【The first of the four major cognac brands】
Of the four major cognac houses, Hennessy is known for its incredible reserves of brandy, many of which are more than 100 years old, with the oldest dating back to the 19th century. The blending of the diverse range of wines into individual cognacs is the responsibility of the Fillioux family, a local winemaking family now in its eighth generation. Hennessy also played a major role in the establishment of the Cognac cellar grading system, and the VS, VSOP and XO grades, which they developed and continue to refine, have not only been adopted by the cognac industry as a whole, but have also been incorporated into the legal grading system.
(1) VS : 1865
In 1865, Maurice, the great-grandson of Richard, the founder of Hennessy, decided to create a classification specific to Cognac. At the time, he used a different number of stars to indicate the different qualities of cognacs and elevated Hennessy cognacs to a three-star rating, which became known as VS (Very Special), a classification that has since been adopted by the entire cognac world and is still in use today.
(2) VSOP : 1817
In fact, VSOP predates the VS classification. As early as 1817, the VSOP classification was being used to assess the quality of cognacs. King George IV, a connoisseur of cognacs, asked Hennessy to design a “Very Superior Old Pale (VSOP)” for him, and the cognac became a benchmark for the industry.
(3) XO : 1870
In 1870, Maurice created another XO (Extra Old) cognac. Said to have been made for his family and close friends, the XO has long since become the highest legal grade in Cognac (with the addition of the new grade XXO in 2018.) Hennessy XO is made by generations of blenders who have carefully blended over a hundred of the “waters of life” from the four major wine-growing regions of the Cognac region, thus establishing the X.O Cognac as a benchmark for the industry. XO Cognac.
Hennessy Cognac is not a product of improvisation, the process of making it is long and complex. The process of creating a quality Cognac is a long and complex one that involves six important steps: harvesting, distillation, maturation, selection, blending and bottling. The first step is to have good grapes. Ugni Blanc ripens late, has high acidity and low alcohol, making it ideal for a well-balanced Cognac. Ugni Blanc from the Hennessy vineyards has a light, fruity flavor that is refined in the Hennessy double distillation process, resulting in the quenching of the highly prized “water of life”.
The quality of the Water of Life is achieved through a combination of time and skill, not only by aging, but also by allowing it to grow. In Hennessy's cellars, the water of life is aged in oak barrels to develop its distinctive flavor and color. Today, Hennessy has thousands of different varietals in its cellars and over 350,000 barrels in its 65 cellars, carefully selected by generations of blending masters, then left to mature and tasted annually, making each Hennessy vintage unique. This is not only the result of the efforts of generations of heirs, but also the precipitation of more than 200 years of history, which is still lying in the cellar and has been inspired by infinite possibilities.
