Hine’s impeccable taste and tradition

After 250 years of renowned Cognac production Hine is about to change hands once more.

Hine is for sale, as the drinks business reported in April this year. For those living among the vineyards of Cognac, such news probably failed to surprise.

Although the brand was recently placed on the market, speculation surrounding the label’s future has existed since its owner, CL Financial Limited – parent company of CL World Brands – came under the management of the Trinidad and Tobago government following a bailout in 2009.

And in the past three years CL has divested much of its drinks business, having sold its Scotch whisky arm Burn Stewart Distillers to Distell, and a majority stake of Lascelles deMercado, owner of Appleton Estate Rum, to Campari.

But now CL’s Cognac business is officially for sale, what would tempt the prospective purchaser? Well, Hine has long been considered a prized brand by those in the drinks trade, respected for its long history, consistent and distinctive style, as well as valued for its extensive aged stocks, Grande Champagne vineyards and broad product range that does without an image cheapening VS. It may not be big – with annual case sales of just under 100,000 – but it’s certainly profitable.

Founded in 1763, Hine is 250 years old this year, an anniversary celebrated with two new Cognacs, one specifically for the UK (see box-out) and another called Hine 250, which, in keeping with the number of years since the house was founded, has a production run of just 250.

The latter launch, unveiled at Vinexpo Bordeaux in June, comprises a specially designed Baccarat crystal decanter containing a 60-year-old vintage Cognac which Hine cellar master Eric Forget describes as “the most exquisite Cognac that I have ever tasted since I have been at Hine.” Despite Hine’s steady and traditional image, centred on the subtle oak influence in its Cognacs, vintage concept, red and cream branding, regardant stag emblem, and, to some extent, Britishness, the brand has actually seen no fewer than three owners within the last 40 years.

The first major change came when the Hine family sold the company to the Distillers Company (DCL) in 1971. Then, when Guinness bought DCL in 1987, Hine was sold to Moët-Hennessy, which, in turn sold the Cognac to CL World Brands in 2003, where it has remained until now.

Key to Hine’s continuity in quality and presentation throughout this period can be traced to one powerful personality, Bernard Hine – a sixth-generation family member. Bernard has remained within the company throughout these changes having worked at the house for 50 years – his first day at Hine was 1 August 1963, when he was 24. As he says, “I have worked hard to keep Hine as it is.”

Consequently, Hine has enjoyed continuity when it comes to both the projection of its image but also, crucially, the character of its Cognacs. In particular, Bernard, who took on sole responsibility for blending Hine in 1974, looks for little wood influence on the spirit and a fruity and floral character.

Acknowledging the following for Hine among wine enthusiasts in particular, he explains, “Hine is loved by the wine drinker because the character of the wine is in the Cognac; Hine is just a concentration of wine’s aromas.” However, Bernard admits that he has stepped away from the day-to-day blending duties, but has passed on hisknow-how to current cellar master Eric Forget.

Indeed, in an interview with Hine managing director François Le Grelle back in 2010, the relationship between Bernard and Eric was described as like father and son in terms of the transmission of knowledge.

VINTAGE VIRTUES

A particularly important aspect to the essence of Hine is the vintage Cognac concept. However, it’s not one that’s easy to manage: Hine’s historic ageing cellars, the Paradis, can’t be entered without a representation from the Bureau National Interprofessionnel du Cognac (BNIC), a protective measure following abuses of vintage Cognac practices in the 1960s.

Even today, a store of Hine’s vintagedated eaux de vie can’t be entered without two keys, one of which is held by someone from the regional body. The decision to reserve an eau de vie for a future Hine vintage is usually made after the harvest, explains Bernard, with the best vintage Cognacs derived from grapes containing a good balance between sugar, alcohol and acid levels. “For the base wine the optimum strength is around 9%, and not over 10%, as this is where you get the best balance,” he says.

“We pick so the grapes are not overripe, but not those with too much acidity.” The youngest vintage Hine Cognac currently on the market is from 1989, which Bernard recalls was the hottest year of that decade – he has kept a vintage record back to 1948.

When discussing the old age of the house’s youngest vintage on sale, Bernard stresses the importance of ageing such a spirit for an extensive period. “You shouldn’t be allowed to release a vintage Cognac unless it is at least 20 years old,” he states.

“This is because 20 years is the barrier when a young Cognac turns into an old age and you get the softness and the spicy nutty character develops,” he adds.

For Bernard, the integration of oak can be tasted in a series of steps, with a woody taste in the spirit after one year, a vanilla flavour after five years, an attractive assimilation after 10 years, and the aforementioned
spicy, nutty character after 20 years. After 45-50 years, the spirit has generally reached its peak and is taken out of cask and kept in glass demi-johns.
Speaking generally about the vintage Cognacs, Bernard comments, “We release a vintage most years because with a vintage we are saying, here are the characteristics of the year, but we are not saying it is better.” He adds: “We are showing the differences, the elements, but the achievement is to make a very fine blend. And to do this, you have to know exactly the character of the vintages in your stock.”

BRITISH INFLUENCE

Aside from the emphasis on the vintage concept, a further point of difference at Hine is the house’s decision to age some of its vintage Cognacs in Britain, where they are left to mature in a humid cellar in Bristol on the banks of the Avon – not unlike Hine’s cellars in Jarnac, adjacent to the river Charente.

Called Early Landed, the UK-matured Cognacs age more slowly than their French equivalents – a result of Bristol’s cooler and damper conditions. No doubt retaining the archaic practice of ageing a proportion of Cognac stocks in the UK is one reason for brand’s British feel and following, that is, along with the fact Hine is the only Cognac to hold a Royal Warrant. In 2011, Hine took the early-landed vintage concept to its conclusion and launched a blend of the UK-matured Cognacs called Homage – in honour of company founder Thomas Hine.

Bernard was delighted at the addition to the Hine range conceived by Eric. “It is a great idea to have a reference to vintage and to early landed, and it is a very fine Cognac.” Acknowledging the need for Hine to innovate while retaining its traditional image, he says, “We have to be consistently the same, and always moving forward; it’s not easy, but we manage.” Aside from its image, stocks and product range, which starts with H by Hine VSOP Cognac, the house benefits from 120 hectares of prime vineyards.

These were acquired in 2004 when Hine bought a piece of Grand Champagne Cognac from Alfred Tessaron of the Cognac house by the same name, as well as Pontet Canet fame. The 120-ha estate, now called Domaines Hine, has 70ha of vineyards which Hine is replanting at a rate of 4ha each year. This property has given the producer both control over raw material pricing – the domaine supplies around 30% of Hine’s grapes – and the incentive to produce Hine Estate, using fruit primarily sourced for the former Tessaron vineyards.

UNTAPPED POTENTIAL

But there’s another aspect that heightens Hine’s appeal, particularly as a potential acquisition. This is the fact the brand hasn’t been extensively promoted in two of the world’s major Cognac markets – the USA and the Far East.

“I would like more balance in the distribution between Western Europe and the USA,” says Bernard, before noting that Hine has recently appointed a new distributor in California, The Anchor Distilling Company. Bernard has high hopes for this move, partly because he records a “growing number of true Cognac connoisseurs” in the US, but also because the distributor’s president, David King, was formerly marketing director at Berry Bros & Rudd, and Bernard believes Hine is best handled by people or businesses with a connection with wine.

“Hine is not like a vodka or white rum, it suits being sold alongside wine”. This also explains his satisfaction with Hine’s UK agent: Pol Roger Portfolio, which contains, along with the well known Champagne and Glenfarclas Scotch, great wines such as Burgundy’s Drouhin and Josmeyer from Alsace. As for Asia, Hine’s potential here is somewhat untapped, says Bernard. Benefitting from its short name, bold red print, and stag symbol, he believes Hine’s branding is a perfect mix of western and Asian cues. Indeed, he says that the stag is considered a more powerful animal in China than the lion.

In short, Hine benefits from an upmarket image, loyal base of highspending consumers, and an underdeveloped following in Cognac’s fastest-growing markets. It also has something that’s hard to create – an inherent charm. profile: hine Interestingly, as its managing director confided in the drinks business almost two years ago, if Hine is sold, it would mark the only profitable investment CL Financial has made in the spirits business. And that’s with minimal interference from the troubled group in the brand’s direction – thankfully.