The best wines of Cognac

Discover the best wines of Cognac as well as the best winemakers of Cognac and estates of Cognac to visit. Explore the popular grape varieties of Cognac and the best vintages to taste in this region.

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Top wines of Cognac by region

Looking for a good wine of Cognac among the top wines in the region? Check out our tops of the best red, white or effervescent wines of Cognac. Also find some food and wine pairings that may be appropriate with these exceptional wines. Learn more about the region and the wines of Cognac with technical and enological descriptions.

Great red wines of Cognac

See the top 100 best red wines of Cognac

Want to buy a red wine of Cognac cheap or sell a red wine of Cognac at the best price on the market? Find out which ones are popular and which ones to keep in your cellar for a few more years.

Food and wine pairing with a red wine of Cognac

Red wines from the region of Cognac go well with generally quite well with dishes of beef, game (deer, venison) or lamb such as recipes of beef tenderloin wellington, rabbit with hunter's sauce or marielle's lamb and eggplant parmentier.

The best vintages in red wine of Cognac

  • 2006With an average score of 4.40/5
  • 2016With an average score of 4.20/5
  • 2017With an average score of 4.10/5
  • 2008With an average score of 4.00/5
  • 2011With an average score of 3.90/5
  • 2010With an average score of 3.90/5

The most used grape varieties in red wine of Cognac

  • Merlot
  • Cabernet Sauvignon
  • Colombard
  • Pinot Noir

The best wineries and winemakers for red wine of Cognac

A wine route planned in the region of Cognac? Here are the wineries to visit and the winemakers to meet during your trip in search of the best red wine of Cognac.

Discovering the wine region of Cognac

Cognac is the most famous brandy in the world, more famous even than its OldGascon cousin, Armagnac. It comes from the Charentais, a vast region of western France immediately North of Bordeaux, and takes its name from the historic town of Cognac - the long-standing epicentre of local brandy production. In French, cognac is technically classified as an eau-de-vie de vin - a category that covers all spirits distilled from wine. The Full and official name of the brandy is actually "Eau-de-Vie de Cognac" or "Eau-de-Vie des Charentes", but the Short version has become so common that these longer versions almost never appear on labels.

Although little known, the Charentais is one of the largest vineyards in France. It is made up of two administrative departments (Charente and Charente-Maritime), each of which produces more wine per year than the whole of Burgundy. While some of this wine is basic table wine (sold as IGP / Vin de Pays or Vin de France), the vast majority is produced specifically for distillation into Cognac. Legally protected and regulated since May 1936, Cognac was among the very first AOC titles confirmed when the INAO was created in the mid 1930s.

Great white wines of Cognac

See the top 100 best white wines of Cognac

Want to buy a white wine of Cognac cheap or sell a white wine of Cognac at the best price on the market? Find out which ones are popular and which ones to keep in your cellar for a few more years.

Food and wine pairing with a white wine of Cognac

White wines from the region of Cognac go well with generally quite well with dishes of rich fish (salmon, tuna etc), shellfish or vegetarian such as recipes of salmon and spinach lasagna, mussels with camembert cheese or nanie's diced ham quiche.

Organoleptic analysis of white wine of Cognac

On the nose the white wine of the region of Cognac. often reveals types of flavors of microbio.

The best vintages in white wine of Cognac

  • 2017With an average score of 4.40/5
  • 2016With an average score of 4.00/5
  • 2008With an average score of 3.95/5
  • 2006With an average score of 3.00/5

The most used grape varieties in white wine of Cognac

  • Ugni blanc
  • Colombard
  • Sauvignon Blanc
  • Chardonnay

The best wineries and winemakers for white wine of Cognac

A wine route planned in the region of Cognac? Here are the wineries to visit and the winemakers to meet during your trip in search of the best white wine of Cognac.

Discover the grape variety: Colombard

Colombard is one of the oldest grape varieties in the Charentes. This golden white grape variety is a cross between Chenin and Gouais. The young leaves of colombard are yellow with bronze patches. The adult leaves may be three-lobed or whole, depending on the variety. Its branches are cottony. The bunches of this variety are thick and cylindrical. Its elliptical berries are medium-sized. They change color until they ripen, ranging from greenish white to golden yellow. Colombard is associated with an average budding. It is particularly susceptible to leafhoppers, grape worms, mites, mildew, powdery mildew and gray mold. It is also sensitive to water stress, but is not very sensitive to wind. It ripens late in the second half of the year. There are a dozen approved clones of Colombard, the best known of which are 608, 607 and 606. This variety produces a full-bodied, fine white wine. Aromas of lime, nectarine, boxwood, citrus and exotic fruits are released.

Great sparkling wines of Cognac

See the top 100 best sparkling wines of Cognac

Want to buy a sparkling wine of Cognac cheap or sell a sparkling wine of Cognac at the best price on the market? Find out which ones are popular and which ones to keep in your cellar for a few more years.

Food and wine pairing with a sparkling wine of Cognac

Sparkling wines from the region of Cognac go well with generally quite well with dishes of pork, rich fish (salmon, tuna etc) or shellfish such as recipes of spaghetti squash with cream and bacon, skate with vinegar and capers or fish and seafood gratin.

The best vintages in sparkling wine of Cognac

  • 1965With an average score of 4.80/5

The word of the wine: Oxidative (breeding)

A method of ageing which aims to give the wine certain aromas of evolution (dried fruit, bitter orange, coffee, rancio, etc.) by exposing it to the air; it is then matured either in barrels, demi-muids or unoaked casks, sometimes stored in the open air, or in barrels exposed to the sun and to temperature variations. This type of maturation characterizes certain natural sweet wines, ports and other liqueur wines.

Great pink wines of Cognac

See the top 100 best pink wines of Cognac

Want to buy a pink wine of Cognac cheap or sell a pink wine of Cognac at the best price on the market? Find out which ones are popular and which ones to keep in your cellar for a few more years.

Food and wine pairing with a pink wine of Cognac

Pink wines from the region of Cognac go well with generally quite well with dishes of beef, pork or game (deer, venison) such as recipes of beef colombo bourguignon style, simmered pork cheeks with cream sauce and dijon mustard or duck stew with cahors wine.

The most used grape varieties in pink wine of Cognac

  • Merlot
  • Cabernet Franc
  • Grenache
  • Shiraz/Syrah

The best wineries and winemakers for pink wine of Cognac

A wine route planned in the region of Cognac? Here are the wineries to visit and the winemakers to meet during your trip in search of the best pink wine of Cognac.

Discover the grape variety: Folle blanche

As its name suggests, the folle blanche is a white grape variety. Originally from the west of France, it was used to make Cognac and Armagnac brandies as early as the 17th century and was renowned for its finesse and fragrant nose. Replaced by Ugni Blanc following the phylloxera invasion, the folle blanche is now grown in small quantities. It is a grape variety with juicy, sweet, medium-sized bunches and berries with a white/green skin. Its worst enemy is grey rot. As it is an early variety and its buds come out early, it is particularly afraid of spring frosts. It likes short pruning, a method that limits the production of grapes but increases their quality. It also prefers mineral-rich soils, and its vineyards cover about 3,000 hectares. It is used in the production of the AOC Gros-plant du Pays nantais to produce a lively white wine with little alcohol but marked acidity.

Great sweet wines of Cognac

See the top 100 best sweet wines of Cognac

Want to buy a sweet wine of Cognac cheap or sell a sweet wine of Cognac at the best price on the market? Find out which ones are popular and which ones to keep in your cellar for a few more years.

Food and wine pairing with a sweet wine of Cognac

Sweet wines from the region of Cognac go well with generally quite well with dishes of beef, lamb or pork such as recipes of beef marengo "my mom" style, mediterranean lamb necklace or creole chipolatas.

Organoleptic analysis of sweet wine of Cognac

On the nose the sweet wine of the region of Cognac. often reveals types of flavors of ginger, peach or black fruit and sometimes also flavors of red fruit, citrus fruit or vegetal.

The best vintages in sweet wine of Cognac

  • 1976With an average score of 4.80/5
  • 2010With an average score of 4.60/5
  • N.V.With an average score of 4.48/5
  • 1998With an average score of 4.40/5
  • 2008With an average score of 4.30/5
  • 2015With an average score of 4.27/5

The most used grape varieties in sweet wine of Cognac

  • Ugni blanc
  • Colombard
  • Folle Blanche
  • Cabernet Sauvignon
  • Cabernet Franc
  • Merlot

The best wineries and winemakers for sweet wine of Cognac

A wine route planned in the region of Cognac? Here are the wineries to visit and the winemakers to meet during your trip in search of the best sweet wine of Cognac.

The word of the wine: Long

Wine with persistence in the mouth. This persistence in the mouth of a wine is measured in caudalies.

Great natural sweet wines of Cognac

See the top 100 best natural sweet wines of Cognac

Want to buy a natural-sweet wine of Cognac cheap or sell a natural-sweet wine of Cognac at the best price on the market? Find out which ones are popular and which ones to keep in your cellar for a few more years.

Food and wine pairing with a natural-sweet wine of Cognac

Natural sweet wines from the region of Cognac go well with generally quite well with dishes of beef, lamb or pork such as recipes of pork chops with potatoes, marinated leg of lamb with herbs or mushroom, bacon and gruyere quiche.

Organoleptic analysis of natural-sweet wine of Cognac

On the nose the natural sweet wine of the region of Cognac. often reveals types of flavors of oak, tree fruit or spices and sometimes also flavors of non oak, earth.

The best vintages in natural-sweet wine of Cognac

  • N.V.With an average score of 4.10/5
  • 2014With an average score of 4.10/5
  • 2016With an average score of 4.10/5

The most used grape varieties in natural-sweet wine of Cognac

  • Merlot
  • Cabernet Franc
  • Cabernet Sauvignon

The best wineries and winemakers for natural-sweet wine of Cognac

A wine route planned in the region of Cognac? Here are the wineries to visit and the winemakers to meet during your trip in search of the best natural-sweet wine of Cognac.

    Discover the grape variety: Chardonnay

    The white Chardonnay is a grape variety that originated in France (Burgundy). It produces a variety of grape specially used for wine making. It is rare to find this grape to eat on our tables. This variety of grape is characterized by small bunches, and small grapes. White Chardonnay can be found in many vineyards: South West, Burgundy, Jura, Languedoc & Roussillon, Cognac, Bordeaux, Beaujolais, Savoie & Bugey, Loire Valley, Champagne, Rhone Valley, Armagnac, Lorraine, Alsace, Provence & Corsica.

    News from the vineyard of Cognac

    The Last Drop Distillers unveils trio of new releases

    The launch of the 2022 Collection takes the total number of Last Drop releases to 27 since the company was founded by drinks industry veterans Tom Jago and James Espey in 2008. Tom’s daughter Rebecca Jago is now the company’s MD. This year’s releases include The Last Drop’s first Japanese whisky: a blended malt that includes whisky from the fabled Hanyu distillery, taken from the beginning and end of its brief lifespan (1980-2000), as well as malts from other unidentified Japanese distilleries. ...

    Ardbeg single malt reaches record-breaking price

    The unnamed collector is set to receive 440 bottles of single malt in total from ‘Cask No. 3’ – 88 each year over the next five years, giving her a vertical series of 1975 Ardbegs bottled at 46, 47, 48, 49 and 50 years old by 2026. The sum paid equates to more than £36,000 per bottle, and is more than 16 times the record amount paid at auction for a single cask of whisky – set in April this year, when a private buyer from the US paid £915,500 (hammer price) for a 1988 Macallan cask. However, pri ...

    Bordeaux ‘Act for Change’ symposium

    The focus of the symposium, unsurprisingly, was on the challenges posed by climate change. As if to illustrate the immediacy of the threat, the symposium took place during a heatwave, with temperatures of over 40°C  in Bordeaux and extreme weather events recorded across the coountry: parts of southwest France saw violent storms and winds of 112kph on the evening of 20 June, while vineyards across the Médoc and St-Emilion were damaged by hailstones ‘the size of golfballs’. As Olivier Bernard of D ...

    Discover other regions and appellation of Cognac

      A wine route in the region of Cognac ? Visit the most beautiful wine towns and villages

      • Champagnolles
      • Chermignac
      • Châteauneuf-sur-charente
      • Julienne
      • Saint pierre d'oléron
      • Saint-martial-sur-né
      • Saint-même-les-carrières