Cognac rests and ages in oak barrels. From the choice of the wood to the barrel making, all the steps are equally important to ensure the premium quality of those masterpieces.

The wood

Cognac exclusively ages inside barrels made of oak from Limousin or Tronçais. However, the oak can come from several species of oak trees and from several types of forestry. The wood is selected depending on its strength, its low porosity and the extractive principles it contains.

 A wood with a fine and tender grain, typical of mature timber, is particularly porous to alcohols and produces a soft tannin.

 A wood with a middle-size and hard grain, typical of the young timber, is even more porous and releases a more powerful tannin.

Cooperage

The making of a cognac barrel rests on a series of very technical processes transmitted between coopers generation after generation. The skills and the eye of the cooper alongside the use of ancient tools contribute to the exclusivity of this professional activity.

The « merrains », wooden planks which will be used to make the barrel, are extracted between the heart and the sapwood of oaks aged 100 years as a minimum. After they have been split with the wood grain, the merrains are kept outdoors for 3 years in order to eliminate the sap and the bitterness of the wood. They are then turned into « douelles ».

The first job of the cooper is to circle the wood above a fire made of oak shavings and pieces. The wood is regularly dampened and, being in contact with the fire, the douelles become supple. In the meantime, a cable is placed at the base of the barrel and is tightened little by little so that the douelles get close together and end by joining each other without need of glue or nails.
Then it is time to bring the finishing touches and to do the solidity and boiling water tests to ensure that there isn’t any manufacturing fault and therefore prevent future leakage.

A few coopers carry on the tradition of signing their barrels, both to take responsibility of their work and to leave a mark of their talent in the cognac history.