Our ultimate day in Cognac took us to certainly one of my all-time favourite producers, Camus, which is a smaller producer however significantly bigger than Maison Ferrand. (Camus grows its personal grapes for about 35-40 % of its manufacturing.) Camus is exclusive in that’s centered round Borderies, the north-of-the-river a part of Cognac that showcases a a lot completely different terroir. The low hills of Grande Champagne give manner right here to a extra rolling panorama that’s thick with timber. It’s a strikingly completely different world, and but you’re just some miles away from the chalky soils of Grande Champagne.
Camus operates its workplaces and customer’s middle within the metropolis of Cognac, however our information Frederic Dezauzier drove us into Borderies correct to see Camus’s distillery and warehouse, the latter being the biggest single getting old and mixing operation we visited throughout our journey. This space has been planted to wine grapes because the twelfth century, and it will appear not a lot has modified since then based mostly on the brief stone buildings and slender roads connecting the assorted villages.
Camus’s distillery isn’t essentially the most glamorous a part of Borderies — it’s a reasonably industrial setting located subsequent to a methane-fueled energy plant — however the magic right here is clearly pushed by greater than stills and fancy buildings. Right here, Camus’ distillery supervisor Yonaël Bernard showcased what’s completely different in regards to the brandy than at different operations — specifically that they take a bigger number of heads and style them, one liter at a time, utilizing a tool hooked up to the nonetheless that Camus has really patented.
Throughout our time collectively, Dezauzier shared a deep historical past of Camus with us, increasing my data of the producer and the realm. Camus is the biggest single proprietor of vineyards within the Borderies space, and it nonetheless presents the one XO Borderies-designated Cognac in the marketplace. On the time it was the only real provider of brandy to Czar Nicholas II of Russia, an association which ensured that a big quantity of Camus Cognac was invariably exported. Earlier than Covid, a whopping 60 % of Camus’s gross sales had been pushed by responsibility free retailers. That collapsed through the pandemic but it surely’s slowly recovering. The excellent news is meaning it’s simpler to get Camus regionally.
A couple of miles away, Camus distillate is trucked in and put into barrels for getting old. It stunned me (although it most likely shouldn’t have) that the barrels by no means really transfer off the racks. Lengthy hoses are used to place new spirit in and take it out; the barrel stays in its spot till it must be eliminated for restore, thus minimizing the prospect for injury — and the effort of getting to maneuver barrels round so as to attain it. 5000 casks of Cognac are getting old on this single warehouse — all of Camus’ inventory in a single place — whereas mixing is completed in huge vats in a distinct room. It was perversely thrilling additionally to see a bit of kit you hear about on a regular basis, however which I’d by no means witnessed within the flesh: An iced-over chill-filtration unit. Whereas chill-filtering is taken into account a no-no within the whiskey world, it’s commonplace in Cognac; the truth is, the overwhelming majority of Cognac is chill-filtered, as a result of the market has zero tolerance towards impurities, in contrast to within the whiskey world. portion of Cognac can also be saved chilled or within the freezer, additional necessitating the method.
We wrapped up our time with Camus (at the least earlier than lunch) with a small tasting in Camus’s testing laboratory, having fun with a current bottling of its iconic XO Borderies. Loaded with advanced notes of baked apples, orange peel, butterscotch, baking spice, and vanilla, the sunshine contact of wooden that weaves out and in of the expertise was a vivid reminder of why that is such a pleasant brandy… and why it’s now promoting at about $320 a bottle.
As we had been getting ready to go away Cognac to return to Paris, the headline-grabbing strikes which have beset the nation had been simply getting began. As I discussed in Half 1 of this narrative, this culminated in our prepare to Angoulême being canceled, and we needed to take a automotive service there to catch our TGV connection. I might be wholly remiss with out acknowledging Aimé Letono of L&L Prestig’Auto, who ended up driving us nearly in all places we went — typically as a result of the distilleries had employed him, typically due to dumb luck. Aimé actually is the one driver in Cognac so far as I can inform, and in case you are planning to go to this tiny burg, I implore you to attach with him to rearrange automotive service earlier than your arrival. I don’t have a web site, however strive calling or texting +33 (0) 6 11 25 88 02 immediately; Aimé speaks wonderful English. Inform him Drinkhacker despatched you!
In case you go:
Camus Workshop, 21 Rue Cagouillet, 16100 Cognac, France
Camus has a variety of paid guests’ experiences, together with excursions and mixing experiences. Be taught extra at camus.fr below “Experiences.”
Beforehand: Half 1: Maison Ferrand. Half 2: Remy Martin.
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