral know-how meets the very latest in modern technology. Five traditional ageing cellars jealously guard the prestigious Beaulon Cognac and Pineau behind their thick stone walls. More than thirty years’ harvests lie quietly maturing in small oak barrels over many decades.

The cellars are to be found at Lorignac, their roofs blackened by the “Torula” fungus which makes their vocation easily distinguishable. Inside, the “blond” barrels are stacked vertically above a beaten earth floor, which favours evaporation of the ethers. This “angel’s share” concentrates the aromas and enriches the wonderful fragrances of Beaulon’s Cognac and Pineau.

The Paradise cellar is where the oldest and most precious “eaux de vie” are stored, a heritage that bears witness to all those men and women whose passion and know-how have gone before.

These hand-crafted cognacs from a boutique producer are fine examples of the superb quality and distinctive character that can be found outside the range of the ‘Big Four’ producers.