Courvoisier House
History
Courvoisier is one of the leading Cognac houses in the world. It is said that Napoleon Bonaparte visited the Courvoisier warehouses in 1811, and liked it so much that it became known as “the Cognac of Napoleon.” His grandson Napoleon III sealed its reputation by granting Courvoisier Cognac the title of "Official Supplier to the Imperial Court" in 1869. Continuing to honour its links with Napoleon, Courvoisier launched the Josephine bottle in 1951. The brand continued to mix fine quality Cognac with flair through subsequent collaborations with famed Art Deco designer Erté and designer Vivienne Westwood. Its distinctive cultural extravagance is celebrated by US hip hop culture, with tracks such as “Pass the Courvoisier” by Busta Rhymes and P Diddy.
Technology
Courvoisier is famous for overseeing every single part of the process, from grape to glass, in order to guarantee the very finest Cognac. Its hub is still the Château on the banks of the Charente river near the town of Cognac, which was established in the 1870s. This ensures that the producers maintain close ties with over 800 local vine growers from Grande Champagne, Petite Champagne, Fins Bois and Borderies crus, in order to choose the finest grapes for its blends. The grapes are harvested at the end of the summer, pressed and fermented for several days before being double distilled. Courvoisier is one of the few Cognac houses to distill on the lees. After distillation, the spirit is aged in handcrafted barrels, made from 200-year-old oak sourced from the Tronçais forest in France. As the Cognac matures over the years, it becomes increasingly smooth and complex.
