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Courvoisier breaks the mould with Connoisseur Collection
Courvoisier is seeking to revolutionise the cognac category with the launch of its Connoisseur Collection, the first major Cognac house releases to carry an age declaration on the bottle.
The Courvoisier Connoisseur Collection is launching with two marques, Courvoisier 12 Year Old and Courvoisier 21 Year Old, aged for a minimum of 12 and 21 years respectively in French oak.
Master blender Patrice Pinet told the drinks business the releases are designed to enhance people’s understanding of cru and the nuances of blending.
“It’s a new approach. We speak about cru, we speak about ageing, but at the heart of making Cognac is the art of blending so generally we are speaking about the blends with these Cognacs.
“We wanted to launch a very special collection for the connoisseur for people who want to have a different approach to understanding Cognac, to know more about what a cru is, what age means.
“They are also there for new Cognac consumers too, those that might not be particularly confident when looking at a bottle of Cognac about what the age is, what terms such as VSOP mean – it’s all a bit mysterious for them.
“With 12 and 21 you take away that mystery and offer them a way to understand the liquid better.”
As with whisky, the age statements relate to the youngest eau de vie in the blend.
Courvoisier 12 Year Old is a blend primarily selected from the Borderies, the smallest and most exclusive cru in Cognac and Courvoisier 21 Year Old is made exclusively from grapes harvested in the most prestigious Grande Champagne cru. Their respective RRPs are £50 and £175.
Pinet added: “Our former master blender, Jean Marc Olivier, had the foresight 25 years ago to employ processes that would allow us to create a cognac with an age statement, predicting that the face of cognac would change.
“Courvoisier is leading the charge on an innovative approach to cognac, which we hope will inform and engage aficionados and we look forward to adding to the collection in the future.”
Maxxium UK’s marketing controller for Courvoisier and imported whiskeys, Eileen Livingston, added: “Courvoisier has taken a revolutionary approach throughout its 200 year history, introducing innovative production techniques and marketing initiatives, which have secured its position as the UK’s number one cognac.
“The launch of the Courvoisier Connoisseur Collection demonstrates the brand’s luxury credentials and our commitment to growing the brand and the category in a true revolutionary style.”
Alan Lodge, 11.05.2011