Viticulturist Frédéric Bourgoin from Saint-Saturnin in Charente makes atypical cognacs as much in substance as in form. His ambition: to dust off the exceptional Cognac AOC and bring it into the present. Frédéric does what nobody else does - he makes real winemaker's Cognac.
He works his own white Ugni Blanc vines which were planted by his grandfather, Léon Marcel Bourgoin, in 1930. Today, the estate covers 90 hectares. The plantation is at 2,750 feet per hectare which allows for 6kg of grapes on average per foot, with a pH of 2.9, and a potential between 7% and 10% vol. This method is in place to achieve maximum acidity which interacts with the copper of the still and in turn creating interesting esters (aromas).
Frédéric creates cognacs without blending, without filtration, without coloring, and without added sugar. The batches are separated by vintage, by terroir (first wood, fine wood, or small champagne), and by barrel (single cask). Old vintages are sold unreduced (full proof). Reductions are always made with rainwater to optimize the aromatic lift. The sub-runs are carried out during the new moon’s gravitational effect to benefit from the best fluid mechanics. The bottling is done 100% by hand on the estate.
